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Starting Your Research Educational Psychology and Counseling 602: Research Principles Library Instruction 2006-07

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Starting Your Research

Educational Psychology and Counseling 602: Research Principles

Library Instruction2006-07

What is the assignment?

Paper, Presentation, Annotated Bibliography?

Due date: Inter-Library Loan deadline?

Citation Style? APA? MLA? Types of publications?

Educational Psychology Research

Basic Search Strategies: Information Need & Resources

Recent events or research? Newspapers, magazines, journals, or the

Internet Current, general information?

Popular magazines and newspapers Current, in-depth information?

Scholarly journals, conference proceedings Overviews, background or definitions?

Encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, or reviews

More detail? Books

Types of Periodicals:Scholarly Journals

Authors are authorities in their fields. Articles are usually reports on scholarly

research. Articles must go through a peer-review or

refereed process. Scholarly/academic articles that are read by academic or

scholar "referees" for advice and evaluation of content when submitted for publication. Referees recommend to the editor/editorial board whether the article should be published as is, revised, or rejected. Also sometimes know as "peer-reviewed" articles.

Types of Periodicals:Scholarly Journals (cont.)

Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies.

Articles use jargon of the discipline. Individual issues have little or no

advertising. Illustrations usually take the form of

charts and graphs.

Types of Periodicals: Trade Publications

Authors are practitioners Authors often mention sources, but

rarely formally cite them in bibliographies.

Intended audience are fellow practitioners.

No peer review process. Articles give practical information. Some illustrations are included Authors use jargon of the field.

Types of Periodicals: Popular

Magazines and Newspapers

Authors are magazine staff members or free lance writers.

Authors often mention sources, but rarely formally cite them in bibliographies.

Issues contain numerous advertisements. No peer review process. Articles are meant to inform and entertain.

Illustrations may be numerous and

colorful. Language is geared to the general adult

audience (no specialized knowledge of jargon needed).

Reference Works:Subject vs. General

When enough information about a research track has been accumulated, it will begin to be integrated into reference books. For example: Subject encyclopedias: Encyclopedia of Psychology

Places important research projects or tracks into a disciplinary perspective, identifying the role each plays, historically and intellectually, in the psychology professions.

General encyclopedias: Encyclopedia Britannica Takes a broader view, attempting to articulate the

impact of the most important research projects on society as a whole.

Reviews

A research review, or literature review,

is a piece of writing that summarizes and evaluates the significant research to date on a given topic. Contrast this with a research report, which emphasizes the methods and results of one particular study, not a whole area of research.

Publications such as the Annual Review of Psychology compile articles that summarize a topic and provoke discussion that will lead to new research activity. Occasionally, an entire book may serve as a review for research tracks especially rich with activity.

Conference Proceedings

Published papers presented at conferences, meetings, etc. Conference papers are not always published, or

published in a timely manner! Peer-review process similar to scholarly journals Presenters can be scholars or practitioners Use the jargon of their discipline Intended audience are other scholars or practitioners Often the first formal report of someone’s research Authors cite their sources Papers are often revised and published later in journals

or books.

Evaluating Print Resources

Every book, periodical article, or other published resource should be evaluated to determine its quality and its relevance to your topic and the nature of your assignment.

Use the criteria below to help you evaluate resources.

Authority Content & Coverage Timeliness Accuracy Objectivity

Evaluating Internet Resources

Types of Web Sites: the URL is a key

.gov

.edu.org.com

Apply the same criteria:

AuthorityContent & CoverageTimelinessAccuracyObjectivity

World Wide Web sites come in many sizes and styles. How do you

distinguish a site that gives reliable information from one that gives

incorrect information? Below are some guidelines to help.

Internet as Interface vs. Internet as Source

Internet Explorer or Netscape Interface: Access databases and online journals

E.g.: PsycINFO, ERIC Usually require subscription

Exception: ERIC Wizard Usually have print counterparts

Equivalent authority and reliability Source:

Access using free search engines E.g.: Yahoo, Google, HotBot

Originated on the Internet Anyone can put up a Web page! Critical evaluation more important

Basic Search Strategies:Use Databases to Find Resources

Books – Online catalog CSUN Library Online Catalog

Articles – Indexes, abstracting services, or full-text databases Find Articles and More

Web pages – Search engines Internet Search Tools

Basic Search Strategies: What Is a Database?

Collection of records composed of fields which are searched for words and phrases using Boolean Logic. For example:

Basic Search Strategies: Words to Search by

Keyword = natural language

Subject terms/descriptors = controlled vocabulary

Keywords Controlled Vocabulary

OR AND NOT

Basic Search Strategies: Boolean Logic

Basic Search Strategies: Boolean “OR”

Where either term (or both) are present

Broadens the search

teenagers OR adolescents

Basic Search Strategies:Boolean “AND”

Where both terms are present

Narrows the search

teenagers AND academic achievement

Basic Search Strategies:Boolean “NOT”

Where first term is present but second term is not

Narrows the search

counseling NOT therapy

Basic Search Strategies: Truncation

Symbol: *, !, ?, etc. (varies by database) Replaces one or more letters at the end of

a word or root word Truncation = OR

Example: teen! retrieves teen OR teens OR teenager OR teenagers

However: cat* retrieves cat, cats, but also cataclysm, catacomb, catalepsy, catalog, etc.

Use OR instead to maintain meaning: cat or cats

EPC Librarian

Stephanie Ballard [email protected] 677-6396