ENSC 105W: PROCESS, FORM, AND CONVENTION IN PROFESSIONAL GENRES Library Research Workshop Alison Moore Applied Science Librarian ajm30@sfu.ca
Getting started with library research TWO QUESTIONS: Where can you search for information on your topic? What library services are available to you as an SFU student? Efficient and effective research is about using resources wisely.
Plan Finding your topic Researching your topic Evaluating your sources Reference management + citing your sources Getting help
Finding your topic You will be writing a persuasive essay which argues a social, political, or ethical position in relation to engineering, computing or technology. Browse: Wikipedia, Google Canadian Newsstand (newspaper articles) Academic Search Complete (general database)
Finding your topic Which of these topics would you choose to write about for your persuasive paper which argues a social, political, or ethical position in relation to engineering, computing or technology? 1) 3D TVs 2) School uniforms 3) Depictions of gender in Mad Max: Fury Road 4) Electronic employee monitoring
ENSC 105W research guide
Researching your topic Sample research question: Should employers be allowed to electronically monitor employees? Two keys to finding what you want: Good keywords to use for your search Good resources to use for your search
Researching your topic Should employers be allowed to electronically monitor employees? identify the main concepts employees, electronic monitoring define synonyms performance monitoring, surveillance workplace define related terms privacy, legislation, rights
Where to search for information Background information: Books / e-books Reference books (e.g., encyclopedias) Reliable websites Newspaper articles (e.g. Canadian Newsstand database) Magazine articles Specific information: Book chapters Scholarly articles Government reports (e.g. Canadian Public Policy Collection) Statistical Information (e.g. Statistics Canada)
Background information Encyclopedias, handbooks, textbooks o Important for preliminary research: key authors, readings, topics, scope Fast Search or catalogue o search by keywords for: encyclopedia + subject ENSC 105W guide The Background information tab of the Engineering (or other) research guide Online reference sources from library home page
Fast Search Books (100% of our catalogue) Journal articles Newspaper and magazine articles Music, movies, maps, slides, SFU theses, government documents, sound recordings, and more Good for a quick search Retrieves a large number of hits of a wide range For a more precise search, use the catalogue and journal article databases
Finding books Fast Search keyword search limit by book/e-book Catalogue keyword search key feature: Subjects (click to find similar books)
Finding books : Call numbers Located on book spines Made up of a combination of meaningful letters and numbers Electrical engineering, Electronics, and Nuclear engineering are in the TK1-9971 range, e.g. TK 1001 A586 2010 Biomedical engineering is in the R856-857 range, e.g. R 856 B322 2010
Finding books : Call numbers
Where to search for information Background information: Books / e-books Reference books (e.g. encyclopedias) Websites Newspaper articles Magazine articles Specific information: Books Scholarly articles Government reports Statistics What is the difference?
Scholarly publications Original research (primary research) Written by academics Written for academics, researchers Longer articles Technical language, jargon Always cites sources Little to no advertising Peer-Reviewed (Refereed)
Scholarly publications : Definition Articles in scholarly journals are peer-reviewed It means quality control Peer-reviewed journals are publications that include only those articles that have been reviewed and/or qualified by a selected panel of acknowledged experts in the field of study covered by the journal EBSCO peer-reviewed articles = refereed articles academic articles = scholarly articles
Popular publications Informs or entertains Sells products Aimed at general public Written by writers (rarely subject experts) Brief articles Simple, non-technical language Rarely cites sources
Finding articles : Databases Database = A large collection of records Google is a giant database Library subscribes to hundreds of multidisciplinary and discipline-specific databases, including databases relevant to Engineering Access via Library website Check ENSC 105W guide to find the most relevant ones
Finding articles : Databases A few reasons to use academic databases: Contain peer-reviewed articles, free of charge Good for controlling your search all have controlled vocabulary : subject headings & descriptors Higher data quality Mapped to a disciplinary perspective, so topically relevant
Journal article record Elements: Title, author(s) Abstract DOI number Subject terms Use the link: Where Can I Get This? to get full-text
Where to search for information Background information: Books Reference books (e.g., encyclopedias) Websites Newspaper articles Magazine articles Specific information: Book chapters Scholarly articles Government reports
Evaluating websites (5 questions) 1. AUTHORITY: Who is the author? Do you have a clear understanding of who the author is? What are the author s academic or professional credentials? Does this make them qualified? 2. ACCURACY: Does the author cite his/her sources? Can you verify the information elsewhere? Are there spelling or grammatical mistakes? Source: BCIT Library Guide: Evaluating Web Sites
Evaluating websites (5 questions) 3. OBJECTIVITY: What is the purpose of the website? Who seems to be the website s intended audience? How detailed is the information? Does the author provide broad, opinionated statements without evidence? Is the web site an advertisement or promotional site?
Evaluating websites (5 questions) 4. CURRENCY: How well is the site maintained? Links up-to-date? Does the site tell you when it was last updated? 5. COVERAGE: How in-depth is the site? Does the site contribute something unique on the subject? Look for content, continuity, scope, uniqueness of links to other sources and quality of writing
Google Scholar Search from the library s home page to avoid being prompted for payment
Question What is a citation management tool?
Citation management tools Citation management tools: Collect your journal article, book, or other document citations together in one place Import references from library databases and websites (some tools also import references from PDFs!) Share your collection of sources with others Help you create properly formatted bibliographies and in-text citations within Microsoft Word in almost any style -- in seconds.
Citation management tools SFU Library supports 3 citation management tools: RefWorks Basic interface; online only Mendeley Lets you annotate PDFs; facilitates social networking Zotero Most customizable, great for working with groups Not sure which one is right for you? Take the quiz. You can get help with any of these 3 tools by emailing citation-managers@sfu.ca
Writing your paper If you need help with writing/structuring your paper or quoting/paraphrasing documents, see the Student Learning Commons. Workshops One-to-one appointments Drop-in consultations
Getting help Use our Ask a Librarian services (via the Library home page) to contact a librarian by: phone IM (AskAway) *extended hours In person (all three campuses) Take advantage of our Research Guides Email your librarian : Alison Moore, ajm30@sfu.ca
Thank you! Alison Moore Applied Science Librarian ajm30@sfu.ca