{"id":689,"date":"2020-10-07T14:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T03:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/?p=689"},"modified":"2020-10-07T14:03:29","modified_gmt":"2020-10-07T03:33:29","slug":"like-a-boss-hack-your-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/2020\/10\/07\/like-a-boss-hack-your-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Like a Boss: Hack Your Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hey Flinders Fam,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lauren here, and this week we\u2019re talking about research. Many of you probably have big assignments looming on the horizon and\u00a0<\/span>nine times out of ten, when you have a big assignment<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>it<\/span>\u00a0means lots of research. We research to understand the background of our assignments and what the topic is really about<\/span>; we research<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to understand what has been written about the topic, by whom and when and how it all fits together<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>nd we<\/span>\u00a0research to understand where our own\u00a0<\/span>beliefs, positions, and arguments fit into all of this.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think I truly appreciated the value and importance of good research until I started my PhD and these\u00a0<\/span>days,<\/span>\u00a0I rely on those research skills in my job every day. And not just my job as a teacher, which might seem obvious. I\u2019m also a podcast<\/span>\u00a0producer and writer and research skills are absolutely vital to producing good work.\u00a0<\/span>Research, whether you like it or not, will probably follow you\u00a0<\/span>for the life of your career<\/span>, whether you<\/span>\u00a0become<\/span>\u00a0a teacher, a medical professional, an engineer, a computer scientist,<\/span>\u00a0a business strategist, a policy analyst \u2026 you name it, you<\/span>\u2019ll<\/span>\u00a0need it!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But b<\/span>ecause so much of how we frame our own understanding and positions in relation to topics and ideas relies on research or, more importantly, the\u00a0<\/span>quality<\/span><\/i>\u00a0of research that we do, it can often feel quite overwhelming and it\u2019s difficult to know where to start.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0I had a<\/span>\u00a0chat with Tim Ormsby, one of the fabulous and super friendly learning and teaching librarians here at Flinders to grab some of his best\u00a0<\/span>research\u00a0<\/span>tips for and to find\u00a0<\/span>out where you can go for more help<\/span>. So, without any further ado, over to Tim!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

My name is<\/span>\u00a0Tim Ormsby<\/span>. I\u2019m a teaching and learning librarian here at Flinders. My job is to teach students information literacy, so that\u2019s how to find and use information effectively. Mostly for assignments, but also for wider research.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the main steps in the research process?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. <\/b><\/b>Familiarise yourself with the question<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    First, look at the research question. Generally, we<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2019ll do some background reading first just to get an idea of what the questions actually asking you, so what\u2019s the topic about?\u00a0<\/span>Textbooks are fantastic for this because they\u2019re written to give background information.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. <\/b>Pull ou<\/span><\/b>t<\/span><\/b>the key words<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Once we\u2019ve got an idea, we\u2019ll start pulling out the subject words or the key words. These are the words in the question that describe the subject of the question.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. <\/b>Search<\/span><\/b>FindIt@Flinders<\/span><\/b>\u00a0or Google Scholar\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        From there we start doing some quick searching in say\u00a0<\/span>FindIt@Flinders<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>Google Scholar<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and start getting some key references.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. <\/b>Expand your search into databases<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Then you may like to expand your search, so go beyond\u00a0<\/span>FindIt@Flinders<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and search some specific\u00a0<\/span>databases<\/span><\/a>. These might give you a broader range of results than you might get otherwise.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. <\/b>E<\/span><\/b>valuate your search<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Once you find some results, it\u2019s important to evaluate your search. So, is what you\u2019re looking at on your topic? Of an appropriate age, or too old? Are you getting enough, or are you not getting as many as you thought? These might be signs that your search isn\u2019t as targeted as it could be.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. <\/b>Start reading<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Once you start thinking that your search is okay, you can start pulling out your results, getting the full text and start reading the articles themselves.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              How do you turn an assignment question into search terms?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              The first thing I tend to do when I\u2019m turning a question into search terms is pick out the words\u00a0<\/span>in the question that describe the subject, so these are the key words. Then I will write them down or put them into a Word document. I do this for a couple of reasons<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>O<\/span>ne is that I know that I\u2019m going to be searching in different\u00a0<\/span>places<\/span>, not just one database but different databases, so I want to be able to use those terms across\u00a0<\/span>those databases<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Also, the search terms you\u00a0<\/span>get<\/span>\u00a0out of your question are just your starting point<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>so when you do background reading or when you start reading your references, you\u2019re going to find other key words to use. It\u2019s much easier to keep track\u00a0<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0them if you write them all down.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              What does it mean to scope your search?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0Scoping your search for us means doing some background reading, basically it\u2019s your starting point when doing your research<\/span>\u00a0to get an idea of your topic. It also gives you an idea of what sorts of literature is out there. This will really save you time as it will help you target your search better: what to search for, where to search, and\u00a0<\/span>what types of information to search for.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              How do you become better at Google?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Be Sceptical<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Evaluate everything that Google brings back as a search result. Really question what is the URL? Is it form a reputable organisation, government department or university<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0W<\/span>ho is the author, are they qualified to speak on the\u00a0<\/span>subject?<\/span>\u00a0Can you find\u00a0<\/span>more about who<\/span>\u00a0they are?\u00a0<\/span>Do<\/span>\u00a0another\u00a0<\/span>Google<\/span>\u00a0search on the author to find out\u00a0<\/span>are they qualified? Who are they? B<\/span>ecause depending on what you\u2019re looking at,\u00a0<\/span>you might not be able to find anything on them and they might not be who they say they are.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Use Google\u2019s Advanced Function<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              A lot of students don\u2019t know about this<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0but Google actually has an advanced\u00a0<\/span>search,<\/span>\u00a0and this is\u00a0<\/span>really<\/span>\u00a0useful for narrowing down a Google search to more\u00a0<\/span>credible and\u00a0<\/span>academic information.\u00a0<\/span>You can limit in advanced search by domain, so .org, .gov, .<\/span>edu<\/span>, rather than .com which tend to be more general information. You can also, depending on the type of information you\u2019re looking for, limit it to\u00a0<\/span>PDF<\/span>\u00a0files. This is really important if you\u2019re looking for government reports or\u00a0<\/span>documents from the government because this will just knock out any\u00a0<\/span>general websites<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              What quick tips do you have for using\u00a0<\/span><\/b>FindIt@Flinders<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and Google Scholar?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Access Google Scholar via the Library<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Both\u00a0<\/span>Google Scholar<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>FindIt<\/span>@Flinders<\/span><\/a>\u00a0are very useful search tools and they\u2019re even more useful when you use them\u00a0<\/span>together<\/span>. When you use Google Scholar always go through the Library website because then Google Scholar will recognise you as a Flinders student\u00a0<\/span>and then it\u2019ll link with\u00a0<\/span>FindIt@Fli<\/span>nde<\/span>rs<\/span>\u00a0and let you know what you have available to you for free. It\u2019ll give you a\u00a0<\/span>FindIt@Flinders<\/span>\u00a0link next to each search result and you can click on that link, it\u2019ll search for that article\u00a0<\/span>i<\/span>n\u00a0<\/span>FindIt@Flinders<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>let you know where else you can find the full text of that article. Otherwise, google Scholar might just let you know\u00a0<\/span>hat<\/span>\u00a0few PDFs are available for free<\/span>, but you\u2019re missing out on a whole lot that the university has paid for<\/span>\u00a0access<\/span>\u00a0for<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>you to able access for free.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Use the Cite Function<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Both\u00a0<\/span>FindIt@Flinders<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Google Scholar have a cite function, so this is a quick and easy way for you to get your references.\u00a0<\/span>You can click on that and get the formatted reference that you can copy and paste into your assignment in a variety the major referencing styles, so you have Chicago, APA, MLA. Just always check that they\u2019re correct because errors do creep in and you don\u2019t want to lost marks because you didn\u2019t double check!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \"\"\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Only Search Key Words<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Also<\/span>, with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>FindIt<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Google<\/span>\u00a0Scholar, you really only need to put in your key words, not your whole question. It\u2019ll really confuse it because<\/span>\u00a0they\u00a0<\/span>will search for\u00a0<\/span>exactly every single word\u00a0<\/span>that you put in there. S<\/span>o that\u2019s why identifying your key words form your question is so important. That way, you\u2019re much more likely to get back\u00a0<\/span>relevant results and really what you\u2019re looking for.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Use the Search Filters<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Another way to make sure you get relevant results is to use the filters on the\u00a0<\/span>right-hand<\/span>\u00a0side of\u00a0<\/span>FindIt<\/span>, the\u00a0<\/span>left-hand<\/span>\u00a0side of Google<\/span>\u00a0Scholar<\/span>. In fact, most databases these days will have filters\u00a0<\/span>somewhere<\/span>\u00a0on the screen and they allow you to narrow down your search results to just books or peer review articles, if that\u2019s what you\u2019re after. You can also narrow down by date\u00a0<\/span>range;<\/span>\u00a0say you\u2019re looking for\u00a0<\/span>literature written in the last ten years<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0you can knock out results that are older than what you\u2019re looking for.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Take Your Time to Research<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              I think one of the most important things is take your time. Doing research is not going to be a quick process<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>t<\/span>\u2019s going to<\/span>\u00a0take a little bit of time, especially when you\u2019re first starting out. It might seem<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a bit complex, a bit daunting, but the more you do it\u00a0<\/span>the easier and quicker your research is going to be.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              What are some common mistakes and misconceptions about research?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              One is that Google will find everything, and it does not. Google will only find 2-3% of all the world\u2019s information. Everything else is hidden behind paywalls and passwords and that\u2019s where the vast majority of academic information lives, and th<\/span>is is the type of information that you actually need to\u00a0<\/span>use in your assignments at university. So that\u2019s why the university library pays for access to this information for you<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0so you don\u2019t have to. It\u2019s best\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0use\u00a0<\/span>FindIt@Flinders<\/span>\u00a0or Google Scholar rather than a plain\u00a0<\/span>Google<\/span>\u00a0search. Google can still be useful to get some background information, but when it comes to finding academic information, it\u2019s best to stay away.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              I think the other misconception that students fall into is that\u00a0<\/span>its<\/span>\u00a0going to be quick and easy to find information that is relevant and credible. I think this largely comes by that up until university, Google is their only form of searching<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>nd look, we use Google all the time\u00a0<\/span>in everyday life. It\u2019s easy to use and until you\u2019ve been exposed to another type of\u00a0<\/span>information and type of searching, you don\u2019t actually realise the limitations of Google, because it does look like it can find everything. A lot of students think that searching for academic information is going to be as simple, and we as librarians wish that it was, but unfortunately it isn\u2019t. So<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0you just have to think a bit more about wh<\/span>at you\u2019re searching for and where you\u2019re searching.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Where can students go for\u00a0<\/span><\/b>more information<\/span><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              We have a few topics in FLO now to help you with your research. If you need more help, you can come to the library either physically or virtually. Come to the information desk at your branch<\/span>. You can also catch us\u00a0<\/span>online;<\/span>\u00a0we\u2019ve just launched a new chat feature so you can chat to a librarian during office hours. You can also phone us, email us, and if you have an\u00a0<\/span>in-depth<\/span>\u00a0question, you can also book a librarian.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Good luck researching those major assessments everyone! Next week, we\u2019ll be talking all things\u00a0<\/span>exam preparation! What are the best evidence based study tips that will help you remember and retain more information and then I\u2019ll be chatting with Gareth about how you can improve your focus and\u00a0<\/span>tame your\u00a0<\/span>brain<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              In the meantime, be sure to check out the library\u2019s FLO topics, both\u00a0<\/span>beginner<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>intermediate<\/span><\/a>, to really dig into the research process and hone up your skills. The\u00a0<\/span>Student Learning Support Service<\/span><\/a>\u00a0also have a range of resources that can help you integrate th<\/span>at research once you\u2019ve done it!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              See you next time\u00a0<\/span>\ud83d\ude0a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  Hey Flinders Fam,\u00a0 Lauren here, and this week we\u2019re talking about research. Many of you probably have big assignments looming on the horizon and\u00a0nine […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1756,"featured_media":699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1693],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-like-a-boss"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1756"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}