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Researching for the Built Environment and Engineering Professions. Graham Dawson Craig Milne Jennifer Thomas Marvin van Prooijen. EMBEDDED MEDIA CLIP INSERTED IN THIS SLIDE. The research process Planning for research Search strategies Search tools Evaluating information
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Researching for the Built Environment and Engineering Professions Graham DawsonCraig MilneJennifer ThomasMarvin van Prooijen
The research process Planning for research Search strategies Search tools Evaluating information Useful resources and searches Further help Today’s objectives
Obtain your project brief and details of requirements Define your information needs and search objectives Develop a search plan as your guide Consider the type of information and types of sources Use your search plan and trial in the search tools Evaluate results; develop and refine your searches Use and communicate results The research process ( page 2 )
Define your information need: Analyse your project brief / assignment Identify key concepts / synonyms / alternatives / plurals Make use of a search planner / concept mapping Example – sustainability: sustainable, ecological, renewable, recycle, “energy efficient” Planning your searches ( page 3 )
Using ‘AND’ - Infrastructure AND “remote communities” Using ‘OR’ - Indigenous OR aboriginal OR native Using ‘NOT’ - infrastructure NOT “information technology” Use: “ ….. ” For phrase searching - “public private partnership” Use: * For alternative endings to words - hous* , sustainab* Think about the type of information you require:- background, statistics, technical, demographic, planning, research, Think about the types of information sources you will need - Journals, Conferences, Newspapers, Websites, Podcasts, Books, Search strategies: Symbols & tips ( 8 - 11 )
A: Google B: Library Catalogue C: Databases Where do you start looking?
The Web Google Advanced Search Google Scholar Library Catalogue Books, eBooks, book chapters Also: DVD’s, journals, websites, reports, CD’s, newspapers, magazines, maps, databases, standards, etc. Databases The library subscribes to over 500 databases on various online platforms Containing journal articles, reports, conference papers, news etc. Search tools ( pages 13-34 )
EBSCOhost – US / International Academic Search Elite (Multidisciplinary) Australia & NZ Reference Centre (Australian News) ProQuest – US / International Academic Research Library (Multidisciplinary) InfoRMIT – Australian Build, Engine, ATRI, Engineering Collection (Discipline specific) APAIS-ATSIS, APA, ATSI-Health (Indigenous / Multidisciplinary) Engineering Village – International Compendex , Inspec (Engineering disciplines) Relevant platforms and databases
What criteria might you use to evaluate information? Why? Evaluation
Authorship and authority– who has written it? What are their qualifications, experience, other publications, etc. Date / age / currencyof the information Accuracy Is the author objective or biased? Is there proof or evidence to support the argument? Does the author reference their sources? Appearance– does is look good? For journals - is there an abstract, list of references, is it refereed? For books - "scholarly", specialist publisher, part of a series? For websites – are the links unbroken, dates of last modification, etc.? Evaluating information ( pages 25-27 )
Library text: Researching for the BEE Professions. 2nd ed. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15668/ Week 7 Tutorials: Searching databases Need help?: Ask-a-Librarian: http://www.library.qut.edu.au/help/ PILOT - http://pilot.library.qut.edu.au/ Library Homepage - http://www.library.qut.edu.au/ Blackboard –BEB100 unit site Further help and teaching
Questions? Please! Week 9 lecture topic: Referencing and avoiding plagiarism