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Dissertation Techniques for your FHS project

Dissertation Techniques for your FHS project. Judith Pinfold Bodleian Subject Specialist (Biology ) May 2011. Dissertation Techniques. Plagiarism v. Referencing SOLO , OLIS & OXLIP+ Reference works Databases Searching techniques Managing your references.

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Dissertation Techniques for your FHS project

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  1. Dissertation Techniquesfor your FHS project Judith Pinfold Bodleian Subject Specialist (Biology) May 2011

  2. Dissertation Techniques • Plagiarism v. Referencing • SOLO, OLIS & OXLIP+ • Reference works • Databases • Searching techniques • Managing your references

  3. Plagiarism : it’s taken extremely seriously • ‘Turnitin’ software may be used by the University for screening your work • If plagiarism is suspected, the Proctors will fully investigate and interview you as well • Where plagiarism is proven, this can result in expulsion from the University …

  4. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of help and advice available • Pdf guide ‘ Academic good practice : a practical guide’ at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/edc/goodpractice/

  5. https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal/ Plenty of guidance on Weblearn too • From homepage scroll down to subsite ‘Weblearn guidance’ • select subsite • ‘Plagiarism support • (Turnitin)’

  6. References / Bibliography Be uniform in your referencing system:- Probably use the Harvard system (author / date) suggested in the FHS project guidelines on Weblearn– but whatever you do use – just be consistent!

  7. Citation practice Also large number of manuals available to give guidance and sound practice 1. Doing a literature review / Chris Hart (London, 1998) [H62 HAR ] 2. Manual for writers / Kate Turabian (7th ed. Chicago, 2007) [LB 2369 TUR ] 3. Communicating in geography & the environmental sciences / Ian Hay (3rd ed. Oxford, 2006) [G70 HAY ] 4. Cite them right / Pears & Shields (2010 ed.) [LB 2369 PEA] 5. Complete guide to referencing & avoiding plagiarism / Neville (2nd ed. 2010) [LB2369 NEV] 1st ed. (2007) also available on-line via NetLibrary

  8. Recommended purchase • Citing references : a guide for students / David Fisher and Terry Hanstock (Nottingham, 1998) • Available in Blackwell’s at the tills in the Norrington Room and the first floor Price £1.00

  9. References / Bibliography Organize your research and manage your database of references • Include citations while you write your paper • Build a bibliography in a variety of styles • Import references from many different data sources • Create bibliographies in different document formats (Word, RTF, HTML, etc.)

  10. WISER course Reference Management SoftwareThursday 16 June 2011, 2-5 pm • Introductory session to pros and cons of RefWorks, Endnote, Zotero and Mendeley • Keeping track of your references • Formatting your references www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/services/training/wiser

  11. References / Bibliography RefWorks www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/eresources/refworks • Refworks is a free (even after you leave Oxford) web-based bibliographic software package. • Being web-based means no software to download and update, and you can access your personal account from any computer connected to the web. • Courses laid on by the Computing ServicesIT Learning Programme(www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/itlp)

  12. OUCS course • RefWorks for Sciences and Social Sciences • Wednesday 22 June 2011, 2-5 pm • Cost: £8 for course book www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/itlp/courses/

  13. Dissertation Techniques SOLO: SearchOxfordLibrariesOnline • Search and discovery tool for the Oxford Libraries' vast collections of resources. • Mainly OLIS (Oxford's union catalogue of printed and electronic books and journals) • Title link to over 1,000 databases on OxLIP+

  14. E-Journals I didn't check for the hard copy - so used to getting online access!

  15. Dissertation Techniques Use SOLO or OxLIP+ to access • Reference tools • Abstracting and Indexing services

  16. Reference Sources General reference tools • CREDO Reference : reference works including dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. • Standalone major reference works e.g. OED, Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Encyclopedia of Life Sciences • Oxford Reference Online

  17. E-books • NetLibrary • Taylor and Francis • Oxford Scholarship Online

  18. E-resources • Also look at the RSL Science Portal for further ideas on e-resources • www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/science/eresources

  19. Dissertation Techniques • Abstracting and Indexing Services (for finding the actual journal articles) • Vast range • SciVerse / Scopus • OVID SP • CSA (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts) • Web of Knowledge

  20. Bibliographic Databases • Excellent for locating journal articles , book chapters and book reviews (NB. References only) • General or specific subject coverage • Different interfaces but similar functionality • Not tied to library holdings • Frequently will provide a link to full text

  21. Contents are indexed by subject specialists Subject headings Limiting functions e.g. publication types, language Allow you to View Search history Combine searches Mark and sort results Print/save/email/export Save searches Set up alerts Searches done by automated “web crawlers” No thesaurus / subject headings – just free text searching No limiting functions Usually none of these! Databases vsSearch engines

  22. Search Strategies • Boolean logic • Truncation • Wild cards • Synonyms • Which language are you using?

  23. Booleanconnectors • AND – combines terms to restrict results • OR – useful for covering synonyms • NOT – excludes unwanted areas of research

  24. AND, OR, NOT

  25. Truncation • Use an asterisk (usually – check help pages) • enzym* will retrieve enzyme, enzymes, enzymatic, enzymology

  26. Wildcards Behavio$r* will retrieve Behavior, Behaviour, Behavioural, behaviors, behaviours Phrase searching “electromagnetic field” Synonyms Honey bee* OR honeybee* OR “apismellifera”

  27. How do I find the relevant databases? • Go via SOLO or Oxlip+ through the RSL homepage • Databases are listed alphabetically and in broad subject groupings • 34 bibliographic databases listed under ‘Biology’

  28. Information About Databases

  29. SCOPUS Bibliographic database for science, medicine, and some social sciences, ecological sciences

  30. Bibliographic Databases OvidSP • CAB Abstracts – agriculture, forestry and allied life sciences. Coverage 1910-present • Forest Science – forest and wood science (also sustainable forestry, tropical deforestation, climate change, carbon sequestration, forest genetic resources and related issues) (1939 – present) • Zoological Record Archive (1864-1977) • Zoological Record (1978-2009)

  31. Bibliographic Databases Cambridge Scientific Abstracts • Various useful databases (and not just science) including : • Aquatic Science and Fisheries Abstracts • Ecology Abstracts  • Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management • Oceanic Abstracts

  32. Bibliographic Databases Web of Science/Knowledge • Includes Science, Social Science & Arts and Humanities Citation Indexes • Citation indexes can be used in the same way as any other abstracting and indexing service. Their extra facility is the option to search the bibliographies of any articles- a citation search. Academics use the citation index to find out who has cited their work.

  33. Dissertation Techniques Search for - “circadian clock” & “plant*” and “temperature*” published between 2006-2011 • Scopus = 76 articles • Ovid = 53 (55 before deduplicationin OVID) • CSA = 115 (124 before deduplication in CSA) • WoS= 93 • Total no references retrieved = 339 • After RefWorks de-duplication = 189 unique items

  34. Dissertation Techniques Search Tip 1 • Important to remember that although each database covers thousands of journal titles no single database is ever comprehensive. • If you are having difficulty finding material on a topic use the keywords you find in any relevant reference and search again.

  35. Dissertation Techniques Search Tip 2 • Use Boolean Logical Operators AND, OR, NOT also proximity operators Adj (literally adjacent); Near(same sentence); With(same field) • Field descriptors: AU(author); TI(title); AB (abstract); SO(source or reference); DE (general descriptor) etc are likely to be specific to each database and won’t operate in ‘cross searches’ • Combining searches: #1 and #2

  36. Dissertation Techniques Search Tip 3 Take time to explore the various databases & platforms available Some will be more useful to you than others • Scopus • OvidSP • Cambridge Scientific Abstracts • Web of Knowledge www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/services/training/wiser

  37. Dissertation Techniques Search Tip 4 • Consider subject synonyms & British and US spellings • Apply truncation, usually * to find plurals/alternative word endings and ? to replace a single character • Expand search by following hypertext links esp subject headings • Use tagging facilities within database to mark articles for printing, emailing, downloading or exporting • Authors’ names: Check the online help for formats. Use the database index to find different forms of author’s name, otherwise truncate first initial

  38. Dissertation Techniques Some ways to keep up to date: • E-mail alerts – you can specify a search to be repeated and the results emailed to you at chosen intervals • Zetoc the British Library’s table of contents – receive an email when the next issue of a journal is available. You can find Zetoc in Oxlip+ • Saving and rerunning searches – you can save a search and run it again in the future • Citation alerts – you will receive an email every time a particular article is cited in another WoK or Scopus indexed article • RSS feeds – for new search results

  39. Former FHS projects These are available from 1987 • Projects for 1987-2007 kept in Southwood Lab (Zoology) • Projects for 2008-2010 kept in Weldon Lab (Zoology) • Ref only – must not leave Zoology • You must sign them out (clipboard kept with newer projects)

  40. List of projects at: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/science/libraries/zoology

  41. Reading Rooms – RSL / ZOO • Radcliffe Science Library • lots of quiet areas for reading and study • Alexander Library in Zoology Dept. • On the same floor as Darwin’s cafe • Staffed, free entry with university card • Details in the LibGuide at libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/alexanderlibrary ***All material reference only***

  42. Reading Rooms - PLS • Sherardian Library in Dept of Plant Sciences (swipe card entry – using your University card) • Limited capacity • Also used by staff and postgraduates • Strictly for reading only – not computer work ***All material reference only***

  43. Card access to PLS reading room • email KirstyMacneil (undergraduate teaching co-ordinator) • kirsty.mcneil@zoo.ox.ac.uk • She will confirm when your card has been activated

  44. Further assistance - OUCS - • Word: creating professional documents Course available every term (half day) • Prequisite for: Word: managing your thesis (half day) • Cost: £6 each, for course book www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/itlp/courses/atoz

  45. Further assistance This presentation will shortly be available on-line at: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/science/training/biosciences Other presentations www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/services/training/wiser/presentations

  46. Further assistance: subject librarians judith.pinfold@bodleian.ox.ac.uk (biology) anne.catterall@bodleian.ox.ac.uk (plant taxonomy) sophie.wilcox@bodleian.ox.ac.uk (ornithology)

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