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Graduate
Student Research
This guide is to assist graduate
students in two areas:
1.The Literature Review
2. Research Process
*more resources
I. Literature Review
Definition: "An extensive search of the
information available on a topic which results in a list of references to books,
periodicals, and other materials on the topic.1"
During your academic career you will need to
investigate ideas/topics and write research papers and/or reports. To
write a quality research paper you will need to "...investigate, review and
[efficiently] use information, ideas, and opinions of other researchers.2"
This entails "... locating, assessing, and assimilating others' research and
then developing and expressing your own ideas clearly and persuasively.3"
"The main purpose of doing research is not to summarize the work of others, but
to assimilate and to build on it and to arrive at your own understanding of the
subject.4"
The Research Process below will assist this
review.
II. Research Process:
Information seeking in a nutshell -- Do (and re-do) the
following six steps when solving information problems
5
A. Define your topic
B. Develop a strategy
C. Locate the information
D. Use & Evaluate the information
E.
Synthesize
F. Evaluate your work
A. Define your topic
Many
students have difficulties with this step. You want to find at topic
you find interesting.
After selecting a topic ask yourself these two questions:
- What information do
I need?
- What questions need to be answered?
For research papers, you will need to:
1. Choose a broad topic of
interest to start
2. Define and limit the topic
(focus the topic more narrowly) - Many students
choose a topic that is too broad. The topic needs to specific.
Below is an example for the broad topic of Software (two possible
specific topics).
a. Examine overview sources such as
Subject-specific encyclopedias or browse print/online journals
in your field
for ideas.
Examples: Encyclopedia of Computer Science (Location: REFERENCE
QA76.15 E48 2000)
ACM Journal of Computer Documentation
b. Search the broad topic in a
periodical index (find
trade and scholarly journals) and scan the titles for ideas.
c. Examine a couple of books on the
broad topic for ways of narrowing the topic
d.
Brainstorming - Think of your broad topic and write down all
related terms or topics.
Search/browse for articles on these topics. This exercise will
help you think of new ideas or directions for your topic.
3. Determine what terms to use
to describe the topic.
Example:
Information Assurance
"information assurance," "information security"," "computer security,"
etc.
B. Develop a strategy for finding the
information. What types of source might contain the
information? What are the best strategies for finding the
information?
1. Do you need a dictionary for
definitions? a directory for an address? current articles
and books? today's news in a print or web-based
newspaper? Would the answer(s) be found in an
encyclopedia, a fact book, a statistical handbook, etc.?
a. Find current information
in magazines, newspapers,
radio/TV broadcasts, journal articles, and conference proceedings
b. Find more comprehensive
information in books (print or electronic)
c. Consider other possible
sources of information such as encyclopedias,
handbooks, statistical compilations, dictionaries,
directories, technical reports, and patents.
|
Types of Information Needed for
Technological Research
Derivative of DePaul University Libraries.
Developed for CTI Software Engineering Master's Program.
Autumn 2003. |
| Technical Analysis |
Business Analysis |
Technical & Scholarly papers |
Handbooks/References |
Books |
Analysis of:
- new & forthcoming
technologies
- technical issues that
have not been resolved
and comparison of
approaches to solving
them.
- comparison of similar IT
companies and products
WHERE TO LOOK
|
Trade Journals
include technical fields.
Sample titles
- Network World
- CIO
- Computer Technology Review
What do people working in the field have to say
about this system or issue? How might it differ from what
researchers and academics have to say?
Scholarly Business Journals
Is the business world desperate for a solution to a
technical problem? Do they have their own assumptions
about how it can be solved? Are they unaware of what
the impact of this technology will be, or do they see it
coming?
White papers
Research taking place within corporations
WHERE TO LOOK
|
Conference presentations,
technical reports, and scholarly articles. Perspective of
researchers, faculty and engineers.
WHERE TO LOOK
*NOTE: Use
interlibrary loan when full-text articles are not
available |
References
Use for two reasons
1. As a source of information about the system you're
looking at or competing systems.
2. For people working on projects - use handbook as a
reference when you encounter coding or design problems.
Include: Handbooks, Encyclopedias, guides, manuals,
etc.
Examples:
* Encyclopedia of Computer Science
* Expert Systems
WHERE TO LOOK
*NOTE: Netlibrary books can be found by searching the
library catalog |
Essays in collections that
correspond to papers in scholarly journals - research
reports. Ability to trace the origin of a technology: why
it was needed, how it was developed.
Big picture
WHERE TO LOOK
*NOTE: Netlibrary books can be found by searching the
library catalog |
2. These sources may be an any format
-- print, microform, electronic (on the Web).
3. Review search techniques -- see
"Search Techniques Table"
C. Locate the information.
1. Use search tools designed to find
the sources you want
a. Use periodical indexes to
find magazine, newspaper and journal articles. Examples of such indexes
are ACM Digital Library and Proquest's ABI-Inform.
The library pays yearly subscription fees so students may access
this high-quality information at no cost.
b. Use the Library Catalog
to find books in the Mundt Library and in other
libraries in South Dakota. A link to "Library Catalog" is
on the library home page.
c. Use the Library Catalog
to find fact books, books with statistics,
dictionaries, etc. in the Mundt Library. A link to
"Library Catalog" is on the library home page.
d. Ask a librarian for assistance.
2. Evaluate the search results (no
matter where you find the information)
a. Evaluate the items you find
using at least these 5 criteria:
- accuracy --
is the information reliable and error free?
--Is there an editor or someone who
verifies/checks the information?
--Is there adequate documentation:
bibliography, footnotes, credits?
--Are the conclusions justified by the
information presented?
- authority --
is the source of the information reputable?
--How did you find the source of information:
an index to edited/peer-reviewed material, in
a bibliography from a published article,
etc.?
--What type of source is it:
sensationalistic, popular, scholarly?
- objectivity
-- does the information show bias?
--What is the purpose of the information: to
inform, persuade, explain, sway opinion,
advertise?
--Does the source show political or cultural
biases?
- currency --
is the information current? does it cover the
time period you need?
- coverage --
does it provide the evidence or information
you need?
b. Is the search producing the
material you need? -- the right content? the right
quality? right time period? right geographical
location? etc. If not, are you using
- the right sources?
- the right tools to get to the
sources?
- are you using the right words
to describe the topic?
c. Have you discovered additional
terms that should be searched? If so, search those
terms.
d. Have you discovered additional
questions you need to answer? If so, return to
section A above to begin to answer new questions
D. Use the information.
1. Read, hear or view the source
a. Evaluate: Does the material
answer your question(s)? -- right content? If not,
return to B.
b. Evaluate: Is the material
appropriate? -- right quality? If not, return to B.
2. Extract the information from
the source : take notes, copy, cite
a. Note taking: Use index card or word processing to:
1. Write the keywords you use in your searches
2. Write the subject terms used by each database
3. Write the citations of each article/document you read
4. Write a summary of each article you read and/or why you
want to use it.
These steps will help you when you begin to write
your thesis and/or document your project.
E. Synthesize.
1. Organize and integrate
information from multiple sources
2. Present the
information (create report, speech, etc. that
communicates)
3. Citing Electronic and Print Documents: Resources
F. Evaluate the paper, speech, or whatever
communication tool you produced. Is it effective? Does it
meet the requirements? Ask another student to provide constructive
criticism of your paper/project.
III. Other Resources
Ask a librarian for help whenever you need it
Basic
Research tutorial videos
Research Guides from other institutions
Literature Review Tips
(University of Toronto Writing Center)
Literature Review
Tutorial (Central Queensland
University Library)
Duke University Libraries:
Research Guide
Association for Support of Graduate Students:
Thesis Assistance
Purdue
University's OWL: Writing and Research assistance
Resources
for ESL from the Purdue OWL
Writing
Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Thesis and ESL assistance
Rutgers University Libraries: brief overview of the American Library System
Research requires: Time, Patience,
Creativity & problem-solving
SOURCES
1. University System of
Georgia. Online Library Learning Center Glossary. Retrieved March 16,
2005, from
http://www.usg.edu/
galileo/skills/ollc_glossary.html.
2, 3 & 4. Gibaldi, Joseph.
(1999). MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: Modern
Language Association.
5. Eisenberg, M. B., & Berkowitz,
R. E. (1990). Information
Problem-Solving: the Big Six Skills Approach to Library &
Information Skills Instruction. Norwood, NJ: Ablex
Publishing.
6. Neville, T. M., Henry,
D. B., & Neville, B. D. (2002). Science and Technology Research:
Writing Strategies for Students. LanHam, MD: Scarecrow Press.
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