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Effective Term Paper Research Strategies for Educational Topics

Learn to refine subject focus, locate peer-reviewed articles, and use APA style for term papers. Master common search operators and techniques to enhance research skills.

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Effective Term Paper Research Strategies for Educational Topics

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  1. Library Research Workshop EDUC 210 Lec. CC October 23, 2014

  2. Workshop Outline • Term Paper Proposal • Narrowing your subject focus from broad topics • Locating peer reviewed journal articles using ERIC database • Using APA style for references

  3. Getting Help with your Research • Chris Bober (Education Librarian) • Consultations upon appointment: office: Webster library (LB-504) phone: (514) 848-2424 ext.7697 e-mail: chris.bober@concordia.ca • Use Library’s Ask a Librarian web site

  4. Analyze Term Paper Topics • Start with broad topics: motivation • Narrow the subject focus : • student motivation, student engagement, etc. • Select an age group/ educational level: • teens, adolescents, high school, etc. • Select impact variables: • teacher characteristics, teacher attitudes, teacher behavior, etc.

  5. Analyze Term Paper Topics (cont’d) • Think of synonyms for your topics: • e.g. teens = adolescents • Avoid using non essential words like: • advantages, benefits, optimize, minimize, impact, etc.

  6. Term paper topic: Can ateacher’s personality contribute to the motivation of elementary school children? > Select all main concepts and related terms

  7. Resources for Finding Research Studies • Use ERIC (Education) and PsycINFO (Psychology) • Best resources for locating educational psychology journals: • Current research studies in peer reviewed journal articles. • Locate fulltext of journal articles by linking to pdf files or by linking to Findit@Concordia

  8. Selecting ERIC Search Options

  9. Selecting PsycINFO Search Options:

  10. Search Operators for ERIC & PsycINFO • AND - search operator used to connect two distinct concepts. • Locate articles that include both terms:

  11. Search Operators for ERIC & PsycINFO • OR – search used to link similar concepts: • Search results can include either term,or both:

  12. Techniques for Refining ERIC & PsycINFO Searches • Use Truncation (asteriskcharacter *) to find all variations of a root word; • Asterisk * replaces all characters to the right of the word • e.g: child* Searches: child children childhood child’s • Enclose Phrases “two or more words” with parentheses • Retrieves exact expressions: • e.g. “learning style*” AND “high school*” AND “academic performance”

  13. Preparing Reference Section • APA ‘Quick Links’ on library website will answer most of your questions • Complete APA printed manuals in Library: • APA style guide to electronic references (pdf) • RefWorks prepares bibliographies in APA style • Also useful for organizing and storing references

  14. Closing Remarks • If you are having difficulty finding relevant sources for your Reference section, please contact Chris. • For writing assistance, contact Counselling & Development (Learning Support) • For assistance with APA format, contact: • Webster Library Reference Desk / Ask a Librarian (7 days a week) • Good luck with your research assignments.

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