MBA Getting the info you need

Christine Bronkhorst

Boolean operators

Boolean cont.

• (Diversity management) AND (leader OR manager)

• (woman OR women OR female) AND discrimination NOT (gender)

Truncation

• Truncation : multiple forms of a word

• Accepted symbol for truncation *• Stem of the keyword • Eg : manag*

(will search : manager, managing)

Formulating a search strategy

• Keyword: identify three or four descriptive keywords

• Synonyms:  Identify synonyms for these keywords e.g. women or female

• Spelling: British and American e.g. organization // organisation  

• Plurals: Databases make it possible to use truncation e.g.female*  

• Boolean operators:  AND OR  NOT                

To access our databases

• http://www.nwu.ac.za/library• Search by subject• MBA• MBA E-library (MBA specific links)

• EbscoHost• Emerald• SAePublications• Rsat• Science Direct

Databases for MBA

When prompted for a password?

• Userid: surname

• Passw: ID no

Vs

GoogleQuantityNot organizedCommercial infoNo selection processNot permanentNot everything always for

freeNot trustworthyNo sophisticated search

strategies

LibraryQualityOrganizedCommercial and

scientificValidatedAlways available

(archive)Free (registered userd)Suitable for researchSophisticated search

strategies

Evaluation of info on WWW• Accuracy• Authority• Content &

coverage• Currency• Scientific use• Archive /

Permanency• Bibliography

Plagiarsim

• -Pass off ideas , opinions, facts you found in sources as if they were your own

• -Must credit the author• -If you use his words, indicate it by

using “quotation marks” • http://oldwww.ru.ac.za/library/infolit//own.html

Avoid plagiarism

-Don’t cut and paste information from electronic sources-Read what others have said, then formulate your own viewpoint

Harvard Referencing Style http://www.nwu.ac.za/sites/default/files/files/library/documents/verwysings.pdf

• Book:• “It was anciently believed that a baby born with teeth

already formed would bite” (Smith, 1977:70.) Quote

• An ancient superstition was that when a baby was born with teeth, it would become a villain (Smith, 1977:70). Paraphrasing

• Source list:

• Smith, L. 1977. Crime and punishment. London: Batsford.

Journal articles

• Rabbi, J. 1995. Drinking among college students. Journal of alcohol and drug education, 40(3):52-64, May.

Internet Documents• Mandela, N. 1994. Statement of the

president of the ANC, Nelson Mandela, at his inauguration http://www.anc.org.za:80/ancdocs/speeches/inaugta.html Date of access: 10 Oct. 2009.

• Send me an email christine.bronkhorst@nwu.ac.za

• Keywords in English

• Student number on email

• Give me at least 3 days

When in need…