Knowledge, Search,
and Research
S3P Mentors 2023

Andrea Baruzzi (STEM Librarian)

 

• Recognition
          knowing when a student you're advising might benefit

          from working with the libraries

• Familiarity

          with using a few key services & resources

Goals for today

Resources

Advice

Services

Spaces

{books, articles, streaming media, collections, databases}

  {library staff, research librarians, RIAs }

{Article Delivery, EZBorrow}

The Libraries

{study, collaboration, viewing}

• Asking “has anyone studied this before?”
• Verifying a claim or argument

• Overwhelmed by the amount of information you're finding

• Unsure about the quality and reliability of sources

{some situations when the libraries may be useful}

• Writing a research paper

• Needing a specific book

Take a few minutes to think about your experiences doing research at Swarthmore.

 

 

Questions:

  • What challenges and frustrations have you encountered while doing research papers or other assignments?
     

  • What do you wish you'd known sooner about doing research in college?  

How can you help someone clarify their research interests?

Interest in climate change

 

How do you turn a broad area of interest like this into a research question?

Open-ended keyword search

• Who is in a position to know?
• Who cares about this topic? 

Who = academic disciplines, professions

Two possibilities:

Knowledge-based
approach

Activity:  Resources for clarifying research ideas

Take a look at your assigned resource, and consider the following questions:

  • Does the resource take a broad or narrow view of the subject?
  • Does it present an argument or overview?
  • Would it be a good way to identify other resources on the topic?
  • How could you use a resource like this to focus your research question?

Activity:  Resources for clarifying research ideas

Handbook      (Rain, Natassia, Joshua)
Kopnina, Helen, and Eleanor Shoreman-Ouimet. Routledge Handbook of Environmental Anthropology. London: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2017.

  • Look at Part IV, Chapter 20: Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Planning
  • Skim p. 268-9 (Introduction)
  • Read paragraph on p. 277 (“A second body of research engages more directly…”)
  • Review the titles of article in the references section

 

Review Article     (Karla, Daniela)
Reardon-Smith, K., Mushtaq, S., & Cockfield, G. (2019). The impact of climate change and variability on coffee production: a systematic review. Climatic Change, 156(4), 609–630.

  • Read the Abstract, first two paragraphs of Methods
  • Skim the headings (and first sentence or two) of the rest of the sections
  • Review the titles of the articles in the references section

Activity:  Resources for clarifying research ideas

Take a look at your assigned resource, and consider the following questions:

  • Does the resource take a broad or narrow view of the subject?
  • Does it present an argument or overview?
  • Would it be a good way to identify other resources on the topic?
  • How could you use a resource like this to focus your research question?

Handbooks & Companions
Exploring research interests

What /  Focus more on providing overviews than making arguments

Why /   Understand the central questions in an academic discipline, and how scholars have approached particular topics of interest

Handbooks & Companions
Exploring research interests

How to Find:

  1. Go to Tripod -> Advanced Search
  2. Choose Books & Media
  3. Set Start Date to 2015
  4. Enter keywords:
         Any field  environment
             Any field  handbook OR companion

Lets you find matches for either keyword

Narrow your search: Instead of Any Field, try Title or Subject

Advanced search tip: include varying word endings

"climate change" AND (handbook OR companion)

"climate change" AND (handbook* OR companion*)

 

Review Articles
Navigating academic disciplines

What /  Generally narrower in scope than handbooks and companions, review articles explore how different scholars in a discipline have approached a particular question

Why /   Roadmap for understanding how scholars in a discipline have approached a certain topic

How /   Find using article databases (e.g. Web of Science) or specialized resources (e.g. Annual Reviews website)

Review Articles
Navigating academic disciplines

How /   Find using article databases

-- Web of Science​

-- Annual Reviews

  • Access through Tripod
  • Enter keywords
  • Add row; Select Document Type; Choose Review
    • ​OR Select Review from refine options after search
  • Access through Tripod
  • Enter keywords
  • Limit or Refine by Date

Library Help

Reach out and Ask! We're here to help.

  • Your research projects
  • Questions about library services
  • Encourage the scholars to ask for help 

How?

Key Sites

Tripod

Library website

Research Guides 

Andrea Baruzzi  (Cornell)
abaruzz1@swarthmore.edu

Email librarian@swarthmore.edu
or chat with us in Tripod


Handbooks & Companions
   • Look in:  Tripod (Books & More)
   • Search: "your topic" AND (handbook OR companion)
 

Review Articles
   • Web of Science:  On results page, ☑ Reviews
   • Annual Reviews

Exploring research interests


Try it:  

Use handbooks, companions, and review articles to identify relevant disciplines and possible approaches

Too few results:

Try broader search terms

Too many results:

Change search from keyword --> title

Filter your search results by date

Research Mentorship (S3P Mentors 2023)

By Swarthmore Reference

Research Mentorship (S3P Mentors 2023)

Library session with Andrea and Simon

  • 140

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