Sources for geography research : library tutorial for Honours year students

Sources for Geography

Research

Nureza Ahmadclbna@nus.edu.sg

Objectives

• Identify useful e-resources relevant to Geography

• Identify resources & services from library portal (linc+)

Learning outcomes• Search e-Databases using

keywords, boolean operators

• Search & retrieve e-journal articles, e-books, e-book chapters, full text articles

• Navigate & find materials from LINC+

Outline

• Search strategy

• Electronic resources

• LINC+

• Getting help

• Hands-on session

• Search Strategy

• Boolean operators (and, or, not)

• Truncation (*)

• Grouping using parentheses (…)

• Keywords & concepts

• Search statements

Boolean operatorsANDAND = = ALL ALL terms must be terms must be

present; narrows searchpresent; narrows search

OROR = = AnyAny of the terms may be present of the terms may be present

broadens searchbroadens search

NOTNOT = = ExcludesExcludes specific search termspecific search term

narrows searchnarrows search

Tropical AND Forests

Tropical OR Forests

Tropical NOT Forests

Truncation *

• Use (asterisk) * to retrieve variant forms of term

nation* = nations, national

Teen* = teens, teenager

Parentheses ( )

• Use parentheses ( ) to group search terms

(low income or single) and migrants

(Urban heat island) and (Singapore or Malaysia)

Keywords & concepts

• Identify key concepts

• Group using parentheses

• Identify keywords within each concept, use synonyms or **

• What are the impacts of urbanisation on water quality?

Q. What are the impacts of urbanisation on water quality?

Keywords:

Impacts, Urbanisation, Water quality

Search statement:

(Impact*or effect* or result*) and (urban*) and (water quality)

• E- resources

• Databases

• E-Journals

• E-books

• Newspapers

• Examination papers

• Statistical data

Databases for Geography

1. Geobase (through OvidSP)

2. Scopus

3. Geodok

4. Web of Science

5. SpringerLink

6. PERIND

Ways to access E-res

• 1. Click on E-Res Tab at top of portal

Ways to access E-Resources2. Navigate to middle of portal and go to E-Resources

1. Geobase (OVIDSP)• Access directly by “geobase” or in

OvidSP

• URL:  http://ovidsp.ovid.com• UserID: nustrain• Password: training• (valid 2 weeks from date)• Start OvidSP

• [DEMO geobase]

Geobase (OVIDSP)

Geobase (OVIDSP)

Geobase: Results page

Geobase: Results (cont.)

2. Scopus

Scopus: Results

3. Geodok• 115000 geographically related entries

since 1950.

• provides bibliographical data for scientific articles indexed by keywords.

• product of Department of Geography of Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg

Geodok

Geodok: Results

4. Web of Science

Web of Science : Results

5. SpringerLink

SpringerLink : Results

6. PERIND

PERIND

Perind : Results

• Two major databases– Factiva

• (produced by Dow Jones & Reuters)

– Lexis/Nexis Academic • (produced by LEXIS-NEXIS)

– Access via Library portal>E-Resources> E-Newspapers

E-Newspapers

Statistical Sources• Access via E-Resources>Databases>By E-Resources>Databases>By

type>Statistical Datatype>Statistical Data • EIU Country Data• General household survey 2005 : socio-

demographic and economic characteristics

• SingSTAT Time Series• Statistics on Singapore : an annotated

bibliography• Tourism focus• Yearbook of statistics, Singapore (print &

web)

NUS Theses & Academic Exercises• In LINC

– Find by or limit to Theses collection

• Search LINC

– Call no: G58 200* (for 2000- )

– Keywords:

• Tourism and academic exercise and geography and national university and singapore

• Library Catalogue: LINC+Library Catalogue: LINC+• new interface, more visual

information through the book covers, table of contents & reviews, etc.,

• Eg search for “university thesis

geography”

LINC+

Online Search TipsToo many retrieved

limit by additional concepts

Too little retrievedinclude synonyms / alternate terms

Too many irrelevant onesexclude terms that cause irrelevancy

Nothing retrieveduse more general search termsreduce number of concepts usedrefocus search

• Getting help

Getting help : Subject Guides (Geography)

Getting help : E-Forms• Request for DDS (document

delivery service) of journal articles, book Chapters, conference papers.

• Request for purchase of New book/Journal/Multimedia for research purposes

• Note: Login required

Getting help : LION

• Library Instruction Online (LION)Citation stylesDatabase guides

–Library portal>(Library instruction online (LION)>How to cite references>Citation styles

Getting help: Ask-A-Lib

• Email askalib@nus.edu.sg

• Request for advisory service

• Getting help from special libraries

eg business hssmlib@nus.edu.sg

eg (med/sci) sclib@nus.edu.sg

Thank YOU!