"That's a great  
 question..."

  Navigating research interests  
  across academic disciplines

  (even when you're unsure how to start)


RIAs •11/1/17

happy fall!

First... 🚽📝

 

Advertising via TPs [and where else?]

  • Reference in-person, on phone, via email, IM, and text!
  • Students (and others) don't know what subject librarians and RIAs do -- how to communicate this?
    • Specific keywords to use?
  • Example questions? ("What sorts of questions can you ask us?")

 

Literature reviews

  • Head to RIAs libguide (yes, this is a thing)
    • libguides.brynmar.edu/rias -- or search "RIAs" in Tripod
      
      
  • Poll: keywords for database searching
     
  • Now that we have some familiarity with these databases, think of your own research topic (from a class, personal interest, etc.).
    • Use Oxford Bibliographies, Annual Reviews, or Compass Journals [linked on libguide] to locate literature reviews related to the topic.

 

Literature reviews (cont'd.)

What about Web of Science?

  • Limit to Reviews
  • Limit Subjects -- what does this tell you about the topic(s) you've searched

Handbooks & companions

How /   Use Tripod to find

"early childhood education" AND (handbook OR companion)

"exact phrase"

( remember PEMDAS? )

use OR to
search for
synonyms

(generally broader in scope than lit reviews)

Handbooks & Companions // Exploring research interests

Try it:  Looking for the same topic in Tripod, find a relevant scholarly handbook or companion.

Example: 

"early childhood education" AND (handbook OR companion)

• Relevance: may be the whole book, or just one chapter

• Too few results:
          - Try broader search terms


• Too many results:
          - Change search from keyword --> title
          - Filter your search results by date


Handbooks & Companions

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

 

Exploring research interests (IF WE HAVE TIME!)


Try it:  Write your topic on an index card and pass to another RIA

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

Review Articles

  • Web of Science (Humanities / Soc / Sci):  On results page, ☑ Reviews
  • Oxford Bibliographies (H / Soc / Sci)
  • Annual Reviews (Soc / Sci)
  •  Compass Journals (H / Soc)

Other tools for exploring research interests and academic disciplines:

2017.11.01 | RIAs Workshop #1

By Swarthmore Reference

2017.11.01 | RIAs Workshop #1

First full-group workshop of the semester.

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