Research Skills

For Events Studies

Session Outline:The Research Cycle: 5 stagesFinding information - Events subject guideSearching the library catalogue Finding magazine articlesSearching the WebOnline searching tipsEvaluating information from the WebReferencing your informationStudent exercises

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Research Cycle: 5 stages

1.Analyse question or topic

Research Cycle:

5 Stages

2.Identify

keywords &search terms

WriteFinal

Essay/Report

4.Evaluate your

information5.

Reference yourinformation

3.Search for

& find information

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Stage 1: Analyse question or topic

When you are given an assignment, read through it carefully. Before you start looking for information, be sure you understand what you are looking for.

Analyse the topic to determine the approach being asked for. Are you being asked to: Compare? Review? Discuss? Contrast? Summarise? Explain?

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Stage 2: Identify the keywords and search terms

“Discuss the importance of choosing a suitable site when planning an event.”

location venue

organising

arranging

function

conference

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managing

You can use a thesaurus to identify alternate keywords…

Web address: campusguides.dtwd.wa.edu.au/central-events

Stage 3: Search for and find information

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- Using Events Subject Guide -

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Searching the Library Catalogue -

Books & DVDs

Library Catalogue searching tips:Use your keywords (or alternate terms) to search the

Library Catalogue for factual, in-depth information from books and DVDs.

When searching the catalogue remember to limit your search to Perth campus.

Note the location details and the status of any items of interest.

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Books/DVDs tab

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Library Catalogue - Search Page

Enter your search terms and choose options from the drop-down boxes

Tip: To truncate - use ?

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Library Catalogue - Search Results

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Bibl

iogr

aphi

c D

etai

lsLo

catio

n D

etai

lsItem Record

Finding Magazine Articles

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Databases/Journals (Magazines) tab

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Find Printed Magazines in the Library… or Access Online Articles from the Guide

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Searching the Web

Web searching tips:Learn how to use Google Advanced Search

to get better results by targeting your searches.

Use smart searching techniques such as quotation marks to search for phrases, e.g. “sydney harbour bridge”.

Examine the URL to determine the reliability of the site, e.g. generally .edu or .gov sites are more reliable.

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Websites tab

Goo

gle

Adva

nced

Sea

rch

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Goo

gle

Adva

nced

Sea

rch

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Online Searching Tips

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Online searching tips…Boolean Operators

AND (+):limits the search as both keywords must appear in the documenthazards AND eventshazards +events

OR: expands the search as either keywords will appear in the documents

conferences OR seminars

NOT (-): limits the search as excludes one of the keywords from the documents

“outdoor events” NOT festivals “outdoor events” -festivals

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More searching tips….

Quotation marks: searches for the phrase e.g. “convention centre”

In title: searches for that term within the title of web page e.g. intitle:festivals

Site: searches for results from specific sites e.g. site:.gov

site:.au

File type: searches for a particular file type e.g. filetype:ppt

filetype:pdf

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Evaluating information

Ask yourself these questions…

√ Is the information correct?√ Is the information relevant?√ Is the information reliable? (who is the

author/sponsor?)√ Is the information up-to-date?√ Is the information free from bias? (is it trying to

persuade?)√ Is it what I need?

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Stage 4: Evaluate your Information

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Referencing information

Stage 5: Reference your Information When taking notes for an essay topic, write down allthe relevant bibliographic details of your information sources that you will need to include in your Reference List.

For a book: author - year of publication - title - edition - place of

publication - publisher

For a website:author or sponsor or organisation - year of creationor update year - title of web page - URL

For more information on referencing

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- APA Referencing Guide -

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Remember!If you require further assistance:

Ask at the Library Service Desk

Email: helplibrary@central.wa.edu.au

Check out the OIL (Online Information Literacy) modules on the library website @ www.central.wa.edu.au/library

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