Dr. Lorayne Robertson, UOIT Prev Menu Next EDUC 5002: Research Methods in Education Course Learning Module I A: Mapping your topic B: Refining your Search Dr. Lorayne Robertson, UOIT Robertson, 2009

Index of Learning Module 1 Steps in the Research Process Mapping the field using a concept map Mapping the Field – Using the Library Using the right tools to find information Search using Boolean logic Using the Wildcard symbol Summary of Boolean logic terms Robertson, 2009

The Research Process Step Four: Present your findings Prev Menu Next The Research Process Step Four: Present your findings Step Three: Analyze and evaluate your information There are four main steps in the research process. Each one of them is fairly complex. This learning object will take you through the brainstorming process that will help you to choose and refine your topic. Once you have your topic, then the next steps are: to locate the information; to analyze it critically; and then to present your findings. Step Two: Refine the search, locate and gather information The first step is to identify your topic and “map out” your field of interest. Step One: Identify a topic, and map the field. . Robertson, 2009

Concept Map Technology and Leadership Change theory resistance Prev Menu Next Concept Map Technology and Leadership resistance Change theory Stages of adaptation Imagine for example that you want to look at Leadership and Technology. You might want to examine a related leadership theory, such as change theory. Technology users might adapt the change or resist the change. You may want to look for research that investigates how technology is resisted or adapted. Robertson, 2009

Concept Map Technology and Leadership resistance Change theory Prev Menu Next Concept Map Technology and Leadership resistance Change theory Assessing learning Teachers Students Learning Stages of adaptation A second area associated with technology and leadership might be to look at how leaders can impact learning. If you were to explore this area, you might examine “technology and learning”, technology and teachers, or you might look for studies that examine the impact of technology on student learning. Robertson, 2009

Concept Map Technology and Leadership resistance Change theory Prev Menu Next Concept Map Technology and Leadership resistance Change theory Assessing learning Teachers Students Learning Stages of adaptation Data management A third possible related research area associated with Leadership and Technology might be data management. A leader might implement technology in order to use data to measure progress toward goals. Robertson, 2009

Concept Map Technology and Leadership resistance Change theory Prev Menu Next Concept Map Technology and Leadership resistance Change theory Assessing learning Teachers Students Learning Stages of adaptation Planning for technology Data management Another area to research might be the role of the leader in planning for technology. Robertson, 2009

Identifying the field Technology and Leadership resistance Prev Menu Next Identifying the field Technology and Leadership resistance Change theory Assessing learning Teachers Students Learning Stages of adaptation Assistive devices Planning for technology Data management Another area might be the leader’s role in using technology to help special learners. You might name the topic “assistive devices.” This little demonstration shows you that a concept map is one method that a researcher employs to “identify the field.” On the next slide, we look at some other ways this is done. Robertson, 2009

Here are some other ways to map out your field of study Prev Menu Next Here are some other ways to map out your field of study Use a reference book or an introductory textbook Use a professional association Government website You can look for a recent book on your topic, and review the index to see the breadth of the field that you are investigating. The chapter titles of the book will give you an idea of breadth of the field you are investigating. Other sources include professional associations and government websites. Just a word of caution about Wikipedia – see the next slide. Wiki with caution… Robertson, 2009

Prev Menu Next The use of the wiki can be problematic at times. To find multiple sources of information on your topic, one place to start is called the subject guide, which is found at the UOI|T library. Robertson, 2009

Mapping the Field – Using the Library Prev Menu Next Mapping the Field – Using the Library Use the library’s Subject Guide – Education to find a discipline specific reference book, or… Use an ERIC Digest to get an overview of your topic Let’s move now to the library website. You can use the UOIT library’s subject guide to find reference books in your area of research. Robertson, 2009

The website for UOIT is http://www.uoit.ca Prev Menu Next The website for UOIT is http://www.uoit.ca Under the tab “current students”, select the option “Academic Resources” Under that tab, select library. Robertson, 2009

OR Go to the website: http://www.uoit.ca/library Robertson, 2009 Prev Menu Next OR Go to the website: http://www.uoit.ca/library Robertson, 2009

Click on the tab, “getting started” Prev Menu Next Once you are on the library site, under the first tab, “Research a topic” you will find the options “the research process” and “getting started”. At this point, you may want to pause this tutorial and spend some time looking through all of the information available at this site. There is information here on each stage of the research process, although the information is somewhat directed toward undergraduate work. Click on the tab, “getting started” Robertson, 2009

Connecting to the “Subject” database… Prev Menu Next Connecting to the “Subject” database… The link that is called “get an overview of your topic” will connect you to the subject database. Robertson, 2009

Start Here: Subject Guides Prev Menu Next Start Here: Subject Guides There is another way to find the Subject Guide – you can access it from the main library page. Robertson, 2009

Your main subject would be “education” so you click on that link. Prev Menu Next Your main subject would be “education” so you click on that link. Robertson, 2009

Each of these sources of information help in different ways. Prev Menu Next Once you are on the Education Subject Guide page, you will find there books, journals, newspapers and websites. Each of these sources of information help in different ways. Robertson, 2009

Information Tools Decide the kind of information that you need Prev Menu Next Information Tools Decide the kind of information that you need Choose the access tool to help you locate it Books catalogue Articles index or a database Government information website Now you have two kinds of considerations: what kind of information you need and how to access that information. For example, the best place to find is through the library catalogue. To find articles, you need an index or a database. Robertson, 2009

Websites Use: To Find: Current information Gov’t information Prev Menu Next Websites Use: Google Scholar Library subject guides Association, organization, or educational institution portals To Find: Current information Gov’t information Shared opinions Association and Prof’l organization mission statements, publications, philosophies When you want really current information or information from government publications, use Google Scholar on the web. You have the option in Google Scholar of an advanced google scholar search which is very helpful. Robertson, 2009

Books Use library catalogues Borrow via inter-library loan To find: Prev Menu Next Books Use library catalogues Borrow via inter-library loan Google Scholar – books Search strategy: broad terms; browse To find: historical background, major research. Or the broad scope of your topic As mentioned earlier, books are helpful to map out the history of a topic or look at the broad scope of the topic. Look at the index of a book to map its field. Robertson, 2009

Articles To find: Current information Focused information Prev Menu Next Articles To find: Current information Focused information Electronic access Scholarly research Case studies News reports Use: Library indexes and databases Google scholar Search strategy More focused terms using advanced search features of the index or database When you are seeking scholarly research or looking for news reports on a topic, the best tool would be a database or index found through the library’s search engines. Robertson, 2009

Construct a GOOD search strategy Prev Menu Next Ready, Set, Wait!!! Construct a GOOD search strategy Before you start searching on Google Scholar or using a Library Database, you need to do one more step - Robertson, 2009 Robertson, 2009 23

Natural Language OK for Google DOES NOT work with library databases Prev Menu Next Natural Language OK for Google DOES NOT work with library databases Example: active learning impact student achievement secondary Many of you have used Google to find information on the web. With Google, you type words or phrases into the search box, and then Google’s search engine uses a complex algorithm to find and display the search results. The Google algorithm displays websites that are popular, have most of your words, or meet other criteria that make them relevant. This type of searching does not work when you are searching book or periodical databases. You need to construct a KEYWORD search to use find books and periodical articles. BTW…periodicals are publications that are published periodically…monthly, weekly, daily. Magazine, journals and newspapers are all types of periodicals. So, when I use the word “periodical”, I’m talking about magazines, journals and newspapers. Robertson, 2009

Keyword MUST USE when searching library databases Prev Menu Next Keyword MUST USE when searching library databases Examples of a keyword search: (active learning) and (student achievement) and (secondary) Robertson, 2009

Constructing a Keyword Search Prev Menu Next Constructing a Keyword Search AND OR $,* “ ” BTW…periodicals are publications that are published periodically…monthly, weekly, daily. Magazine, journals and newspapers are all types of periodicals. So, when I use the word “periodical”, I’m talking about magazines, journals and newspapers. Robertson, 2009

Boolean Operator AND AND = LESS records must include BOTH concepts Prev Menu Next Boolean Operator AND AND = LESS records must include BOTH concepts use “and” between required concepts active learning AND secondary Robertson, 2009

Prev Menu Next active learning secondary Robertson, 2009

Boolean Operator OR OR = MORE records must include EITHER concept Prev Menu Next Boolean Operator OR OR = MORE records must include EITHER concept use “or” between synonyms enclose synonyms in brackets. (secondary OR high school) Because the library databases only search for the words that you enter – not synonyms - if you don’t use the word the author or indexer used to describe the contents of an item, you won’t retrieve anything, or maybe not all of the items that would be useful. This is especially important to remember when you are searching for books, as the information in the library catalogue record about a book is VERY brief…it usually includes on the title, author, publisher, and one or two subject terms to describe the ENTIRE book! So…if you can think of synonyms for your search term, consider including all of them in your search strategy. If you re-do your search and use synonyms for your term, and you still don’t find very much, use a broader term. For example, if your original search was “coats or jackets or blazers”, and you didn’t retrieve anything, try a broader term like “clothes or clothing”. Robertson, 2009

Prev Menu Next high school secondary Robertson, 2009

Wildcard Symbol Rather than: Prev Menu Next Wildcard Symbol Rather than: engineer or engineers or engineered or engineering Use the root of the word plus the wildcard symbol to find all variations of the word Here’s how…. The wildcard symbol increases the number of items retrieved. It is one of the most important search strategies you should ALWAYS use when searching library catalogues for books, or library indexes for articles in magazines, journals or newspapers. BTW…you don’t need to do this in Google, because Google has a great search engine. When you type a word like engineer in Google, it automatically retrieves all the words with the same root, and sometimes, it retrieves synonyms too. Robertson, 2009

Shorten the words to the last common letter… Prev Menu Next Shorten the words to the last common letter… E N G I R S D What letters would you type, and where would you place the wildcard symbol, in order to tell the database search engine to find all these forms of the word engineer? Robertson, 2009

* Use the wildcard symbol on the end of the word root: E N G I R S D Prev Menu Next Use the wildcard symbol on the end of the word root: E N G I R S D * You type the root of the word – the part of the word that is similar in every form of the word that is acceptable. In this example, all forms of the word include e-n-g-i-n-e-e-r . So, those are the only letters that you type. Include the wildcard symbol at the end of the root of the word. Remember!!! The wildcard symbol is usually almost always the STAR. However, it could be something else…in the UOIT library catalogue, the wildcard symbol is the dollar sign $ Each database has its own wildcard symbol. $ ? ! * are the most common… Robertson, 2009

Quotation Marks Search: Hockey Night In Canada Better Search: Prev Menu Next Quotation Marks Search: Hockey Night In Canada retrieves: A day and night in the life of Canada, by John Hockey. Better Search: “Hockey Night in Canada” retrieves only the specific phrase Here are some examples of phrases that should be placed in quotes… “hockey night in Canada” “Red River Rebellion” “Order of Canada” “Charter of Rights and Freedoms” These are all SINGLE concepts that are expressed with multiple words. Robertson, 2009

The Brackets also Guide the Search Prev Menu Next The Brackets also Guide the Search Use brackets so the search engine executes your search properly. ORs go inside brackets ANDs go between brackets (high school or secondary) and (active learn$) If you don’t use brackets around each concept, the database search engine usually interprets your search query in a manner that is different than you intended. Robertson, 2009

To summarize… retrieve MORE retrieve LESS Prev Menu Next To summarize… retrieve MORE wildcard symbol OR between synonyms broader term retrieve LESS quotation marks AND more precise term retrieve BETTER or more precise results Combine the above techniques to build a complex search query Robertson, 2009

Prev Menu Next End of Module I Module 1: Mapping out your area of study and refining your search. Module 2: Using Refworks Module 3: Using Library Indexes Module 4: Searching using Google Scholar This brings us to the end of Part I – Part II of this series talks about using RefWorks and Part III provides more help on searching for articles on your topic. Robertson, 2009

Prev Menu Credits Thanks to Susan Pratt for sharing slides and ideas Thanks to Gavin Lobo for technical assistance Robertson, 2009