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Effective Literature Search Techniques for Research Projects

Learn about searching for academic literature, using keywords, Boolean operators, and note-taking strategies. Understand systematic reviews versus conventional reviews.

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Effective Literature Search Techniques for Research Projects

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  1. Seale C. Researching Society and Culture. Third edition (Sage 2011) www.rscbook.co.uk

  2. Figure 6.3 The main Boolean search operators Seale C. Researching Society and Culture. Third edition (Sage 2011) www.rscbook.co.uk

  3. Seale C. Researching Society and Culture. Third edition (Sage 2011) www.rscbook.co.uk

  4. Figure 6.4: Effect of nesting combined search terms using parentheses. Seale C. Researching Society and Culture. Third edition (Sage 2011) www.rscbook.co.uk

  5. Review questions for Chapter 6 • Where should you search for literature when planning a social research project? • Describe the use of keywords and search terms when interrogating a library database. • Explain what wildcards, Boolean operators and reference management software can be useful for. • What principles should you bear in mind when taking notes from reading? • How do you know when to stop reading for a literature review? • Describe the purpose and some of the procedures used in carrying out systematic reviews. How do these reviews differ from conventional (non-systematic) reviews? Seale C. Researching Society and Culture. Third edition (Sage 2011) www.rscbook.co.uk

  6. Workshop and discussion exercise 1 for Chapter 6 • For a given research topic explore and compare the coverage of two or more of the following resources for finding academic literature on the subject: • Your university library catalogue. • A searchable journal database. • An Internet search engine such as Google. Seale C. Researching Society and Culture. Third edition (Sage 2011) www.rscbook.co.uk

  7. Workshop and discussion exercise 2 for Chapter 6 Examine a journal article reporting original social or cultural research on a topic that interests you. Consider answers to the following questions: To what extent is the literature review separated from the rest of the report? What connections are made between the analysis of data and the literature review? Many literature reviews have a funnel structure, with broad concerns being discussed at the outset, narrowing down to specific questions explored in the research study. Is this literature review like this? Identify sections where broad concerns are discussed and where specific research questions are identified. In the concluding section of the report, what references are made by the author to the concerns raised in the literature review? Try to find an important article or book on this subject that this researcher has failed to spot.

  8. Workshop and discussion exercise 3 for Chapter 6 Find and consult a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. How explicit does it make its procedures? How do these differ from an article reporting a conventional (not ‘systematic’) review of literature?

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