How can you use existing literature to address research problems?

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1 How can you use existing literature to address research problems? Cristina Ghiculescu Research Information Services

2 The research cycle Writing up Choosing a topic Analysing data Thinking about methods Collecting data Reading for research Adapted from: Tight, M, Hughes, C & Blaxter, L 2006, How to research, Open University Press, Maidenhead, Berks.

3 Why is reading for research SO IMPORTANT?

4 Tight, M, Hughes, C & Blaxter, L 2006, How to research, Open University Press, Maidenhead, Berks. PPkMg63xBQC&dq=how+to+research&source=gbs_navlinks_s

5 Do you have the right KEYWORDS?

6 Tip 1 Start with broad terms and add keywords as you go, one by one.

7 Tip 2 Use SYNONYMS and RECYCLE KEYWORDS: Engineering Village Thesaurus servlet/controller?cid=theshome&database=1 Google Keyword Tool c= & u= &ideaRequestType=KEYWORD_IDEAS Author keywords (from other papers) System generated keywords (from other papers)

8 Tip 3 KEEP TRACK of your keyword combinations: Produce a document with all the keywords you have been trying over time and highlight the ones that have been the most successful Save your successful keyword searches in databases and re run them periodically to stop making more work foryourself keep track of search terms/

9 What are you looking for in your literature searches? Literature on what has been tried before on the topic Influential authors/ journals/ institutions researching the same topic (or similar) The latest literature on the topic WHERE ARE THE GAPS IN THE LITERATURE? Literature on related topics or similar approaches Literature at wider/ background level Literature that shows why things tried before can t solve your problem ways to tame the literature dragon/

10 What literature sources are you looking for? Websites Encyclopaedias/ Handbooks/ Dictionaries Books/ ebooks/ book chapters Review articles Journal articles Conference papers Theses Standards Patents Data tables BACKGROUND Literature KEY Literature DATA

11 Where should you run literature searches? Websites Google Encyclopaedias/ Handbooks/ Dictionaries Summon/ UQ Library Catalogue Books/ ebooks/ book chapters Summon/ UQ Library Catalogue Review articles Research databases Journal articles Research databases Conference papers Research databases Theses Theses/ institutional repositories Standards Standard databases Patents Patent databases Data tables Specialised databases BACKGROUND Literature KEY Literature DATA

12 Where should you run literature searches? UQ Library Subject Guides guides/

13 Case Study Topic: Portable synthetic cricket pitch Some specifics: For junior players; light weight surface; provides waist height bounce

14 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Define your keywords

15 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Define your keywords Add to your list: Wider terms: e.g. plastic foams; polymer science and engineering Related terms: e.g. golf practice mat; cricket mat; recreational surface; synthetic playing surface; sports surface What you heard failed before: e.g. polypropylene (?) What you found in other sources: e.g. polyurethane (?), elastomeric (?)

16 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Get some background information Library catalogue

17 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Get some background information Summon

18 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Get some background information Chemical Engineering Subject Guide (or other relevant guides)

19 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Get some key literature Materials Engineering Subject Guide (or other relevant guides)

20 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Get some key literature Once you found a good article, REUSE: Its author keywords Its references Its related articles (if database allows for that) Its authors check what else they have written Its source title (journal title) check what else was published in that journal

21 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Get some key literature Theses

22 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Get some data Materials Engineering Subject Guide (or other relevant guides)

23 Portable synthetic cricket pitch: Get some data Materials Engineering Subject Guide (or other relevant guides)

24 Further readings Bell, J & Opie, C 2002, Learning from research: getting more from data, Open University, Buckingham. Bock, P 2001, Getting it right: R & D methods for science and engineering, Academic, London. Booth, WC, Colomb, GG & Williams, JM 2008, The craft of research, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Creedy, J 2008, Research without tears: from the first ideas to published output, Edward Elgar Pub, Cheltenham, U.K. Literature Review HQ 2012, viewed 16 April 2012, Petre, M & Rugg, G 2007, A gentle guide to research methods, McGraw Hill/Open University Press, New York. Tight, M, Hughes, C & Blaxter, L 2006, How to research, Open University Press, Maidenhead, Berks. The Thesis Whisperer 2012, viewed 18 April 2012,

25 thank you! Cristina Ghiculescu:

INFORMATION SEARCHING. Optimising Library Resource for Your Research

INFORMATION SEARCHING. Optimising Library Resource for Your Research INFORMATION SEARCHING Optimising Library Resource for Your Research MAIN LIBRARY & BRANCHES 12 Faculty Libraries Perpustakaan UTM Kuala Lumpur MJIIT Library, Kuala Lumpur Perpustakaan Sultanah Zanariah,