Information 
CCM3422 Dec 2014 
skills for research 
http:// unihub.mdx.ac.uk / study / library
In this workshop we will look at... 
• Developing an effective search strategy 
• Resources available and how to use them…..now 
and in the future 
• Evaluating information for quality and relevance
Coursework marking criteria 
• Abstract 5 
• Introduction 10 
• References and citations 10 
• Problem definition 10 
• Main body 50 
e.g. Detailed requirements analysis 
Evaluation of data 
Critical reflection 
• Presentation of report and quality of written English 15
Using the right information 
for your project
The right information 
• Quality or resources 
• Range of resources 
• Academic quality 
• Currency 
• Relevance 
• Correctly referenced
Find out more 
MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Subject Guides 
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/EIS
Thinking about keywords 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossjamesparker/89414788/
The real thing 
•Keywords 
•Alternative keywords 
•More specific keywords 
•Related subjects 
•Other ideas 
•Useful Resources
So far so good 
So far we’ve looked at: 
• Choosing the right resource 
• Developing a search strategy 
• Coming up with useful keywords 
Next: 
• Searching, evaluation, and looking to the future
Finding resources 
myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Summon 
Select Summon and 
search for information for 
your project
Journal Databases 
myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Databases 
Choose ‘Computing 
Science’ for a list of 
relevant journal 
databases
Summon and journal databases provide: 
• Access to quality information 
• Information not available elsewhere 
• Up-to-date 
• Focussed/specific 
• Full-text access 
• Access on/off campus 
• Personalize
Get online help using resources 
MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Subject Guides > Computing 
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/EIS
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
Is it reliable?
Evaluating information 
• Authority 
• Relevance 
• Intent 
• Objectivity 
• Currency
Referencing and Plagiarism 
myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Library Subject Guides > 
Computing > Information Skills > Referencing and Citation 
http://bit.ly/CSrefandcite
Life after Uni 
•Accessing academic information 
•Using other libraries 
•Careers advice 
•Preparing for job interviews 
•Professional associations 
•Keeping up-to-date 
•Online communities 
•Conferences 
More information: http://bit.ly/LifeafterUni
Keeping in touch 
• Blog http://satlibrarian.blogspot.com 
• Twitter http://twitter.com/SATlibrarian 
• Library Facebook Middlesex University Library 
• Library Twitter http://twitter.com/MDXLibrary
Need further help? 
Your Librarian is: 
Vanessa Hill v.hill@mdx.ac.uk 
http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/support/unihelp/

CCM3422 Dec 2014

  • 1.
    Information CCM3422 Dec2014 skills for research http:// unihub.mdx.ac.uk / study / library
  • 2.
    In this workshopwe will look at... • Developing an effective search strategy • Resources available and how to use them…..now and in the future • Evaluating information for quality and relevance
  • 3.
    Coursework marking criteria • Abstract 5 • Introduction 10 • References and citations 10 • Problem definition 10 • Main body 50 e.g. Detailed requirements analysis Evaluation of data Critical reflection • Presentation of report and quality of written English 15
  • 4.
    Using the rightinformation for your project
  • 5.
    The right information • Quality or resources • Range of resources • Academic quality • Currency • Relevance • Correctly referenced
  • 6.
    Find out more MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Subject Guides http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/EIS
  • 7.
    Thinking about keywords http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossjamesparker/89414788/
  • 8.
    The real thing •Keywords •Alternative keywords •More specific keywords •Related subjects •Other ideas •Useful Resources
  • 9.
    So far sogood So far we’ve looked at: • Choosing the right resource • Developing a search strategy • Coming up with useful keywords Next: • Searching, evaluation, and looking to the future
  • 10.
    Finding resources myUniHub> My Study > My Library > Summon Select Summon and search for information for your project
  • 11.
    Journal Databases myUniHub> My Study > My Library > Databases Choose ‘Computing Science’ for a list of relevant journal databases
  • 12.
    Summon and journaldatabases provide: • Access to quality information • Information not available elsewhere • Up-to-date • Focussed/specific • Full-text access • Access on/off campus • Personalize
  • 13.
    Get online helpusing resources MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Subject Guides > Computing http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/EIS
  • 14.
    It’s not inthe Library! • Inter Library Loans http://bit.ly/InterLibraryLoans • Sconul Access http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access • Other libraries http://bit.ly/visitingotherlibraries
  • 15.
  • 17.
    Evaluating information •Authority • Relevance • Intent • Objectivity • Currency
  • 18.
    Referencing and Plagiarism myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Library Subject Guides > Computing > Information Skills > Referencing and Citation http://bit.ly/CSrefandcite
  • 19.
    Life after Uni •Accessing academic information •Using other libraries •Careers advice •Preparing for job interviews •Professional associations •Keeping up-to-date •Online communities •Conferences More information: http://bit.ly/LifeafterUni
  • 20.
    Keeping in touch • Blog http://satlibrarian.blogspot.com • Twitter http://twitter.com/SATlibrarian • Library Facebook Middlesex University Library • Library Twitter http://twitter.com/MDXLibrary
  • 21.
    Need further help? Your Librarian is: Vanessa Hill v.hill@mdx.ac.uk http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/support/unihelp/

Editor's Notes

  • #2  Welcome and intros.
  • #3 How to develop an effective search strategy when you need to find information for an essay or project The range of resources available and how to use them to find good quality and relevant information for your essay/project……now and in the future once you leave MDX Evaluating information for quality and relevance Research from Uni of Huddersfield shows that correlation between library usage and good grades.
  • #4 With reference to coursework marking criteria, discuss how using library resources can enhance project marks.
  • #5 Hand out Reference game: Imagine that you are a lecturer teaching on a computer security module.   You have asked your students to write a report on Computer Security and Malware.   You will award 15% of the total marks for a list of quality references, which are both relevant and correctly given using the Harvard Referencing System. (The other marks will be awarded for content and style).   Look at the 3 reference lists that you have been given, and award a mark out of 5 for each list under the 3 headings (marking criteria): 1 = low mark 5= high mark.
  • #6 List 1 All items relevant Good range of resources: British Standards, encyclopaedia, conference proceedings, academic journals, books Academic quality: reputable sources eg. BSI, Britannica, IEEE....peer reviewed etc Up-to-date Correctly referenced: a couple of mistakes List 2 Some items relevant, some not eg. newspaper article Limited range of resources: mainly websites Academic quality: poor academic quality- local newspapers, wikipedia, webopedia etc Not Up-to-date eg. book 1985 Correctly referenced: Badly referenced eg. don’t know when accessed electronic resources, no publisher details for the book List 3 All items relevant Good range of resources: reasonable range of academic resources eg. academic journal, books, conference proceeding Academic quality: reputable sources eg. IEEE Up-to-date: older edition of Gollman book, article 2004, other books quite old Correctly referenced: a couple of mistakes ie. don’t know when eresources accessed
  • #7 More information about the range of resources available on the Library Subject Guide plus useful online guides eg. how to find information for your project.
  • #8 Whole group exercise: What can you see in the picture…fruit If type ‘fruit’ into database will get millions of hits, how can you break it down ie. search for something more specific to get more manageable results Can you be more specific ie. Type of fruit: apples, oranges, bananas etc Location: Stall, market, outdoor market, fruit market, Britain Detail: boxes, signs, astroturf, prices, colour of fruit, lights, pound £ signs, special offer etc People in background: old, young, male, female > stall holder, customers, browsers etc Think of related subjects eg. retail, commercial, financial, point-of-sale Shopping, shops, fish/meat/clothes market, shopping centres, high street Town, city, centre, British town Nutrition: vits and mins Also: Orange or Blackberry: fruit NOT telephone Apple: fruit NOT computer Thinking beyond the obvious, looking for the detail that might make a difference.
  • #10 Next……….. Searching, evaluation, and looking to the future
  • #11 Need to carry out a literature review: Finding the information available on a subject Finding information to inform, underpin and shape your research Finding what has already been written on a subject Analyzing, evaluating and making judgements about the info found Identifying the main trends Finding appropriate information: the information needs to be suitable for your need ie. right level, current if important, sufficient breadth or detail etc Explain to students what Summon is. Go to UniHub > Login in to MyUniHub > My Study > My Library > Summon Ask students to search for information for their project. Remember to use some of the keywords that we have discussed.
  • #12 Students can also search individual databases. Select ‘Computing science’ for a list of subject specific resources.
  • #13 CS £1397 IEEE Xplore £61,000 Summon £16k Access to quality academic information eg. Peer reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings , research etc Information not available elsewhere Up-to-date Focussed/specific....not designed to sell you things, search results not sponsored Full-text access Access on/off campus Personalize eg. In MyEBSCO, once signerd up you can: Save preferences Organise research within folders Share folders Save search history Create email alerts/Rss feeds for searches and subjects Can provide citation and journal impact info > more info on next slide
  • #14 Lots of useful online guides eg. How to find books How to find information for your project Accessing journal databases etc
  • #15 Inter Library Loan service: request copies of books and journals not held by MDX. £3 charge. Register as DL first. More info on our website. SCONUL Access http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/ The SCONUL Access Scheme provides reciprocal access and borrowing rights for staff and students to approximately 170 member institutions in the UK. Apply online. Other libraries (specialist, catalogues etc): British Library http://www.bl.uk/ COPAC http://copac.ac.uk/ COPAC is a union catalogue that gives access to the merged online catalogues of members of the Consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL). Twenty  major university libraries currently contribute to COPAC. Search25 http://www.search25.ac.uk/: helps you discover library resources across London and the South East. You can also see where the libraries are and find out how to visit them. SUNCAT http://www.suncat.ac.uk/ SUNCAT, a union catalogue of serials (periodicals) for the UK, is a tool for locating serials held in UK libraries.
  • #16 Lee Harvey Oswald shot by Jack Ruby Nov 1963 Information can be manipulated....need to make sure it is reliable. How do you decide if the information is reliable....what criteria? Hand out Criteria Game.
  • #17 Hand out ‘Evaluation criteria’ game. Imagine you have searched for information for your current project. Decide what criteria you think are important, not important or very important.
  • #18 Take feedback and discuss. Authority : Who is the author? What is their knowledge base/qualifications? How have they carried out their research? Relevance : Is this what I need? Will it answer my question? Is it at the right level? Intent : What is the purpose of information e.g. financial gain, propaganda, academic etc? Objectivity : Balanced view? Opposing views represented? Links to supporting information? Currency: How old is this information? When was it last updated and by whom?
  • #20 Accessing academic information: once you leave you won’t be able to access our full-text e-books and e-journals, but you can still search Summon and our library catalogue and get information from other sources Using other libraries: British Library and specialist libraries in London Careers advice: careers advice available from the Uni Preparing for job interviews: we have a number of databases which you can use (before you leave) which can help you find company information to impress potential new employers Professional associations: The Library subscribes to several online resources provided by professional organisations, which provide academic quality information. By taking out a personal subscription to a professional organisation, it is possible to maintain partial access to key information sources, as well as professional support and development. Keeping up-to-date: Journal databases:Create email alerts/RSS feeds for searches and subjects Table of Contents Alerts: Zetoc , CituLike, TicToc Google Alerts: Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.), based on your queries. Simply enter a subject that you wish to monitor and you will be sent regular updates. Blogs: Use Blogsearch to find blogs and blog posts for your subject Online communities: Online communities are a useful tool for professionals to keep up-to-date with the latest news, trends, tools, techniques, as well as sharing best practice and advice. Conferences: Attending conferences is a good way to find the latest information, make contacts with the leading authorities and vendors in the industry, as well as being an opportunity to network with your peers. More information: http://bit.ly/LifeafterUni