This document provides guidance on developing advanced research skills for a personal project. It outlines a session structure that includes creating a research action plan, guided literature searches, and techniques for finding and accessing relevant books and articles. The session demonstrates how to effectively search databases like RILM and QuickSearch using search tactics and keywords. It also provides tips on evaluating search results, saving searches, creating alerts, and accessing materials through other libraries. The goal is to enable students to independently conduct thorough literature searches and locate sources needed for their personal projects.

1. M-LEVEL
PERSONAL PROJECT
Helen Mason and Edith Speller
Jerwood Library of the Performing Arts

2. AIM
To help you develop advanced research skills, enabling you
to both carry out a full literature search and locate items
from references found during your search.

3. STRUCTURE OF SESSION
1. Research action plan with brainstorming exercise
2. Guided literature search
3. Finding books/articles with quiz
4. Keeping up-to-date

4. 1. RESEARCH ACTION PLAN

5. RESEARCH ACTION PLAN

6. 2. GUIDED LITERATURE SEARCH

7. QUICKSEARCH
• Find online recordings and scores of pieces
• Find research including inter-disciplinary information: e.g.
music, drama, dance, education and psychology.
• Access QuickSearch via the Library Links menu on Moodle.
From home, enter your Trinity Laban login (same as Moodle).

8. RILM ABSTRACTS OF MUSIC LITERATURE
• Indexes music research in books, journal articles, theses,
conference proceedings, etc.
• Some items are available in full text online.
• Access RILM via the Online Resources page via the Library
Links menu on Moodle. From home, enter your Trinity Laban
login (same as Moodle).

9. Example topic: What strategies
exist for teaching cello to primary
children in Britain?
Strategies – techniques – methods - tools
Teaching – education – learning - pedagogy
Cello / violoncello – could broaden to string instruments or
musical instruments
Primary children – school age – young people – infant /
junior school
Britain – UK – United Kingdom – England – Scotland – Wales
– Northern Ireland

10. SEARCH TACTICS
• At the start, use as few keywords as possible.
• Too many results? Add more keywords, use more
specific keywords or use narrowing/filtering options e.g.
Source Type, Discipline.
• Too few results? Try using broader keywords or
different ones. In QuickSearch, try unticking ‘Include
only content I can access’ for references to books and
more journals. You may want to try searching a different
resource as well.
• Always note down interesting references as you find
them, to save later frustration! In RILM and QuickSearch
you can use the folder to create a list of references, then
email, save or print them.

11. SEARCH TECHNIQUES
• Use “double quotes” around search keywords to find
that exact phrase.
• Use * to truncate a keyword, e.g. compos* finds
composer, composing, composition…
• Use Source Type and Discipline (QuickSearch only)
filters to make results more relevant to your needs.
• Use Major Topics (in RILM advanced search) to choose
your overall area of interest, then add keywords.
• Use the results you find to refine your list of keywords –
read the abstract and the assigned subject terms.

12. • Broader range of academic writing –
try it after RILM/QuickSearch
• Alternative source of full text
• ‘Cited by’ – find more recent
research that cited the research you’ve
already found.
GOOGLE SCHOLAR

13. 4. FINDING BOOKS/ARTICLES

14. IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOURCE
McHugh-Grifa, Abigail. ‘A comparative investigation of mental practice
strategies used by collegiate-level cello students’, Contributions To Music
Education. 38/1 (2011), 65-79.
Journal article.
Kratus, John. ‘The role of subversion in changing music education’, in Music
education: Navigating the future, ed. Clint Randles. New York: Routledge,
2015. 340-346.
Chapter from a book
Keithley, Erica. ‘Communicating emotion in piano performance: Nuances used
in expert and intermediate-level performances’, PhD diss., University of
Oklahoma, 2004.
Dissertation

15. Is it at another library? Look
up the journal title in Suncat.
Is it online? Look up the
article title in Google Scholar..
Is it at TL? Look up the
article title in QuickSearch,
then the journal title in
Journal Finder..
FINDING A JOURNAL ARTICLE
Image: By Alon, licensed under CC-BY-2.0. https://flic.kr/p/a4M13p

16. Is it at another library? Look
up the book title in COPAC..
Is it at TL? Look up the book
title in both library catalogues.
Is it online? Look up the
book title in Google Books..
FINDING A BOOK CHAPTER
Image: By Alon, licensed under CC-BY-2.0. https://flic.kr/p/a4M13p

17. Is it elsewhere? Ask in the
library for help!.
Is it at TL? Look up the title /
author in QuickSearch & the
library catalogue.
Is it online? Look up the title /
author in Google Scholar..
FINDING A DISSERTATION
Image: By Alon, licensed under CC-BY-2.0. https://flic.kr/p/a4M13p

18. ACCESSING OTHER LIBRARIES
• Find out which other libraries have it using:
– Suncat: a union catalogue (searches lots of
catalogues at once) for journal holdings, covering
over 100 libraries.
– COPAC: a union catalogue for books and other
materials, covering over 90 libraries in the UK.
• You can then visit the library that’s got it if you are
eligible to do so, e.g. via SCONUL Access - access to
many academic libraries with specialist collections, e.g.
Goldsmiths, UCL Institute of Education.
• Or ask us to borrow the item on Inter-Library Loan for a
small fee per article/book.

19. 3. KEEPING UP-TO-DATE

20. KEEPING UP-TO-DATE
SAVING SEARCHES
If you save searches you can return to them later and
adjust them.
• RILM/QuickSearch: Share link at top of results > Add
search to folder. Requires a free EBSCOhost account.
EMAIL ALERTS
Many databases can be set up to email you regularly when
new items match your search.
• RILM/QuickSearch: Share link at top of results > Create
an alert > Email/RSS. Requires a free EBSCOhost
account.

21. SUMMARY
You should now be able to…
• Create a research action plan, including building and
modifying a search vocabulary.
• Perform a literature search using indexes such as RILM.
• Evaluate references found for their potential use –
especially if it involves time/effort/money to access the
material.
• Know how to locate and obtain items not available
online/in the Jerwood Library.
• Save references found during searches for future use.
• Know where to get help with finding information.

22. ANY QUESTIONS?
• Contact us to make an appointment for one-to-one support
with finding material for your project.
• Email: jlpa@trinitylaban.ac.uk
• Web chat via Library catalogue or Jerwood Library Info on
Moodle
• Twitter: @jerwoodlib
• Facebook: facebook.com/jerwoodlibrary
• Blog: jerwoodlibrary.wordpress.com
• Research workbooks are available on Moodle – visit the
Jerwood Library information page under Library links. We
particularly recommend Beyond the Basics and Finding full-
text in the Online Resource Guides section.
• These slides plus links to SUNCAT, COPAC and SCONUL
Access are on your Personal Project Moodle page.