Doing a Literature Search

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SC2101 Methods of Social Research Tutorial

• Doing aLiterature Search
• in Sociology

Presented by Hayati Abdul clbha_at_nus.edu.sg
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Objectives of session

• To help you
• Search Sociological databases effectively using
  various search strategies
• Access resources and services via the Library
  portal
• Search LINC, the Library catalogue

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Todays outline

• What is a literature search?
• Identify Sources in Sociology
• Build your Search Strategy
• Search Electronic Indexes Abstracts in
  Sociology
• Search LINC
• Citing references

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What is a Literature Search?

• A comprehensive survey of publications and
  information on a specific topic
• Identifies what has already been written on a
  topic
• Increases your own knowledge of the subject
• How to go about a literature search?
• Which sources to search?
• How to search them effectively?

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• Identify Sources in Sociology
• Search for Sources
• Encyclopaedias Dictionaries
• Journal articles
• Indexes Abstracts
• Understanding references

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Search for Sources
Types of sources
Search Tools
Books Journals Multimedia items Theses
LINC
Book chapters Conference papers Journal articles
E-Resources
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Reference Books Dictionaries
Encyclopedias

• For background information, definitions, short
  bibliographies
• General
• The Sage encyclopedia of Social Science
  research methods
• International encyclopedia of Social and
  Behavioral Sciences
• Specialised
• Men and masculinities a social, cultural and
  historical encyclopedia
• Dictionary of race, ethnicity and culture
• The encyclopedia of suicide

Location CLREF2
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Journals Scholarly Journal Articles

• Why are these sources important?
• More specialized, research based
• Purpose is to extend scholarly knowledge in the
  field
• Represent most current research in a field
• Written by researchers, scholars, experts
• Are peer reviewed forresearch value,
  scholarlymerit and accuracy

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Electronic Journals

• Electronic full-text of journal articles
• Accessible via E- Resources
• Select E-journals
• Search by Title/Subject/Publisher
• e.g. by Subject Sociology Social Work
• e.g. by publisher Jstor
• Articles can be printed or downloaded

No Excessive downloading
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Searching Journal Articles Indexes
Abstracts

• List journal articles (including book chapters,
  conference papers, reports) pertaining to current
  literature in a subject
• Provide bibliographic citations, abstracts,
  summaries
• Cover hundreds of journal titles
• Electronic indexes abstracts
• More search options available
• References can be e-mailed, downloaded or printed
• Some databases provide links to full texts of
  articles

Electronic access via E-ResourcesFor CD-ROMs,
request at Loan Desk
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Indexes Abstracts in Sociology

• Available in E-Resources
• Sociological Abstracts
• Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) via Web of
  Science
• Social Sciences Abstracts
• International Bibliography of Social Sciences
• Perind
• Expanded Academic ASAP Index

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Things to note when usingIndexes Abstracts

• Determine most appropriate indexes
• Select years to search on
• Use Boolean operators to narrow, broaden or
  refocus search
• Note citation details (author, title, source,
  vol., pp)
• Check LINC for availability of citations
  retrieved
• Look for links to electronic full-text of articles

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Understanding References
References
Material Type

• Neuman, William Lawrence. 2003.
• Social research methods qualitative and
  quantitative approaches. 5th ed. Boston Allyn
  Bacon.
• Sadasivan, Balaji. 2004. Challenges facing
• Singapore borderless threats, boundless
• enemies. Singapore Institute of
• International Affairs Reader 4(1) 1-9.
• Jeffreys, Elaine. 2004. Feminist prostitution
  debates are there any sex workers in China?
  pp.83108. In Chinese women, living and working,
  editor, Anne E. McLaren, London Routledge
  Curzon.

Book
Journal article
Book Chapter
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Evaluating Search Results
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• Build your Search Strategy
• Determining Search Terms
• Keywords, Subject terms
• Organizing search terms
• Boolean operators, Truncation, Search statements

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Determining Search Terms Keyword vs.
Subject Search
Most databases allow different fields to be
searched Author Abstracts Title
Keywords Subject terms References (when
available)
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Determining Search Terms Keywords Concepts

• Break down topic into main Keywords Concepts
• Topic Who should take care of the
  elderly the family or the government?
• Care Elderly Family Government
• List synonyms, broader, narrower terms, variant
  spelling
• Care -- Medical care, home care, caregiver
• Elderly -- Aged, older people, aging parents
• Family -- Filial piety, family relationships
• Government -- Policies, policy, planning

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Determining Search terms Subject Headings

• Search using Subject Headings or Thesaurus terms
  when you are
• not sure what keywords to use
• looking for current terms, definition, related
  terms
• Subject search in
• LINC, use Library of Congress Subject Headings
• Sociological Abstracts, use Sociological
  Thesaurus

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Determining Search Terms Thesaurus
Sociological Thesaurus
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Organizing Search Terms Boolean
Operators (OR)

• OR is used to
• indicate that either terms may be present
• broaden search

Aged
Elderly
Elderly OR Aged
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Organizing Search Terms Boolean
Operators (AND)

• AND is used to
• indicate that both terms must be present
• narrow search when too many records retrieved

Aged
Housing
Aged AND Housing
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Organizing Search Terms Boolean
Operators (NOT)

• NOT is used to
• exclude terms
• narrow search when too many records
• are retrieved

Casino gambling
Internet gambling
Casino gambling NOT Internet gambling
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Organizing Search Terms Truncation

• Asterisk retrieves all terms with part of word
  specified
• Right-hand truncation
• polic retrieves policy, policies, policeglobal
  retrieves globalization, globalisation, globally
• Internal truncation
• Organiation retrieves organization, organisation
  
• Womn retrieves women, woman

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Organizing Search Terms Parentheses ( )

• Round parentheses ( )
• used to group words to be searched together
• (aged OR elderly) AND (care)
• Retrieves
• care of aged
• care of the elderly
• (fertility OR birth) AND (policy OR planning)
• Retrieves
• fertility policy, fertility planning,
• birth policy, birth planning

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Organizing Search Terms Search Statements
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• Search Electronic Indexes Abstracts in
  Sociology
• Sociological Abstracts
• Social Sciences Citation Index (via Web of
  Science)
• Social Sciences Abstracts
• Perind

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Search Topics

• 1. Aged in Singapore
• (aged or elderly) and singapore
• 2. Representation of the male body in popular
  magazines
• males and (body or masculinity) and magazines
• 3. Asian values in Singapore
• asian values and singapore
• asian and values and singapore
• 4. Economic or social implications of gambling
  in casinos
• (economic or social) and gambl and casino
• 5. Charitable institutions or charities or fund
  raising in Singapore
• (charit or fund raising) and singapore
• 6. Maids in Singapore
• (maids or domestics) and singapore

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Accessing Indexes Abstracts through Library
Portal
Click LOGIN

• To access Indexes Abstracts through
• E-Resources
• Major Databases
• To set my preference to
• Reference Databases
• Sociology Social Work

Library Portal
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Sociological Abstracts
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Sociological Abstracts
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Social Sciences Citation Index (via Web of
Science)
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Social Sciences Citation Index (via Web of
Science)
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Social Sciences Abstracts
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PERIND
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• Search Books, Journals, Theses, Multimedia
  items, Conference proceedings
• Library Integrated Catalogue

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Advanced Features

• Author/title
• Table of contents
• Subject
• By Collection
• Theses
• Periodicals
• Newspapers on microform
• Audiovisuals
• Music instruments
• Music scores

• Call number
• Limit this search
• Mark and Save
• Setting Alerts for New Books
• Truncation and Boolean
• Use specific field prefixes to narrow search
  further
• a for authort for titles for subject

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• Citing References
• Why Cite?
• Citing Books, Journal Article, Book Chapter

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Citing References American Sociological
Association
Help readers verify your claims
Why Cite?
Back-up your arguments
Show research done
Acknowledge intellectual debt

• Guides
• American Sociological Association. ASA style
  guide
• Quick style guide for students writing Sociology
  papers
• A guide to writing Sociology papers

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Citing Book
Author
Title
Year
Edition
Aby, Stephen H. 1997. 2nd ed. Sociology a
guide to reference to reference and information
sources. Englewood, Colorado Libraries
Unlimited.
Publication details
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Citing Journal Article
Author of article
Article title
Source year
Ho, Kong Chong. (2000). Mixed emotions
negative and positive consequences of our
enthusiasm for the internet. Innovations 1(1)
54-55.
Volume, issue no.
Source title
Page nos.
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Citing Book Chapter
Source year
Chapter title
Author
Parminder Bhachu. 2004. It's hip to be Asian
the local and global networks of Asian fashion
entrepreneurs in London. Pp. 40-59 in
Transnational spaces, edited by Peter Jackson,
Philip Crang, and Claire Dwyer. London
Routledge.
Page nos.
Source Title
Publisher
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• HELP!
• Library Instruction ONline (LION)
• Help on how to search LINC, databases

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Online Help! Library Instruction ONline
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Need any HELP?

• Formulating your research topic using indexes
  abstracts identifying sources of information
• Approach us in person,by phone or email
• 68742028
• clbha_at_nus.edu.sg
• askalib_at_nus.edu.sg