Library Research In Education: AdvancedJennifer Thiessen, Liaison Librarian, EducationFall 2013

Possibilities: • Look at Handbooks/Encyclopedias/Review

articles• Find articles/books from reference lists• Use advanced search features in databases• Search for articles using a particular research

methodology• Create search alerts• Make better use of Google Scholar• Find cited references• Determine whether a journal is peer-reviewed• Use RefWorks to save and organize references

Tell me what you want to know…

Handbooks, encyclopedias, etc.• Why?• Background info/definitions • Overview of theories and authors• Key researchers and issues• Find keywords (for searching)

Encyclopedias

• Great background and overview

• Key issues, etc.

References…• Find one of the following:

How to find handbooks, etc.

• Use keyword search or THESAURUS to find subjects/descriptors

Advanced database searching

Use the thesaurus• Find better or more terms

Finding studies that use a particular research design• Try adding “literature review”• you will see examples of lit reviews, plus get an overview of some

aspect of your topic• Or “narrative” or “quantitative” etc.

Search alerts

Journal alerts• Set up in database like

Education Research Complete

• Or set up from publisher/journal website

Google Scholar

• Some databases have “Cited by” info

Peer-reviewed?• Characteristics of peer-reviewed articles• Not sure? Check Ulrichsweb (available through the database

list on the Library website)

For more info and help…• Graduate Education Research Guide• http://researchguides.library.brocku.ca/EDUCGraduate

• Jennifer Thiessen• jthiessen@brocku.ca• Ext. 3573