SC2101 Methods of Social Research Tutorial

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SC2101 Methods of Social Research Tutorial
Searching Sociological Abstracts
Presented by Hayati Abdul Information
Services NUS Libraries clbha_at_nus.edu.sg
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Objectives

• To help you
• Search Sociological Abstracts effectively
• Search LINC, the Library catalogue
• Access resources and services via the Library
  portal

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Outline

• Getting started
• Build your search
• Understand and use your results
• Citation styles
• Hands-on session
• Sociological Abstracts
• LINC

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What is Sociological Abstracts?

• It is a primary resource for accessing the latest
  research in Sociology and related disciplines
• It provides abstracts of
• journal articles, books, book chapters,
  dissertations, conference papers book reviews
• Producer CSA Illumina, Bethesda Maryland
• Dates of coverage 1952-present
• Sociological Abstracts can be accessed from CSA
  Illumina homepage by
• selecting Sociological Abstracts, then click on
  Continue to search

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Getting started from Library portal

• Several ways to access Sociological Abstracts
  from Library portal
• 1. Set your Preferences
• 2. Under E-Resources, select Databases gt Browse
  Databases by Subject gt Sociology Social Work gt
  Sociological Abstracts
• 3. Under Search for Database/E-Journal/E-Book
  Title, enter Sociological Abstracts click
  Search

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Build your search

• What information are you looking for?
• Identify general concepts
• Ask yourself these questions
• What general terms relate to your search?
• eg. Blogging and identity
• (Bloggers or blogs or blogging) AND identity
• Are you looking for
• specific authors works?
• specific journals?

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Refine or broaden your search Boolean Operators

• Use AND to combine terms
• Use OR to broaden search
• find synonyms, alternate
• spellings
• Use NOT to narrow search
• casino gambling NOT internet gambling

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Refine or broaden search Wildcard symbols

• Asterisk is used for
• Truncation to retrieve all terms with only part
  of the word specified
• global retrieves global, globally,
  globalisation, globalization
• Multi-character wildcard for finding alternative
  spellings
• behavir retrieves behaviour or behavior

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Lets search the following topic
blog and identity
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Quick Search Single Terms
Enter terms in search box
Click Search Tips for help
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View Results
Results listed by publication types
Sort options
View record
Look for searched terms
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View Record
Mark record
Save, print, email
month
year
pages
journal title
vol issue no
Look for searched terms
Read abstract
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Save, Print, Email QuickBib
Use marked records or specify records
Select format
Add comments
Choose MS Word
Click to create bib
Select ASA citation style
Email
Save
Print
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Bibliography created from QuickBib
Save, print, email
Check references for accuracy
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Check LINC for full-text
Search journal title
Limit to journals collection
Click for e-version
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Access E-version of article
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Check LINC for journal print copy
Search journal title
Limit to journals collection
For hard copies, either Specify volume or
year. or click View additional copies
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Lets search the following topic (phrases)
life stage transitions and young adults
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Quick Search Combining Phrases
Enter phrases in search box
Click Search Tips for help
Can limit by date range
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View Search Results
Results listed by publication types
Sort by relevance
Mark records
View record
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View Record
month
year
pages
journal title
vol. issue no
Read abstract
Look for searched terms
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Save, Print, Email QuickBib
Use marked records or specify records
Select format
Add comments
Choose MS Word
Select ASA citation style
Create bib
Email
Save
Print
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Create a Bibliography using QuickBib
Save, print, email
Check references for accuracy
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Check LINC for full-text
Search journal title
Click for e-version
Print copies
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Access E-journal article
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Lets search the following topic
rap and music and youth and behavior
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Advanced Search Anywhere
Enter search terms
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View Results
Sort by relevance
Mark records
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View Record
Look for searched terms
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Lets search the following topic
males and (body image or masculinity) and
magazines
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Advanced Search Keywords field
Enter search terms
Select keywords from list of searchable
fields
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View Results

Searched terms occur in title, abstract
descriptors simultaneously
Save, print, email
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View Record
Save, print, email
Searched terms occur in title, abstract
descriptors simultaneously
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Check LINC for full-text
Search journal title
Click for e-version
Check hard copy
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Check LINC for full-text
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Search the following topic
social and casino and gambl
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Search the following topic
single and males and marriage and (perceptions or
attitudes)
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Quick Recap
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Quick Search Mode

• Features
• Enter word or words or terms in search box
• e.g. blogging and identity
• Searched words are not case sensitive
• No need to use capital letters
• Quick search defaults to Anywhere search
  including references if available
• Can search for multiple words or phrases
• e.g. life stage transitions retrieves exact
  phrase
• Can limit by date range or specific databases
• Click on Search Tips for help on building search

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View Search Results

• Results are listed in a single combined list
• By published works, by publication types
• Journals
• Peer-Reviewed Journals
• Conferences
• Books
• Click on in front of Multiple Databases
  for results from different databases
• Sort results by
• Most recent first
• Relevance rank
• Click on descriptors for more articles on subject

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Save, Print, Email Records Create a
Bibliography

• Search input is repeated below search results
• Marked records are added to Update Marked List
• Select record format
• Select output options
• Save, Print, Email marked records or specific
  records
• Create a bibliography using QuickBib facility
• Under Choose document format
• Choose MS word
• Under Bibliographic style
• Choose ASA from drop-list

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Advanced Search Mode

• Features
• Allows for multi-searching
• At search strategy area you can
• Add/delete rows
• Use drop-down menu to
• perform field-specific searches (e.g. title,
  keywords)
• construct Boolean queries (AND, OR, NOT)
• Limit searches by
• publication type and date
• specifying the presentation of results

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Advanced Search mode

• Features
• Can search by specific fields (e.g. keywords)
• Using the pull-down menus,
• choose the keyword option to search the title,
  abstract, and descriptors simultaneously
• Save, print, email records
• Create a bibliography using QuickBib facility

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Citation Manuals Writing

• Citation manuals
• American Sociological Association. ASA style
  guide. (HM73 Ame)
• Quick style guide for students writing Sociology
  papers
• A guide to writing Sociology papers. (HM73 Gui)
• Citation Styles in LION (Library Instruction
  Online)
• Research Writing
• The sociology student writer's manual. (HM585
  Soci 2004)
• Studying society the essentials. (HM571 Eva
  2006 )

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Getting Help

• Library Instruction Online
• Online help on how to
• cite references
• search databases
• Student Advisory Service
• Help with
• your research topic
• using databases
• Information Desk 5th Floor
• Email askalib_at_nus.edu.sg
• clbha_at_nus.edu.sg