How to search for literature

1. Finding literature
The Basics
ECO1010F/ECO1110F
March 2019

2. Agenda
● Finding literature
○ Types of literature
○ Where to search for literature
○ How to search effectively/Tips for searching
○ Evaluating internet resources

3. Main types of resources
Type Provides access to…
Reference materials (e.g. dictionaries
& encyclopedias)
Concise and authoritative information on a subject. A good place to
start when working on an unfamiliar topic. Give definitions and an
overview of a subject
Books
(textbooks, monographs)
In-depth and broad examination of a topic.
Journals Scholarly articles from authoritative sources. Most have been
checked (peer-reviewed) by academic scholars in their respective
fields.
Newspapers News and analysis, hot topics, editorial reviews, historical news

4. Popular vs academic/scholarly literature
Popular Academic/Scholarly
General interest stories Articles contain original research
Written by non-specialists using general &
popular language
Written by experts in the field - technical,
subject-specific jargon
For general readership Specialist readership - academics,
researchers, students
Not peer-reviewed Usually go through peer-review
Rarely include references Well researched with full references

5. Where to search for literature?

6. The web (Google) vs library resources
The Web (Google) Primo, Databases
Authority Difficult to verify. Anybody can
publish on the web.
Most are peer-reviewed. Authority &
trustworthiness guaranteed.
Relevance Lack of subject focus can
result in numerous
irrelevant hits – or “junk”
Usually focus by subject - more
relevant information & less junk.
Number of hits 1000’s, sometimes millions of
hits
Dozens to hundreds of hits
(sometimes 1000’s
but not 100’s of 1000’s)
Search
features
Often limited ways to narrow a
broad search into a specific
subject area.
Numerous ways to expand or narrow
searches e.g., limiting by publication
type, date, subject, scholarly/peer-
reviewed status.

7. What is Primo?
• One-stop search tool
• Search across several UCT’s resources (books, multimedia, journals, thesis
etc.) in one search
• Search in many databases at the same time
• “Quick and dirty” search

8. Databases
● Database - An electronic collection of information from published works
○ Articles in journals, magazines, newspapers (majority)
○ Books, book chapters
○ Reference information (entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries etc.)
○ Videos and audio files

9. Some databases you can use for this essay
● EbscoHost
○ Academic Source Premier
○ Business Source Premier
○ AfricaWide Information
○ EconLit
● Google Scholar

10. How to access library resources www.lib.uct.ac.za
Primo
● On campus
○ Good practise to sign in to Primo
● Off campus
○ Go to Primo to sign in
Databases
● On campus
○ No need to sign in
● Off campus
○ Sign in at “Off-campus Login”

11. How to search effectively/Smart searching
Tip 1: Identify keywords/search terms (key concepts)
● Economic experiments
● Public goods games
● Ultimatum games
Economic issues e.g.
● Income inequality
● Land distribution

12. How to search effectively/Smart searching
Tip 2: Use Boolean operators to combine search terms
AND - all terms included in results
OR - either one of, or both terms included in results
NOT - exclude a specific term from results

13. Use Boolean operators to make search statements
● Both terms included in results
● Narrows search
● Smaller and more specific set of
results
AND
● Either one of, or both terms included
in results
● Broadens search results
OR

14. How to search effectively/Smart searching
Tip 3: Phrase searching
Public goods games
vs
“Public goods games”
“Quotation marks” around words searches for the words in that exact
phrase sequence.

15. How to search effectively/Smart searching
Tip 4: Use filters to refine your results

16. How to search effectively/Smart searching
Tip 5: Determine article relevance before reading
●Title
●Look at the subjects assigned
●Read abstract
●Look at section headings
●Look at graphs and tables
●Read the conclusion

17. Let’s search
Primo

18. Let’s search
EbscoHost
Remember: Off-campus login when not on the UCT network

19. To access UCT content via Google Scholar - use Databases by platform

20. To access UCT content via Google Scholar - use Databases by platform

21. To access UCT content via Google Scholar - use Databases by platform

22. Evaluating sources - CRAAP test
Currency the timeliness of the information. When was information created or last updated?
Relevance provide info you need - appropriate level, intended audience?
Authority who is the author, credentials, affiliation, URL .com .ac .edu .org .gov?
Accuracy reliability, correctness - spelling, grammar, can information be verified e.g. statistics?
Purpose objective of site, inform, teach, sell, persuade. Bias?

23. Takeaways
● www.lib.uct.ac.za
● Off campus login/Sign in
● Economics Librarian maureen.chiware@uct.ac.za