Lecture for dissertation students on searching for literature

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Literature searching for your
dissertation
unihub.mdx.ac.uk / study / library
PSY3330

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Please sit in the front rows,
and fill the rows, or you will
have to move later in the
session… 
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What we will cover today… and why
• Finding Tests – where and how
• Simple searches: Summon vs Google
• Keywords and search operators (* “ ” etc)
• Advanced searches: WOS and PsycINFO
• Referencing
• Where you can get help
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Want to see a kitten?
Sensible question time… (let’s try it)

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Let’s practice…
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Quick quiz… phones out…
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Aiming for Excellence
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Marking scheme for your dissertation.
GENERAL ASPECTS
• Contribution to Knowledge: To what extent the writer
justifies their project as a contribution to knowledge
and sees the bigger picture
• Critical Awareness: Demonstration of understanding of
key issues, both theoretical and methodological, relating
to the area of investigation
• Practical Aspects: How well the writer meet acceptable
standards for presentation, citation and referencing
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Finding resources
myUniHub > My Study > My Library
Access all sorts of
online resources
here!

10. My Library – most
of the links you
will ever need

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Finding Psychological Tests:
PsycTEST database
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• Tests devised and used by
researchers, academics,
professors
• Copyright-cleared
• Find and use in your own
experiment

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My library > Databases
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PsycTESTS database
Simple subject search
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Or author/test name search
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Click here to
limit to full text
TESTS

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Not all tests in PsycINFO are full text

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Following up tests by checking sources…
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…search Summon for the article or the Library catalogue
for the journal

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Look for tests from previous studies in
journal articles
—They may be in the appendix
—You may find the authoritative test by Googling
(confirm with tutor)
—Email academics: They may send you the test,
and often lots more useful info too!
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Psychology department test library
— Myunihub > My study > My Learning > PSY3330
— NOT in Sheppard Library!
— Find index of tests (word document)
— Download and complete Test Request form.
Hand or Email to Nicky Brunswick
• TG61 – n.brunswick@mdx.ac.uk (Wednesday – Friday only).
– Subject: ‘Test Library Request’
– Give name and Student ID and copy in your supervisor
— She will collect the test when possible
— You will not get the test immediately
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Summon
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22. Google Scholar – make sure you access
what you’ve paid for!
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23. Search for and select Middlesex University
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Simple searches
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Simple searches - Summon vs Google
Summon Google
Simple search function
(Google for paid-for University resources)
Simple search function
Searches many journal databases
and subscriptions
Searches many journal websites
A lot of full-text (and easy to filter
results by full-text)
Not all full-text (but can set up to
access MDX journals through
Unihub)
Up-to-date – largest databases
updated daily/weekly
Up-to-date articles from the big
publishers – not-so-good coverage
of small journals
Easy to filter to Psychology
journals
Hard to filter (searching all
subject areas)
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Literature Searching
Planning your search
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Synonyms
Criminal Drug addiction Treatment
Criminal* “Substance abuse” Therapy
Offender* “Illicit drugs” Counsel*
Convict* “Illegal drugs” Program*
“Criminal population”
Inmate*
“Criminal justice system”
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Narrower Terms
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Criminal Drug addiction Treatment
“Youth offender*”
“repeat offender*”
“first time offender*”
“violent offender*”
HMP
“serial offenders”
“vulnerable offenders”

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Other ways to narrow your topic
• People or participants:
– Racial/cultural/nationality groups
– Age
– Type of participant
• Way you measure it
• Sub-factors (E.g. Media effect on
self esteem):
– Fashion and Beauty media
– Effect on body image or self worth
– Among Women / students
– Among students in
UK/Dubai/Mauritius
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Keywords activity
• Piece of paper per row with a topic on it
• Each person add either a synonym or narrower term for
that idea or concept
• Pass the paper along your row
• Can it make it all the way along the row without running
out of words?
• Remember UK/US spellings and you can Google for
synonyms!
5 minutes!
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Literature Searching…
Using the databases
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Databases for research articles
myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Databases
Search for database by
letter, then name

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Web of Science

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Get better results & find things faster
• Spelling US v UK:
• behavior / behaviour
• counselor / counsellor
• Truncate *:
• Offend* = offending, offender, offenders
• Counsel* = counselling, counsellor, counsellors
• Behav* = behavior, behaviour, behavioural,
behavioral
• Phrases (exact words in that order)
• “substance abuse”
• “cogntive behav* therapy”
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Web of Science – Results – Times Cited
MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > W > Web of Science
Gives you a
hyperlinked
list of articles
which cite
this article

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Citation searching
• Which articles have cited an earlier article
• Updates to the research study you’ve been looking at
• Find articles on similar/related subject
• How many times an article has been cited
• Best journals in your field

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PsycINFO looks kind of like this...
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PsycINFO – Access via Unihub > Databases

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PsycINFO – options and limits

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limits Full text

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Repeat and improve = improved results
• Try different things
• React to your searches – why is there too much/not
enough?
• Follow citations
• Expand your keywords as you go
• Alternative or new keywords in results
— Re-run your searches
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Getting full text of journal articles
• Troubleshooting guide can be found here
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/psyaccess
• Double check library catalogue
• Copy journal title into search
• Choose ‘journal keyword’
• Find record
• Find correct date
• Go to Author’s website/institution’s repository
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Cite them right
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examples
Gives you a formatted
example to type over

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Managing your references
• 2 choices of referencing software at MDX
• Flow – simple to use, limited functionality, fine for essays
• Refworks – slightly more complex to use but more functional
• Both will allow you to import citations from databases and
both will format your reference list for you.
• Go to Psychology Library Subject Guide and find the section
on referencing
libguides.mdx.ac.uk/psy/referencing

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It’s not in the Library!
• Inter Library Loans
http://bit.ly/InterLibraryLoans
• SCONUL Access
http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/
sconul-access
• Other libraries
http://bit.ly/visitingotherlibraries

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To access the Library Subject Guide

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Need help?
- Databases
- Lit searching
- Referencing
• Psychology Library Subject Guide
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/psy
• Librarians in the StudyHub (1st floor) Monday – Friday 9-5
• John – your librarian j.iona@mdx.ac.uk

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More help
• Book onto a dissertation workshop in week 6
• Links in My learning > PSY3330
• If working on a group project try and come in
your groups
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Plenary
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