Research Methods & Techniques (Lesson 3)

Question 1

Before you start your work, what should you understand about it?

Answer 1

• What is the document to be produced?
• Length, size, duration
• Topic
• Due date

Question 2

What are six key search techniques?

Answer 2

• Identify what you are required to do
• Identify key works
• What format are you looking for -books articles?
• Use boolean operators to connect search terms
• Use truncation to increase retrieval
• Use wildcards to cope with spelling variation

Question 3

What are Boolean Operators?

Answer 3

They are specific works used to combine keywords, such as: AND, OR, NOT, AND NOT

Question 4

How are Parenthesis used with Boolean Operators?

Answer 4

To enclose the search, such as ‘(word1 AND word2) NOT word3’

Question 5

Explain truncation and its purpose?

Answer 5

It allows you to broaden your search for example Manag* will bring managing, manager, management etc.

Question 6

Explain wildcards and how they cope with spelling variations?

Answer 6

They allow you to seek across English and American spellings eg organi?ation will bring organisation and organization

Question 7

What is EBSCohost?

Answer 7

This is the university’s largest database covering social sciences, psychology, life & health, business, computing, law and newspapers

Question 8

What is ‘FinAnalysis’ and ‘DatAnalysis’?

Answer 8

Databases that provides information on listed companies - DatAnalysis is just ASX listed companies

Question 9

What is ‘Gale’?

Answer 9

This is a database covering 30 databases including AcademicOneFile, etc

Question 10

What is ‘Informit’?

Answer 10

A database covering business, economics, health, history and indigenous studies.

Question 11

What is a ‘supersearch’

Answer 11

It is a customised meta search of up to ten databases simultaneously.

Question 12

What are the two main search approaches?

Answer 12

1. Citation - you have the reference needed to locate the item
2. Topic - you have the topic and are looking for information about it

Question 13

What are the benefits of the databases?

Answer 13

• Online
• Convenient
• 24 hours 7 days
• search thousands of documents
• often discipline based
• updated regularly

Question 14

What are the steps to determine quality?

Answer 14

• Assess author - authority?
• Who is publisher
• Point of view - bias?
• Referral to / knowledge of subject?
• Accuracy / verifiability of data?
• Currency?

Question 15

What is Google Scholar?

Answer 15

It is a free web search engine that indexes full text scholarly literature across a range of publishing formats & subject areas. Includes most peer-reviewed journals from Europe and America’s scholarly publishers

Question 16

What does copyright law and academic integrity require of people?

Answer 16

Acknowledge your sources.