Economics Library Tutorial

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Economics Library Tutorial

• Conducted by
• Lim-Yeo Pin Pin
• Dip IM Lib UNSW, B Soc Sc Hons NUS
• Reference Information Services Dept
• Central Library

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Objective

• To save your time
• To show you how and where to start your research
• To improve your research methods
• To show you advanced features of LINC

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Outline

• Doing Research
• Using LINC
• Using indexes
• Using other materials
• Conclusion

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Doing Research

• Select topic
• Get an overview of topic
• Do an outline for the different sections
• Search for materials on topic or section
• Read and understand materials
• Start writing

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Tips for Doing Research

• Be patient
• Be systematic
• Record the full details of citations
• Write clearly

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Search Strategy

• Search for materials
• - Articles (journals, newspapers)
• Books
• Facts (Statistics)

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How government policy affects fertility
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How government policy affects fertility
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Search statement
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Search Statement

• (fertility OR birth) AND (policy OR planning)
• Boolean operators
• AND is used to indicate that both terms must be
  present
• OR is used to indicate that either terms may be
  present
• NOT is used to indicate that one term must not be
  present

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Sources of Information

• Newspapers
• Current Contents
• Conference papers
• Journal articles
• Books
• Journal articles

• Current
• Last week
• Last month
• Last year
• Retrospective
• Last 10 years

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Search for Information
Type of Materials
What to use

• Library Catalogue
• LINC

• Books
• Journals
• Conference Proceedings

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LINC

• LINC Library INtegrated Catalogue
• LINC is available
• in all the NUS Libraries
• on NUSNET
• on the Web
• http//linc.nus.edu.sg

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LINC how to search
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LINC how to search
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LINC

• Theses call number
• Economics
• HD30 2000 18
• Business Administration
• HF345 1999 5

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LINC Demonstration

• http//linc.nus.edu.sg/

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What you can do in LINC

• Search for materials held in the library
• Request (reservation) for items
• Due, Request Item, In process, At binding, On
  order
• Renew books on loan to you
• Twice per item only
• View your library record for checked-out items,
  requested items or library fines
• Get help with using LINC

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Loan Entitlement

• Main shelves or closed stacks books
• 15 books for 28 days
• Bound periodicals or closed stacks periodicals
• bound journals for 1 day
• RBR materials
• 2 hours or overnight
• Renew online twice

Fines for overdue books
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Rate of Fines

• Materials
• RBR
• Main Shelves book
• Closed Stacks book
• Bound periodical
• Closed Stacks periodical

• Rate
• 1.00 per hour
• 0.50 per day
• 1.00 per day

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Search for Information
Type of Materials
What to use

• Indexes Abstracts
• Digital Library
• CD-ROM
• Printed

• Chapters in Books
• Journal Article
• Conference papers

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Indexes Abstracts

• Identify articles in journals, papers in
  conference proceedings, chapters in books,
  depending on the scope.
• Gives bibliographic citation of item.
• Abstracts give summary of item.
• Covers hundreds of journals

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Indexes Abstracts

• EconLit

• TI Asia's Family Planning Programs as Low
  Fertility Is Attained
• AU Jones,-Gavin Leete,-Richard
• SO Studies-in-Family-Planning 33(1), March
  2002, pages 114-26.
• AB The dramatic demographic changes in Asia
  during the three decades from 1970 to the end of
  the twentieth century were matched by major
  changes in government population policies and
  programs. Fertility declines occurred in widely
  different economic, sociocultural, and political
  settings.

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Indexes Abstracts Formats

• Databases on Web
• Digital Library
• http//www.lib.nus.edu.sg/digital/
• CD-ROMs on standalone PCs in Library
• Borrow from Information Desk

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Web index databases for Economics

• EconLit (Economic Literature)
• Bibliography of Asian Studies
• EAI (Expanded Academic Index)
• International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
• SSCI (Social Sciences Citation Index)
• Social Science Abstracts
• ABI/Inform Complete
• Perind
• Factiva
• Current Contents Connect

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CD-ROMs for Economics

• PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service)
• ASSIA (Applied Social Sciences Index Abstracts)
• Geobase
• Transport

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Full text for Economics

• ABI/Inform Complete
• EIU Viewswire Asia
• Ejournals
• Ebooks

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Steps in using Indexes

• Determine most appropriate indexes to use
• Use search statement
• Search again using subject headings, identifiers
  found in relevant records
• Mark and download relevant records
• Check if available in library

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Index Demonstration
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Evaluate Search

• Too many records
• use AND to narrow search
• Too few records
• use OR to broaden search
• Many irrelevant records
• use AND to narrow search
• No records
• use more general terms
• reduce number of terms used
• refocus search

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Statistical Data

• IFS (International Financial Statistics)
• ISY (International Statistical Yearbook)
• STC (Singapore Trade Connection)
• EIU Country Data (via Digital Library)
• Global Development Finance
• Source OECD (via Digital Library)
• World Data

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TREND

• For time series data on Singapore in Excel format
• Data is the same as those published in
  publications like Yearbook of Statistics or
  Economic Survey
• Example of data available GDP, GNP, CPF
  contributions withdrawals, Interest rates.
• Fill TREND request form, get supervisors
  heads signature, submit form to Information
  Desk in Central Library

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Encyclopaedias

• Provides outline or overview
• Includes definitions explanations
• Includes bibliography for further reading
• Short cut for gathering background information

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Encyclopaedias example

• The Encyclopedia of statistical sciences. 1982-88.

Fertility measurement In demography, the word
fertility is used to refer to the study of actual
births. Fertility can be studies either as a
function of marriage or independently... Bibliogra
phy Bogue, D.L. (1972). Demographic techniques of
fertility analysis. Chicago University of
Chicago. Levels and trends of fertility
throughout the world, 1950-70. (1977). UN
Population Studies No.59
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Directories

• Provides name, address, contact number
• For organisations, may include brief description
  of functions, products services, publications

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Directories example

• Encyclopedia of Associations. 35th ed. 2000.

American Economic Association Address 2014
Broadway, Ste 305, Nasville TN 37203 Phone (615)
322-2595 Founded 1885. Encourages historical and
statistical research into actual conditions of
industrial life and provides a non-partisan forum
for economic research discussion,
... Publications American Economic Review,
quarterly. Journal of Economic Perspectives,
quarterly...
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Press Clippings

• In-house collection of newspaper articles from
  The Straits Times and Business Times
• Articles about Singapore, Malaysia, ASEAN
• Articles grouped by broad headings
• Economic conditions
• Labour
• Public finance
• Transport communications

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Factiva Academic Universe

• Access over 8,000 full-text sources including
  newspapers (local and international), newswires
  and trade journals
• Includes The Straits Times, Business Times and
  Bangkok Post
• Accessible to NUS students staff on Digital
  Library

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Factiva
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Digital Library
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Exam Papers on the Web
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Access to NUSNET

• To access Exam Papers and Digital Library
  databases you must be logged in to NUSNET
• To access NUSNET on campus, use terminals in
  computer clusters
• To access NUSNET from home, check with Computer
  Centre User Support
• http//www.dialup.nus.edu.sg/
• http//www.nus.edu.sg/vpn/

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Materials NOT in the library

• Use another library which has the item
• Check whether other libraries have the item
  through their OPAC
• Call the other library for permission
  procedures
• Via Digital Library Electronic Forms
• Request the Library to buy
• Borrow from the local or overseas libraries
  (inter-library loan)
• Obtain photocopy from local or overseas libraries
  (document delivery)
• All requests must be signed by the lecturer or
  supervisor

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Citing Style Manuals

• Chicago manual of style the essential guide for
  writers, editors and publishers. 14th ed.
  Chicago University of Chicago Press, 1993.
• Turabian, Kate L. A manual for writers of term
  papers, theses and dissertations. 6th ed.
  Chicago University of Chicago Press, 1996.
• LION How to cite references
• http//www.lib.nus.edu.sg/lion/s/citation.html

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Citing Book
Book title
Author/Editor

• Low, Linda. 2002. Rethinking the Singapore
  development state and growth model. Singapore
  Faculty of Business Administration, National
  University of Singapore.

Publication details
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Citing Conference Paper
Author
Conference paper title
Conference title

• Abeysighe, Tiilak. 1993. A small-scale model to
  forecast GDP growth of Singapore. In Workshop on
  Economic Forecasting. 10 February 1993,
  Singapore. Singapore National University of
  Singapore, Dept of Economics Statistics,
  Econometrics Studies Unit.

Publication details
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Citing Journal Article
Author of article
Article title

• Kalirajan, K.P. and Shantakumar, G.1998. Ageing
  Labour Force in a Labour Shortage Economy The
  Case ofSingapore. International Journal of
  Social Economics 25(2) 486-503

Journal title
Volume, issue, page no
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Why Cite?

• To help readers verify your claims
• To lend support to arguments by referring to
  authoritative sources
• To acknowledge intellectual debt
• To show the research done

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Tips for Literature Search

• Be patient
• Be systematic
• Record the full details of citations
• Write clearly
• Ask librarian for help if you have problems

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Evaluate Results

• Authority
• Author
• Publisher
• Accuracy
• Factual
• References
• Objectivity Purpose
• Biased
• Scholarly

• Review process
• Peer reviewed
• Frequently cited
• Suitability
• Information required
• Language
• Timeliness
• Date
• Period covered

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Library Instruction Online

• http//www.lib.nus.edu.sg/lion/

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Student Advisory Service

• Personal help for your thesis topic
• Help with using indexes
• Help with sources of information

Email clblimpp_at_nus.edu.sg