Advanced Library Research LSP700: Applied Research Methodologies Part 1 of 2

1. Advanced Library ResearchLSP700: Applied Research MethodologiesPart 1 of 2 Shanna Pearson Information Services Librarian September 2010 Shanna Pearson Information Services Librarian September 2010

2. Learning Outcomes • Understand purpose of a literature review • Review sources of information and search tools • Learn advanced search techniques • Find new search tools for discipline specific research • Market Research • Industry Reports • Statistical Information

3. The Literature Review

4. About the literature review • A literature review involves identifying: • What is and is not known about your topic • Areas of controversy in the literature • Major works and key authors in your field of research • Objective: • Increase your knowledge of a subject area • Formulate questions that need further research • Provide the intellectual context and framework for your own original research project in LSP800

5. Primary and secondary sources

6. The literature review: Tips • Use scholarly articles, books and other reputable research – variety is key • Look up and print out twice as many as you think you will need • Find themes or trends in your piles of readings and organize your review according to those concepts • Build around your thesis, problem or research question • Include a scope statement – age parameters, publication parameters • Discuss papers contrary to your thesis • Make it interesting and easy to read

7. The literature review: Format • To be written in essay format • Will become part of your final research report in LSP800

8. Research Question You work for a company that wants to introduce a new credit card rewards program. You need to determine which type of reward program will entice customers to sign up for your card, and in turn increase the company's monthly revenue.

9. Focusing the research question What type of information do you need? Can you frame your literature review around a theory? • Existing reward card programs available through other stores • Which reward programs are most successful (including other cards) • Psychology behind reward incentives • Spending habits of your target consumer group • Trends/industry analysis • Consumer behaviour theory • Reward (psychology)

10. Selecting keywords and concepts Credit card reward programs Theories • Reward(s) • Reward program(s) • Reward card programs • Credit card(s) • Consumer behaviour • Consumer spending Other terms • Case studies • Trends • Market strategy Geography • Canada • Global

11. Select Sources of Information About the source Search tools Advanced search techniques

12. Where would you look for theoretical information on your topic? Scholarly publications

13. Reference sources (Encyclopedias) What are they? Why use them? • Concise overview of your topic • General and specialized reference sources (e.g., Dictionary of Business and Management) • Specialized reference works written by subject experts • Identify key works and authors in field of research • Bibliography provides list of potential sources written on your topic • Generate ideas for your research topic

14. Scholarly books What are they? Why use them? • Published by university presses or scholarly associations • In-depth coverage • Historical perspective • Author • Expert in field • Edited/peer-reviewed by other scholars (quality control) • Bibliography – useful to find related works

15. Find books

16. Why/when would you limit your search using these fields? Put quotations around phrase terms (29 vs. 343 records) Do not put the word “and” between your keywords

17. Is this a scholarly book? Location of book

18. Doing a subject search helps you learn what terms your books might be tagged under Credit cards vs. Bank credit cards

19. Library catalogue Repeat search to find books on consumer behaviour

20. Other library catalogues

21. Borrowing from other institutions Once you find a book or article, fill out the ILL request form

22. Search other library catalogues

23. WorldCat: What can you find? • Search local libraries at once for a book – then request through Seneca Libraries ILL service • Find article citations, some with links to their full text

24. Where would you look for information about existing reward programs or new products/trends in the industry? Scholarly articles Magazines/newspapers Global market research Industry reports

25. Scholarly journal articles What are they? Why use tem? • Articles written by scholars/experts in field • Present detailed findings/information on a specific topic/subject area • Publisher often affiliated with an educational institution • Longer than 4 pages • Includes abstract, methodology, analysis and results, discussion, conclusion, bibliography • Peer-reviewed Blind copy of an article is reviewed by experts in the field before being accepted for publication

26. I have an article abstract • Is it peer-reviewed and scholarly?

27. Find articles: Search by subject area

29. (*) will find articles tagged under credit card or credit cards Why would you want to search by a specific field?

31. Refine your results

32. insert article record with FindIt button

33. Tip: Go citation cruising… Click the Find it button to see if the library has the article in full-text

34. Tip: Browse by topic/subject heading Tells you what the articles might be tagged under

35. Find Global Market Research Information Industry Reports Statistics News/Trends

36. For the literature review • The purpose is to find, evaluate and compare information about your topic from a wide range of sources • Compare information about reward programs published in a scholarly journal with a market research study from a reputable database

37. Find market research • MarketLine • Mintel • Passport GMID • FP Corporate Profiler • Statistics Canada • Search tools

38. What is Mintel? • Provides access to market research reports containing data and analysis of industry trends • Coverage includes U.S. and select International Markets including: food and drink, consumer goods, retail, finance, technology, leisure and travel • Search What’s Hot, Reports and News sections • Notes:You must create an individual account for this database • As this is primarily a U.S. database, can be difficult to find Canadian material

39. Get ideas/learn about trends in your industry

41. Market Research Report

43. What is Passport GMID? • Provides access to global market analysis with comprehensive coverage of: • Industries • Countries • Consumer trends • Contains 115 million internationally comparable statistics • Features 17,000 full-text country and market reports

44. What Can I Find in Passport GMID? Trends PESTLE Segmentation Provides access to global market analysis

46. MarketLine – Industry Reports • Datamonitor reports for industry profiles includes: • Market Overview • Market Value • Market Shares • Market Segmentation • Leading Companies • Market Forecasts • Demographics

47. Statistics Canada

48. Don’t Forget to Evaluate Your Sources! CRAAP Test

49. CRAAP test – Use for critique • Currency • When was the article published? • Is the information current or out-of-date for your topic? • Relevance • Does the information relate to your topic? • Who is the intended audience? • Authority • Who is the author? • What are the author’s qualifications to write on this topic? • Accuracy • Which magazine or journal does the information come from? • Is the information supported by evidence? • Purpose • What is the purpose of the information?,..inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade? • Do the authors make their intentions or purpose clear?

50. Subject Guides BUSINESS HUMAN RESOURCES FINANCIAL SERVICES ACCOUNTING