Course+HSP+3M+Sociology


 * __ MSP3M Research __**

**__ I. Lancer Library __** – http://swllibrary.wikispaces.com/ On this page you will find links to various sites that will be useful in your research. Be sure to check dates of publications to ensure that time sensitive information is current. ** A. ** **SWL Library Researcher**- Finds books in our library. Enter keywords and search by subject, author, title, etc. General research can begin using a general or specialized encyclopedia. Some useful specialized encyclopedia at SWL are: **Understanding Human Behaviour** (REF 150 UND), **Encyclopedia of Sociology** (REF 301.03 ENC) and **International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences** (REF 300.3 INT). These resources may provide key words to help in Internet and database searches. ** B. ** **Ottawa Public Library**- This is a valuable source for free online databases. Use your library card and access hundreds of magazine and journal articles.

** C. ** **Online databases**- This links to //Infotrac// databases search engine where you can retrieve full text articles from magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. This will be your most useful research tool. __ Steps for using Infotrac  __ 1. Enter **trillium** in the ID box 2. Click the **//continue//** box on the Gale Database page 3. Click **//Advanced Search//** on the yellow tabs at the top of the page 4. In the **//limit results//** section, click the **//to documents with full text//** box (this limits your research to sources where you can print the full article) 5. Enter your topic in the search boxes. Use **//entire document//** in the drop down menu to the right. 6. You can choose from **//Magazines, Academic Journals, Books, News, Multimedia//** using the tabs at the top of the results page. You can use other tools on this page to narrow or refine your search. See the detailed example below. ** D. Statistics **** Canada ** – This links to the Statistics Canada website where you can access statistical data. Access //E-Stat// on the website. If you are using a school computer, access is automatic. If you are using a home computer, the username is <**ocdsb**> and the password is <**estat**>. For international data, the United Nations Statistical Division at [] is very useful. ** E. ** **Style Guide** On the Lancer Library site, scroll down to the bottom and you will find //how to cite your sources.// The left side of the page has links to an //assignment organizer//, //essay style guides//, //research guides// and other useful links.


 * __ II. Detailed example of a search on Gale’s //Infotrac// Databases __**

Gale’s //Infotrac// databases are linked to the library’s on-line page ( http://swllibrary.wikispaces.com/  >**On-line Databases**). Enter “**trillium**” as your password. These instructions refer specifically to //Infotrac// Power Search but similar principles apply to many other databases. This example illustrates a search on Olympics.

1) Search the “**Entire document**” rather than subject or keyword if you want to maximize the quantity of your results.

2) Limit your results “**to documents with full text**” so you can actually access the article.

3) Limit the **publication date** to ensure that the results meet the criteria for your assignment.

4) Use advanced search options to narrow your search and eliminate irrelevant results using “**not**”. Remember to **search the entire document** to maximize the number of results.

5) Make a conscious choice of the search type. Search “**Entire Document**” to catch all references to your search terms. Choose “**Keyword**” or “**Subject**” to narrow your search to articles with more direct relevance. Try a variety of combinations of keywords.

6) Check the tabs above your result list. Note that there are very few results for “Books” in this list but a huge number of results if the “News” tab was clicked. By narrowing your search to “Peer Reviewed” you will only search academic journals.

7) Scan the results list for articles with title that sound appropriate. If you find many irrelevant results consider re-doing the search and excluding (using “not”) a term that is common to many of the irrelevant results. Note that the citation indicates the source of the article and its length. Save time; an article can be skipped if it is too short or too long or comes from a publication from outside your field of interest.

8) Consider creating a “**Search Alert**” to notify you when new results for a good search become available.