Simon Elichko (they/them)
Social Sciences & Data Librarian
9/25/23 & 10/2/23
What we'll be covering:
Simon Elichko Social Sciences & Data Librarian
Schedule an appointment: bit.ly/selichk1
{ ideas, searches, sources }
{ done & to-do }
{ while you still remember }
Keeping a research log or journal:
Stick to a system that is easy and reliable
Be predictable
Capture key information so you can cite the source if it turns out to be useful:
Take a moment to annotate or categorize your sources when you come across them. Think of it as a gift to your future self.
Annotations:
Methods & Tools:
Research Advice + Suggestions
Other ways to get help
McCabe Research & Info Desk
Drop by to talk with a librarian or RIA
(across from the main desk in McCabe)
Chat button in Tripod
Simon Elichko
Social Sciences & Data Librarian
• Schedule an appointment
(link on guide: bit.ly/soan-libguide)
• Email: selichk1@swarthmore.edu
Research strategy that helps you find sources that cite each other
This is a particularly useful strategy when:
1. Start with a book or article.
For example, Jessica Winegar's Creative Reckonings: The Politics of Art and Culture in Contemporary Egypt
2. Search for the book or article in Google Scholar
To find out which sources that cite this book, choose "Cited by"
3. By clicking on "Cited by" you get a list of articles and
books that cite the one you searched for.
(This example shows sources that cite Creative Reckonings.)
4. You can also search within these citing sources.
Check the box "Search within citing articles."
Then enter your keyword(s) into the search.
Here are some examples of searching within cited sources for the book Creative Reckonings:
nationalism
This is particularly helpful when:
How to do targeted searches in databases to find sociology and anthropology research
Google Scholar
search
<-- article published in a medical journal
(medical journal)
(sociology journal)
(anthropology journal)
Sociological Abstracts database
You can find links to databases on SOAN 098 Research Guide:
Finding Articles --> Anthropology Focus
Finding Articles --> Sociology Focus
Databases use tagging systems to indicate what topics articles are about. So they'll usually work better when you explore the database a bit, and then choose your keywords.
For example: If you search in the database Anthropology Plus for Hurricane Matthew and Haiti, you find one relevant article.
You can find more relevant articles by expanding your search:
(hurricane OR disaster OR survival OR "first responders")
AND Haiti
Web of Science is a multi-subject database that is useful for many Soc/Anth topics and projects.
Example search in Web of Science:
Search terms:
childbirth* (All Fields)
AND midwiv* OR midwif* (All Fields)
Filter your results using Web of Science Categories Choose: Sociology, Anthropology
"birth center" OR "birth centers"
"birth center" OR "birth center" OR childbirth* OR midwi*
("birth center" OR "birth center" OR childbirth* OR midwi*)
AND (nigeria* OR africa*)
--> Articles including either phrase (exact match)
--> Articles including at least one of the keywords
Exact phrase for "birth center" or "birth centers"
Can match any word ending for childbirth or midwife
--> Articles including at least one of the keywords from each
group. Exact phrase for "birth center" or "birth centers."
Word endings can vary for childbirth, midwife, Nigeria, or
Africa.
Every word counts
For every keyword added to your search, you'll get fewer articles. Use the fewest possible keywords to express your point. (Exception: if you're using OR, see below.)
Search for multiple related keywords
How to do this: Separate your keywords with OR
Example: birth centers OR childbirth OR midwives
Specify how to handle each keyword
Match a multi-word phrase exactly: "birth centers"
Allow varied word endings: midwi* (midwife, midwives, etc.)
1. Go to the SOAN research guide: bit.ly/soan-libguide
Open this page: Finding Articles
2. Pair up with the person next to you. One person should go to this page:
Anthropology Focus. The other should go to this page: Sociology Focus.
3. The partner looking for Anthro articles should follow the link for
the database Anthropology Plus. The partner looking for
Soc articles should follow the link for Sociological Abstracts.
4. Each partner should search for articles about their research
topic. Try broader keywords if needed. Open 2-3 results, each in its own tab.
5. What do you notice? Discuss. (Try switching topics to compare.)
More ideas & resources for choosing keywords and finding sources:
Interactive keyword brainstorm tool (UT Libraries)
Turning your questions into keywords tutorial (UCLA Libraries)
Or reach out for help! You can talk with Simon or a RIA.
How should you evaluate a potential source?
Going through search results:
Be quick + focused:
Sociologist Kristin Luker suggests you treat each book "as if you had only twenty minutes to get everything useful to your study out of it, and then it will disappear in a puff of smoke." (Salsa Dancing into the Social Sciences, p.95)
See also: Prof. Tim Burke's How to Read in College
Fast Book Outliner (printable notes template, easy to replicate in a Google Sheet)
Tools
Analog: Pen and paper, a whiteboard
Digital: coggle.it
(You can login with Swat Google, but you don't have to)
Create a mindmap of your research project
↓
↓
Secondary Sources:
Articles & books by scholars
Background information
Primary Sources:
Your data- interviews, observations, social media & web content, films, etc.
Image Credit: Justina Elmore, University of Rochester
Some purposes that sources
can serve in your writing:
• Background • provide contextual
information, help introduce a topic
• Exhibit • something to analyze and
interpret, evidence for your argument
• Argument • claims you can respond to,
build on, or challenge
• Method • suggest an approach to studying
or understanding something
<< your primary sources / data
<< scholarly literature
1. Choose a scholarly book. Ideally one you might cite.
2. Search for the book in Tripod: tripod.swarthmore.edu
3. Look in the results for Book Reviews.
What journals are they being published in? Do you see
any Sociology or Anthropology journals?
SOAN 98 Research Guide bit.ly/soan-libguide
Find Articles > Anthropology Focus or Sociology Focus > Databases
Examples:
• Creative reckonings: politics of art and culture in contemporary Egypt
• Hobos, hustlers, and backsliders: homeless in San Francisco
Useful for:
1. Open the SOAN 98 Research Guide: bit.ly/soan-libguide
2. Go to the page Scholarly Conversations & Overviews
3. Look at the box Bibliographies.
Follow the S link for the Oxford Bibliography of your
choice: Sociology or Anthropology
4. Browse through the bibliography titles. Explore one of
your choice. How is the topic broken down?
What can you find in the bibliography?
1. Start from the Scholarly Conversations & Overviews
page of the SOAN 98 guide (bit.ly/soan-libguide).
2. Look at the box Review Articles.
Follow the S link for the Annual Review of your
choice: Sociology or Anthropology
3. When you search for articles published in these journals,
try a broader topic (for example, disaster)
Take 10 minutes to explore one (or more) of these resources.
SOAN 98 Research Guide bit.ly/soan-libguide
>> Scholarly Conversation & Overviews
What does Zotero help you do?
How do you set it up? (bit.ly/zotero-setup)
Creating collections in Zotero
Citing sources in Zotero
Too little
(you need more sources/data,
or you need different kinds than you have now)
Just right
Too much
(need to narrow down and focus more)
Primary Sources / Data / Fieldwork ?
Too little
(you need more sources/data, or need different kinds than you have now)
Just right
Too much
(need to narrow down and focus more)
Secondary Sources /
Scholarly Articles & Books?
Research Advice + Suggestions
Other ways to get help
McCabe Research & Info Desk
Drop by to talk with a librarian or RIA
(across from the main desk in McCabe)
Chat button in Tripod
Simon Elichko
Social Sciences & Data Librarian
• Schedule an appointment
(bit.ly/selichk1)
• Email: selichk1@swarthmore.edu
See you here (LibLab) next Monday (7:00)