BA (Hons) Communications

Library & information skills to help you with your dissertation

Emily Shields & Padma Inala

e.shields@mmu.ac.uk p.inala@mmu.ac.uk

Consider this....

Making your research work for you

Step 5Review the

process

Step 2get hold ofinformation

Step 3evaluate

information

Step 1define topic

& plan search

Step 4organise & use

information

A study of the way the media in Britain

is prejudiced against asylum seekers

Keywords: It’s vital to pick out the keywords in your dissertation topic and make sure you address each of these in your work. The keywords are the words that you will use to search on the Library Catalogue, databases and search engines with.

budget Rome hotel

budget Rome accommodation

budget Rome “bed and breakfast”

budget Rome guesthouse

KeywordsAlternative keywords are important in order to increase your chances of finding the right information. You probably already do this everyday when using search engines. If you don’t find the information that you want first time, you change your words until you find what you’re looking for. For example:

budget Rome hotel

low-cost Rome accommodation

cheap Rome “bed and breakfast”

inexpensive Rome guesthouse

Keywords

If you still don’t find what you want, then you can keep changing your keywords for alternative terms until you do. For example:

Keywords: For each of the keywords in your dissertation topic think of alternative terms that could be used by an author to express the same concept or a similar idea. For example:

Prejudice

Media

News

Tabloid Broadsheet

ImmigrantsRacism

Asylum

seekers

RefugeesMigrantsbias

discrimination Press

stereotype

TV

Search

strategy

Library

Catalogue

Books & e-books

Peopletutor

experts

Refine your search strategy

Journal

articles

ASSIAExpanded

Academic

Custom

newspapers

Internet

Search

Engines

Gateways

Google Scholar

dissertations

Think about different word endings: Truncation

communication

▪ communicated ▪ communicating ▪ communicate

If you were searching for a journal article for information on ‘communication’ all of these word endings would be acceptable as they are all related to the key term ‘communication’. However, a computer will only look for the exact word that you put in, so would not find any of the other terms.

Think about different word endings: Truncation

communicationcommunicat*

To search for all of the word endings associated with ‘communication’ use an asterisk * at the end of the stem of the word. This tells the database that you are only interested in words starting with ‘communicat’ but you do not mind how the word ends. Get into the habit of truncating as many of your search terms as possible as this will enhance your search.

= communicated = communicating = communicate

immigra*media

Combining your search terms

Combining your search termsimmigra* asylum

Combining your search terms

Making your research work for you

Step 5Review the

process

Step 2get hold ofinformation

Step 3evaluate

information

Step 1define topic

& plan search

Step 4organise & use

information

• The Library Website is your starting point for finding information in journals

• Provide up to date, peer reviewed information

• Use the link to Resources by Subject to find the right database to search

• Search for plurals, different word endings and spellings

Top tips finding: journal articles

Custom Newspapers?

ASSIA?

BHI?

Expanded Academic?

Bad results?If you do not find any articles then troubleshoot with the guide below:

•Searching with the wrong keywords – if you’re using a modern term bear in mind that older research probably won’t be found

•Spalling & tyyping mistakes – the database won’t tell you if you’ve made a mistake

•Incorrect symbol for truncation – not everything uses *

•Searching on the wrong database – there are lots of databases available under ‘Communications’, look at the coverage to check you’re looking in the right place.

•Forgetting to login with your Athens password to the individual journal – just because you have logged into the database off campus doesn’t mean you don’t’ have to log into the journal. This is a separate entity and needs to know that you’re an MMU student.

Search Engines & GatewaysSearch engines are a valuable source of information, but try not to rely on one alone as this will not give you the breadth of search that using several will give you. These are just a snapshot of the estimated 1,400 search engines available, try a few out and see which suit you best.

•http://ww

w.flickr.com

/photos/39329798@N

00/2397947575/

Created by Phil Bradley: www.philb.com

Search Engines & Gateways

•Guaranteed good quality information – no evaluation required

•Descriptions of the resources allows for a quick understanding of their background

•Can search subject specific information only

• Only a small number of results for a search

•A lot of results returned with the chance to search which is most applicable

•Access to information you may not find from any other source

•Easy to search

• No quality control

•Difficult to narrow your search

http://www.intute.ac.uk

Why is referencing so important?

It lets your tutors know where you got your information from

It shows you are developing your skills as a student and avoiding plagiarism

SO

Make sure you know what your tutor expects from you and spend time learning the right way to reference.

©James Naughton

What is plagiarism?

Using words more or less exactly as they have been used in lectures, web pages, books, articles, etc.

Using other people’s ideas or theories and passing them off as your own

Paraphrasing what you have read without making it clear it is not your own thinking

Getting more help

• Use the Library Websitehttp://www.mmu.ac.uk/library

• E-mail didsbury-lib-enq@mmu.ac.uk for any enquiries.

• Phone 0161 247 6121

• Contact Hetal Patel, Student Support Officer in Room 49 or email h.patel@mmu.ac.uk

• For study skills and help for students with a disability speak to the Learning Support Unit.