Finding research evidence

Forum for the Future

http:// unihub.mdx.ac.uk / study / library

In this workshop we will look at...

• How to find information for your project

• Developing an effective search strategy

• Resources available and how to use them

• Evaluating information

• Keeping up-to-date

• Managing references

Using the right information source

Library Subject Guideshttp://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/wbl

myUniHub > My Study > My Library

Thinking about keywords

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossjamesparker/89414788/

The real thing

• Keywords

• Alternative keywords

• More specific keywords

• Related subjects

Your project exercise

So far so good

So far we’ve looked at:

• Choosing the right resource

• Coming up with useful keywords

Next:

• Searching, evaluating, and keeping up-to-date

Accessing resourcesmyUniHub > My Study > My Library

Select Summon and try out your keywords.

Summon questions

Citation indexes• Which articles have cited an earlier article

• Find articles on similar/related subject

• How many times an article has been cited

• Best journals in your field

Web of ScienceMyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > W

Keeping up-to-date with your subject

• Journal databases

• Table of Contents Alerts

• Google Alerts

• Blogs

More information in Library Subject Guides

Is it any good?

But is it any good?

In pairs discuss:

3 criteria for evaluating the quality of information

• Authority : Who is the author? What is their knowledge base/qualifications? How have they carried out their research?

• Relevance : Is this what I need? Will it answer my question? Is it at the right level?

• Intent : What is the purpose of information e.g. financial gain, propaganda, academic etc?

• Objectivity : Balanced view? Opposing views represented? Links to supporting information?

• Currency: How old is this information? When was it last updated and by whom?

Evaluating information

But it’s not in the Library!

• Inter Library Loans

• Alumni at old uni

• More information:

http://bit.ly/visitingotherlibraries

Referencing and PlagiarismmyUniHub > My Study > My Library > Library Subject Guides

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/plagiarismreferencing

Managing your references• Use bibliographic management software

• RefWorks

• myUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > R

• More information http://bit.ly/RefWorkshelp

Keeping in touch• Librarian Blog http://wbllibrarian.blogspot.co.uk/

• Librarian Twitter https://twitter.com/WBLLibrarian

• Library Facebook Middlesex University Library

• Library Twitter http://twitter.com/MDXLibrary

• MDX App http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/support/app/index.aspx

Need further help?

Adam Edwards and Adam Miller

wbllibrarian@mdx.ac.uk

Ask a Librarian

http://askalibrarian.mdx.ac.uk/