Essential Guide to Starting Your Research Project: Tips from Academic Support

1. Design 119 – Starting a research project Nigel May Academic Support Manager

2. Searching for information • Where do you start? • Using books rather than the web • Using the Library catalogue – Voyager • Locating journal articles • Using the web • The importance of citing and referencing your work

3. Where to start • Clarify and understand what exactly you have to do • Deconstruct your essay/project title • Select out the important keywords and concepts • Think about related keywords (synonyms) • Think about using “more specific” or “more general “keywords

4. Keywords • Example:- Power Generation • Related:- • Power supply; Energy supply; etc. • More Specific:- • Electricity Supply; • More General:- • Technology; Technological

5. Why keywords are important • Do not search for the essay title alone • If one set of keywords don’t deliver you with information, try a different set • Remember to use plurals and be aware of US spelling • There is no excuse – “There was no information”

6. Why books are as important as the web. • All books will have been through an editorial process and information validated. • Information is written within a much broader context • The author is clearly identifiable • Sources/references will be clearly identified • Date of Publication easily identified • Information can never to changed

7. Using the Library Catalogue - Voyager • Voyager terminals in the Library • Student Portal – MyCourse – Library pages – Electronic Resources • When searching for particular books use :- • Simple Search - Keyword • When searching for books on a subject use:- • Advanced Search

8. Library Pages - via the Portal

9. Voyager – Advanced Search Note the use of related keywords Use of the ? Wildcard – ethic, ethics, ethical “Any of these” will ensure the search looks for one or other of the terms.

10. Voyager – Search results Note Shelfmark – 3 letter suffix Ordinary loan – 3 weeks Status available – book is on the shelf

11. Journal articles • One of the major ways that engineers communicate • Most journals require articles to peer-reviewed before they are published. • Information in journals has been verified and checked • Sources of information are clearly identified

12. Locating Journals on Voyager Remember that you are only searching words in the journal title – you will not find specific articles in Voyager

13. Journal Title keyword - results Journal titles that have “ Engineering design” in the title. Shelfmark Electronic copy available –MAY deliver full text of the articles – or only abstract

14. Finding journal articles • You cannot find them using Voyager • You could identify a journal title of interest and browse through past copies • The best way is to use “Electronic databases” available via the Library E-Resources web page

15. Finding Journal titles via Voyager

16. Journal title search on Voyager - results

17. Following the links to Full text articles Link to full text articles Note only available between 1995 – 2002 If Full text not delivered – check the E-Journals A-Z list for the journal title and follow the links. (See next slides)

18. E-Resources via the Library pages

19. Electronic Resources Range of E-Resources available Try them out for yourself

20. Abstracts in New Technology and Engineering • Covers literature from 1981 – to date • Updated monthly • From 350 academic & trade publications • Includes New CivilEngineer, Structural Engineer & New Scientist etc…

21. Abstracts in New Technology and Engineering plus others You can select other databases that might help identify related journal articles e.g. BHI – Social , Political issues DAAI – Design issues

22. Keyword search using ANTE, BHI, DAAI Use the Advanced Search option Identify the related keywords Use the wildcard to find similar words ethic, ethics, ethical

23. ANTE, BHI – Search Results Number search results Newspaper – for full text of article – you will need to use the E-Newspapers Full text Linking – if the link does not deliver Full text – go back to E-Journals A-Z List Check any journal title against Voyager Journal Title search

24. Using the web - evaluating • Think about the:- • Accuracy – who wrote it? Are they qualified? • Check the HOME PAGE • Authority – where is the host sited? .edu .gov .org • Objectivity – is there a bias? Are there adverts? • Currency – do the links still work? Is the site dated? • Referencing – know how to reference websites/ webpages

25. Referencing your work – advice on the PORTAL

26. Detail in the Referencing Guide

27. Conclusions • Think about the keywords you will be using to search – word stems, synonyms, broader and narrower terms. • Get to know how to use Voyager and how to find books in the Library. • Know how to find journal titles on Voyager • Use the E-journals, E-Newspapers and E-Databases on the E-Resources pages • Know how to look for journal articles using E-databases

28. Further Conclusions • Understand the purpose of evaluating all web resources used. • Understand the important of the HOME PAGE • Referencing your work - know where to find advice on the PORTAL • Remember that searching for information needs planning and takes time.

29. Finally • Help is available:- • This presentation will be available in the Module Folder • The Library Enquiry desk staff will provide general guidance – Library LEVEL 1 • Ask colleagues for help/advice • You can contact me direct • nigel.may @plymouth.ac.uk