DYNAMIC UNIVERSITY THESIS

Seminar: Finding Great Academic Sources

Project Skills / Studying Research

Session Objectives

Identify key sources of academic journals and research Construct a register of sources you can access at university

1.Opening Task

Your First Task:

In your research teams, you should identify which locations - digital or otherwise - you can access academic sources of information. You group will have a timekeeper, a notetaker, and a faciltator. All others will discuss. In 5 minutes we will create a list to guide us. Be ready to share your group's ideas.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire

2. Setting up your research register

As university students, you have access to various databases of knowledge and research. Lets explore these now....

In your browser, find the following sites in different tabs: JSTOR.org onlinelibrary.wiley.com Emerald.com journals.sagepub.com

2. Setting up your research register

Gaining access via your university

Your universities pay for access to the most up-to-date reasearch publications. You should take full advantage of this fact. Seach in one of these sites for an article. You will quickly discover that many of these documents are restricted. However, you can gain access. Quick task: can you find a way to gain access to restricted articles?

Access Tip

2. Finding sources

15 Minute Task:

Refining your searches further:

You have various options available to you to refine your searches even further. These include: Dates published - for the most up to date information Content type - books, case studies, articles etc Available to you / open access

Your first searches:

Using the search funtion, use your research topic to search for a jounal article on each of these platforms What were you able to find? Be prepared to feedback and share your findings with your research group

Rememeber: a member of your group may find your findings useful

2. Finding sources

What's next?

You should bookmark these various websites so you can use them later - they will be very valuble to you in the future - do this now.

What else?

Some of you are already using Google Scholar. Lets look at using this platfom in your research.

3. What else?

Using Google Scholar

As with JSTOR.org, Wiley, Emerald Insights, and Sage; Google Scholar is a resource that is available to you as a student. You can search using key terms as with other platforms. Here are several functions of use to you:

• You can refine search dates for the most up-to-date information

• You can adjust content type

• It is recommended that you check sources that the infomation comes from - this is in green

• You can follow writers of interest to you

3.What else?

10 Minute Task:

Using your university email address. You should sign up to Google Scholar. Once you have done this, you should search for a suitable article and follow the writer. Remember to read the abstract for relevence. Remember to check the source.

And now...

Using the CRAAP or PROMPT methods, you should evaluate the sources you have found. Think back to seminar 2.

Any questions?