Starting Your Research

1. Starting Your Research Educational Psychology and Counseling 602: Research Principles Library Instruction 2006-07

2. What is the assignment? • Paper, Presentation, Annotated Bibliography? • Due date: Inter-Library Loan deadline? • Citation Style? APA? MLA? • Types of publications?

3. Educational Psychology Research

4. Basic Search Strategies: Information Need & Resources • Recent events or research? • Newspapers, magazines, journals, or the Internet • Current, general information? • Popular magazines and newspapers • Current, in-depth information? • Scholarly journals, conference proceedings • Overviews, background or definitions? • Encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, or reviews • More detail? • Books

5. Types of Periodicals:Scholarly Journals • Authors are authorities in their fields. • Articles are usually reports on scholarly research. • Articles must go through a peer-review or refereed process. • Scholarly/academic articles that are read by academic or scholar "referees" for advice and evaluation of content when submitted for publication. Referees recommend to the editor/editorial board whether the article should be published as is, revised, or rejected. Also sometimes know as "peer-reviewed" articles.

6. Types of Periodicals:Scholarly Journals (cont.) • Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies. • Articles use jargon of the discipline. • Individual issues have little or no advertising. • Illustrations usually take the form of charts and graphs.

7. Types of Periodicals: Trade Publications • Authors are practitioners • Authors often mention sources, but rarely formally cite them in bibliographies. • Intended audience are fellow practitioners. • No peer review process. • Articles give practical information. • Some illustrations are included • Authors use jargon of the field.

8. Types of Periodicals: Popular Magazines and Newspapers • Authors are magazine staff members or free lance writers. • Authors often mention sources, but rarely formally cite them in bibliographies. • Issues contain numerous advertisements. • No peer review process. • Articles are meant to inform and entertain. • Illustrations may be numerous and colorful. • Language is geared to the general adult audience (no specialized knowledge of jargon needed).

9. Reference Works:Subject vs. General • When enough information about a research track has been accumulated, it will begin to be integrated into reference books. For example: • Subject encyclopedias: Encyclopedia of Psychology • Places important research projects or tracks into a disciplinary perspective, identifying the role each plays, historically and intellectually, in the psychology professions. • General encyclopedias: Encyclopedia Britannica • Takes a broader view, attempting to articulate the impact of the most important research projects on society as a whole.

10. Reviews • A research review, or literature review, is a piece of writing that summarizes and evaluates the significant research to date on a given topic. Contrast this with a research report, which emphasizes the methods and results of one particular study, not a whole area of research. Publications such as the Annual Review of Psychology compile articles that summarize a topic and provoke discussion that will lead to new research activity. Occasionally, an entire book may serve as a review for research tracks especially rich with activity.

11. Conference Proceedings • Published papers presented at conferences, meetings, etc. • Conference papers are not always published, or published in a timely manner! • Peer-review process similar to scholarly journals • Presenters can be scholars or practitioners • Use the jargon of their discipline • Intended audience are other scholars or practitioners • Often the first formal report of someone’s research • Authors cite their sources • Papers are often revised and published later in journals or books.

12. Evaluating Print Resources • Every book, periodical article, or other published resource should be evaluated to determine its quality and its relevance to your topic and the nature of your assignment. • Use the criteria below to help you evaluate resources. • Authority • Content & Coverage • Timeliness • Accuracy • Objectivity

13. Evaluating Internet Resources World Wide Web sites come in many sizes and styles. How do you distinguish a sitethat gives reliable informationfrom one that gives incorrectinformation? Below are some guidelines to help.

14. Internet as Interface vs. Internet as Source • Internet Explorer or Netscape Interface: • Access databases and online journals • E.g.: PsycINFO, ERIC • Usually require subscription • Exception: ERIC Wizard • Usually have print counterparts • Equivalent authority and reliability • Source: • Access using free search engines • E.g.: Yahoo, Google, HotBot • Originated on the Internet • Anyone can put up a Web page! • Critical evaluation more important

15. Basic Search Strategies:Use Databases to Find Resources • Books – Online catalog • CSUN Library Online Catalog • Articles – Indexes, abstracting services, or full-text databases • Find Articles and More • Web pages – Search engines • Internet Search Tools

16. Basic Search Strategies: What Is a Database? • Collection of records composed of fields which are searched for words and phrases using Boolean Logic. For example:

17. Basic Search Strategies: Words to Search by • Keyword = natural language • Subject terms/descriptors = controlled vocabulary

18. Keywords Controlled Vocabulary

19. Basic Search Strategies: Boolean Logic • OR • AND • NOT

20. Basic Search Strategies: Boolean “OR” • Where either term (or both) are present • Broadens the search teenagers OR adolescents

21. Basic Search Strategies:Boolean “AND” • Where both terms are present • Narrows the search teenagers AND academic achievement

22. Basic Search Strategies:Boolean “NOT” • Where first term is present but second term is not • Narrows the search counseling NOT therapy

23. Basic Search Strategies: Truncation • Symbol: *, !, ?, etc. (varies by database) • Replaces one or more letters at the end of a word or root word • Truncation = OR • Example: teen! retrieves teen OR teens OR teenager OR teenagers • However: cat* retrieves cat, cats, but also cataclysm, catacomb, catalepsy, catalog, etc. • Use OR instead to maintain meaning: cat or cats

24. EPC Librarian • Stephanie Ballard stephanie.ballard@csun.edu 677-6396