Health Economics Research Workshop

Simon Elichko / selichk1@swarthmore.edu
Social Sciences & Data Librarian

Presentation on health disparities and socioeconomic determinants of health

Potential pitfalls

Successful Research Practices

1. Focus on actively filtering, rather than
   passively searching

• Choose research tools that offer you more control

• Use search filters to adjust your results

• Search clearly

Choose research tools that offer you more control

Google + Google Scholar --> wide net, but few filters

EconLit --> Results focused on scholarly research,
                      Filter + sort results by multiple criteria

FindPolicy: Public Policy  --> Search limited to major think

                                                        tank websites

Choose research tools that offer you more control

Compare Google Scholar + EconLit

1. Go to Google Scholar and search for:  long-term care

How to Filter Results in EconLit

Geography:  Focus on research about a specific country

      Filter by Subject > Select country name

Publication Date

Publication Title  (the journal an article was published in)

How to Filter by Geography

>> Start with: EconLit search for long-term care <<

Scroll down to Subject. Select More.
Find u.s. in the list. Check the box to Include. Click Apply.

How to find articles about complex topics

Two approaches:

- Topic Groups  (expands your results)

- Subject Searching (helps focus your results)

Search Clearly

How to find articles about complex topics

1. Search Using Topic Groups

How to find articles about complex topics

Another example:

Subject filters help you prioritize articles that relate to a specific aspect of your topic

Journal of Economic Literature Classification Codes

How to find articles about complex topics

2. Subject Searching

Some useful subject filters for this class:

• Economics of the Elderly, Economics of the Handicapped, Non-labor Market Discrimination (J14)
• Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants, Non-labor Discrimination (J15)
• Economics of Gender, Non-labor Discrimination (J16)

Expand your search to include more policy journals

Starting in EconLit, select Change Databases.
Scroll down to Social Sciences, select box for Politics, click Apply.

Another research tool: FindPolicy

Searches the websites of major think tanks

Useful for finding policy analysis, reports, etc.

More selective than a general Google search

FindPolicy  https://www.findpolicy.org/policy

• Choose "Public Policy"
• Google search tricks work on this site:
  
  keyword  after:2020  ---> results updated after 2020
  "exact phrase"  ----> results include this exact phrase

Start with quality data sources

Where to find recommendations:

Library Research Guides
• Health Economics Data Guide
• Economics Guide > Data

Asking professors + librarians

Organize your findings as you go

Focus on actively filtering, rather than
passively searching

• Choose research tools that offer you more control  ✓

• Search clearly ✓

Organize your findings as you go

• Annotate while saving sources (identify themes) ✓

• Be consistent: save everything the same way ✓

• Make sure you're saving permanent links ✓

• Consider a visual note-taking strategy ✓

Start with quality data sources

• Library research guides, asking faculty ✓

Get help with research:

Simon Elichko
Social Sciences & Data Librarian

• Schedule an online appointment
• Email: selichk1@swarthmore.edu

For quick library questions, try the Chat button in Tripod.  (e.g. get help finding a particular book or PDF of an article, library hours, etc.)

Describe your policy issue in no more than 5 words

List some other words that you would expect to come up in discussions about your topic. (Imagine explaining your interest in this topic to your professor - what words would you use?)

Geographic keywords can help focus your results - try regions and countries, but also states, provinces, cities.

How to Choose Keywords / Search Terms

Remove conjunctions, articles and prepositions

Then, search Google Scholar, EconLit, or Tripod.

Browse the search results for terminology (synonyms, other words that relate to your topic)