This document outlines a library training session for geography students on advanced research skills. It covers developing effective search strategies, identifying relevant information sources, evaluating resources, accessing materials, and properly citing and referencing sources. Students are encouraged to apply these skills to their dissertation projects. The session also promotes an information literacy award for applying these skills in graded coursework.

1. Library
Library & InformationTraining for
Geographers:
Advanced Research Skills for
Projects and Dissertations
http://libguides.rhul.ac.uk/geography
Autumn 2018
Emma Burnett

2. Library
Session Outline
• Information LiteracyAward
• Refresher quiz
• Developing a search strategy
• Searching information sources – hints & tips
• Citation and referencing
• Options for accessing resources

3. Library
Information Literacy
• These are skills you’re already using in your academic work
• Not just for University but for:
Employability
Lifelong learning
Politics
Fake news
Online scams
Filter Bubbles
“Information literacy is the ability to think critically and make balanced
judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to
reach and express informed views and to engage fully with society.”
CILIP, 2018

4. Library
Information Literacy Award!
• Get rewarded for using your information skills in your essays
• Eligible essays are those submitted for this year’s Geography courses (GG2***) that are graded at 65% or
more.
• One entry per student.
• Submit your application by 5pm,Wednesday 1st May 2019.
• 3 questions, 250 words for each answer:
1. Finding and identifying resources: Describe strategies that you used to search for relevant resources for
your essay.
2. Evaluating andAnalysing resources: Describe strategies that you used to select the relevant types of
resources for this essay and explain how this may have influenced your decision to use them.
3. Library Services used: How did you use library services and/or library resources for this essay?
http://libguides.rhul.ac.uk/Geography/ilaward

5. Library
Developing a search strategy
Pick out
the key
words in
your topic
Find
alternative
terms
Identify
good
sources of
information
Combine
your key
words
Locate
texts
Read

6. Library
My dissertation topic/question:
What do I want to find out?
Information Literacy Award: Finding and identifying resources

7. Library
Keywords and AlternativeTerms
Synonyms: different words with the same meaning
Acronyms: this is where your keywords can be condensed into a set of
capital letters e.g. Geographic Information System or GIS
Alternative Spellings:Try UK and US spellings
Alternative & Related terms: e.g. earthquake tsunami, earth tremor,
seismic waves, aftershock
InternationalTerms: e.g. hurricane, typhoon, cyclone
Changing terminology: e.g. climate change, global warming, greenhouse
effect

8. Library
Analysing your query - an example
Finding information on: ‘population trends in Fiji’
Main aspects Alternative terms
1. population trends demographics, statistics or
data
2. Fiji South Pacific, southern
hemisphere, Oceania

9. Library
Ways you can limit your search
Date: do you only want items published after a certain date?
Language: do you only want references in English?
Geography: Do you want information about a specific place or
published in a particular country
Type of publication: are you looking for journal articles, books,
theses?This might influence your choice of database

10. Library
Now that I know what I want to find out:
What resources would I use?
Information Literacy Award: Finding and identifying resources
Information Literacy Award: Using Library Services

11. Library
Selecting information sources
• http://libguides.rhul.ac.uk/Geography
• Reference resources e.g. Credo Reference, Encyclopedia
Britannica, Oxford Bibliographies Online (good starting points)
• Online databases e.g. JSTOR, Project Muse, GeoRef,Web of
Knowledge/Science
• LibrarySearch
• Senate house library catalogue
• Other internet resources

12. Library
Now that I know what I want to find out
& where to find the resources:
How do I search for information on
my topic?
Information Literacy Award: Finding and identifying resources

13. Library
Combining Keywords
https://youtu.be/mRSjFaMVSe8
AND – narrows results by returning results
with both terms listed as keywords
OR – broadens results by returning results
with either term listed as keywords
NOT – narrows results by returning results
with only one term listed as a keyword

14. Library
Wildcard and phrase searching – hints & tips
Use phrase searching (“”) to search for words that
should appear together e.g. “population trends”
Use wildcard characters ($ ? * -) to replace letters in
search terms
Examples
popul* - finds populous, population, etc.
wom*n - finds women, woman.
organi?ation - finds organisation, organization
NB: Help pages in online databases will explain which character is
used as the wildcard

15. Library
Now that I’ve searched:
How do I access the material I find?
Information Literacy Award: Using library services

16. Library
Accessing material via the Library
Books
• Check LibrarySearch to see if we have copies
Journal articles
• LibrarySearch default is full text only
• Some databases will provide some/all articles as full text (some will let you
refine your search to full text only)
• Some services will link you to LibrarySearch via “Find It @RHUL” – you may
find we don’t have full text access. If this is the case, don’t panic and never
pay for an article.

17. Library
Solutions to common issues with accessing resources
CampusAnywhere (VPN)
Senate House Library
Suggest a book!
Use other libraries Inter-Library Loans

18. Library
Now that I have found information on
my topic:
How do I know whether to use it for
my dissertation?
Information Literacy Award: Evaluating and Analysing resources

19. Library
Evaluating Information
Authority
• Who is the author? Has the work been peer-reviewed or edited?
Accuracy
• Is there a reference list?
Objectivity
• Is the information biased? What is its purpose?Who is it aimed at?
Date
• When was the information created/updated? Is it well-maintained?
Coverage
• Is the information too basic? Too advanced
Presentation on evaluating information

20. Library
Reviewing your research
Do you have
enough / too
much
information?
Is it relevant to
your research?
Does it answer
the whole
question?
Is the
information
current / within
the date you
require
Do you need to
review your
underlying
research
question?

21. Library
Now that I have the information (books,
chapters, journal articles, webpages
etc.) that I need:
How do I manage & reference them?
Information Literacy Award: Using library services

22. Library
Selecting & saving results & full text
Most databases allow you to:
• Select and save results to a folder
• Save, download or email results to yourself
• Save search ‘history’ & re-run them
Always make a note of your search queries and which
database you used.

23. Library
Citation and referencing
• Acknowledge the author of the source
• Enable the item to be traced
• Evidence of scope and depth of your research
• Reference style – the layout & format of your
bibliography

24. Library
RefWorks
• Bibliographic management software
• Capture, save and organise references
• Access it via the Databases A-Z list
• Contains online self-help tutorials
Library RefWorks sessions:
http://libguides.rhul.ac.uk/training

25. Library
Further help & support
Attend a practical session thisThursday: 11am, 12 noon, 2pm, 3pm.
Emma Burnett, Information Consultant for Geography
emma.burnett@royalholloway.ac.uk
and see the subject guide http://libguides.rhul.ac.uk/Geography
Further information can also be found on the Library website
www.royalholloway.ac.uk/library
Information Literacy Award: Using library services