3. For me, the hardest part
of research is…
a. Getting started
b. Finding relevant information
c. Writing the paper
d. Citing sources
e. None – research is easy
4.
5. Outline for Today
• Research is Inquiry
• Determining Authority
• Principles of Good Searching
• BREAK
• Finding articles & statistics
• Citing sources
7. Research is an open-
ended exploration and
engagement with
information
Anxiety is normal!
Be open-minded—seek
divergent perspectives
and information that
challenges your beliefs,
and be skeptical
Curiosity Rover Self-Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems. Public Domain.
8. A literature review is part of the published
work referencing related research, theory,
and background information
A review of the literature (literature search)
may be conducted to…
◦ understand a topic
◦ help you form a problem statement
◦ provide confirmation of an already
existing hypothesis
◦ analyze and interpret your own data
◦ gain exposure to past, current, and
ongoing research about a subject you are
exploring for research of your own
Reviewing literature
9. Primary, secondary, and tertiary
sources
•Primary sources are the “raw
material” or first-hand
evidence
•Secondary sources describe
and interpret information
from primary sources
•Tertiary sources compile and
summarize primary and
secondary sources
Art and Picture Collection, The New
York Public Library. (1883). The Arrest.
10. Data vs. Statistics: What’s the
difference?
DATA
Collected as part of a study
CSV or Excel files, text, XML,
databases
Contain individual observations
Come with documentation to
understand
Often require preparation (also called
“cleaning”)
Used as the “raw ingredients” for
generating statistics
STATISTICS
Results of data analysis
Tables, charts, maps, graphs
May describe what the data shows
◦ Frequency
◦ Mean
◦ Median
May go beyond the immediate data
to find inferences
◦ Regression
◦ Analysis of variance
13. Section 2:
Determining
Authority
Benito Mussolini. Public domain image retrieved from Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division,
Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives collection.
14. Authority is constructed and
contextual
“Authority” is a type of influence
recognized or exerted in a community
Disciplines have acknowledged
authorities—scholars, publications &
processes
Approach all information
(“authoritative” or not) with informed
skepticism.
15. What are some indicators you can
use to help determine if
information is valid?
CRAAP: Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
Craps table image courtesy Lisa Brewster on Flickr.
Licensed under CC-BY-SA
16. What is peer review?
A process for establishing authority of
scholarly research
Experts review the original ideas to
certify the accuracy, validity, and value
of the results
Chubin, D. E., & Hackett, E. J. (2005). Peer Review. In C. Mitcham (Ed.),
Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (Vol. 3, pp. 1390-1394).
Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved from
http://libproxy.uhcl.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id
=GALE%7CCX3434900491&v=2.1&u=txshracd2589&it=r&p=GVRL&sw
=w&asid=67e06d81c0d758521a67ba637722e45c
18. Author credentials (usually
universities; sometimes
industry or government)
Journal information (name, volume, issue, year)
Abstract
Literature Review
Methodology
Anatomy of a scholarly article
Tables and/or graphs
19. Establishing the validity of
data is a bit trickier
• Data are not typically “peer reviewed”—most
journals do not require researchers to submit the
full dataset
• Apply the CRAAP test
• Review the research methodology
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Data interpretation
20. When interpreting statistics,
consider:
What is your research question or topic?
What is being measured (the unit of observation)?
◦ Individual? Family? Household? Race? Nation? World?
◦ Pay attention to the unit of measurement
What is the space? Are you comparing geographic areas?
◦ County? State? World?
What is the time period?
◦ 10 years ago? Today? Snapshot vs. across time (“longitudinal”)? Future?
21. Section 3: Principles
of good searching
On the Scent. Image licensed CC-BY on Flickr by stephen bowler.
22. • Determine your research question1
• Identify the key concepts2
• List alternate keywords, synonyms, and related words3
• Join terms and concepts with appropriate Boolean
operators4
• Make use of database’s limiters & suggested subject
terms5
• Organize and cite your sources6
Search Process
23. One
• What are some factors that play a role in shaping
teenagers’ attitudes toward police officers?
Two
• How do socio-economic status, neighborhood crime,
education level, and previous interactions with police
officers shape teenagers’ attitudes toward police officers?
Three
• What is the influence of individual teenagers’ past contact
with police officers on their attitudes toward police?
1. Determine your research question
24. 2. Identify the key concepts
Teenagers
Police
Attitudes
Police contact
What is the influence of individual
teenagers’ past contact with police
officers on their attitudes toward police?
35. Using a wildcard (*) will find a
larger number of results
interrogate
interrogates
interrogating
interrogation
interrogator
interrogators
interrogat* *
36. • State your research topic1
• Identify the key concepts2
• List alternate keywords, synonyms, and related words3
• Join terms and concepts with appropriate Boolean
operators4
• Make use of database’s limiters & suggested subject
terms5
• Organize and cite your sources6
Search Strategies
37. Breaktime
Please be back in 10
minutes
Image courtesy Archives and Special Collections at the University of Montana, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
41. What are some sources of
scholarly information?
Books
Reference works
Peer-reviewed journal articles
Gray literature
Reports (government,
non-governmental organizations)
Theses & dissertations
Conference proceedings
Archival resources
Research Data & Statistics
Portrait of a Scholar – Rembrandt
Public Domain Image courtesy Wikimedia
42.
43. Three
• What is the influence of individual teenagers’ past
contact with police officers on their attitudes toward
police?
Access a Criminology database (Criminal Justice
Abstracts or Criminology: SAGE Journals) to find an
article related to the following research question:
Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
44. Sources for statistics
Studies & research reports by non-governmental
organizations
Official statistics collected by the government
Polling organizations
Peer reviewed journal articles
Data repositories
Textbooks & encyclopedias
Newspapers & magazines (both print and online)
45. Which state executed the most
prisoners in the last 35 years
(1977-2011)?
Colorado
Virginia
Oklahoma
Florida
Texas
Jury designed by Luis Prado from the Noun Project
46. Which state executed the most
prisoners in the last 35 years
(1977-2011)?
• Texas – 477
• Florida - 71
• Oklahoma - 96
• Virginia - 109
• Colorado - 1
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics
Retrieved from Statistical Abstract of the
United States
Link
47. To connect to library
databases from home
Log in using your UHCL ID and last name
Log in using your eservice account
Call the library and ask for a password
Google it
Log in using your Library barcode and last name
49. Dissect this citation
Carr, P. J., Napolitano, L., & Keating, J. (2007). We
never call the cops and here is why: A qualitative
examination of legal cynicism in three Philadelphia
neighborhoods. Criminology, 45(2), 445-480. doi:
10.1111/j.1745-9125.2007.00084.x
What is the…
Journal name
Volume number
Issue number
Authors
Article title
Page number range
Year of publication
DOI