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SC2101 Methods of Social Research TutorialSC2101 Methods of Social Research Tutorial

Presented by Hayati Abdul

Information ServicesNUS Libraries

clbha@nus.edu.sg

Searching Sociological Abstracts

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Objectivess

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 > Browse Databases by Subject > Sociology & Social Work > 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

OR

aged elderly

casino gambling

internet gambling

blogging

identity

AND

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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

– behavi*r retrieves behaviour or behavior

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Let’s search the following topic:

Blogging and identity

blogs oror

blogging oror

bloggers

identity

blog* and identityblog* 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

Sort options

View record

Results listed by publication types

Look for searched

terms

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View Record

Save, print, email

Read abstract

journal title

year

vol & issue no

pages

month

Mark record

Look for searched

terms

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Save, Print, Email & QuickBib

Select ASA citation style

Click to create bib

Email

Print

Save

Select format

Use marked records or specify records

Add comments

Choose MS Word

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Bibliography created from QuickBib

Check references for accuracy

Save, print, email

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Check LINC for full-text

Click for e-version

Limit to journals collection

Search journal title

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Access E-version of article

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Check LINC for journal print copy

For hard copies, either Specify volume or year.or click View additional copies

Search journal title

Limit to journals collection

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Let’s search the following topic (phrases):

Life stage transitions in young adults

life stage transitions young adults

life stage transitions and young adultslife stage transitions and young adults

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Quick Search: Combining Phrases

Enter phrases in search box

Can limit by date range

Click Search Tips for help

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View Search Results

Sort by relevanceMark records

Results listed by publication types

View record

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View Record

Read abstract

journal title

year

vol. & issue nopages

month

Look for searched

terms

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Save, Print, Email & QuickBib

Select ASA citation styleCreatebib

Email

Print

Save

Select format

Add comments

Use marked records or specify records

Choose MS Word

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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

Click for e-version

Print copies

Search journal title

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Access E-journal article

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Let’s search the following topic:

Influence of rap music on behaviour of youths

rap youths behaviormusic

rap and music and youth and rap and music and youth and behaviorbehavior

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Advanced Search: Anywhere

Enter search terms

Select Anywhere

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View Results

Sort by relevanceMark records

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View Record

Look for searched

terms

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Let’s search the following topic:

Representation of the male body in popular magazines

malesbody image

orormasculinity

magazines

males and (body image or masculinity)males and (body image or masculinity) and magazines and magazines

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Advanced Search: Keywords field

Select keywords from list of searchable fields

Enter search terms

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View Results

Save, print, email

Searched terms occur in title, abstract

& descriptors simultaneously

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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

Click for e-version

Check hard copy

Search journal title

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Check LINC for full-text

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Search the following topic:

Social implications of casino gambling

social casino** gambl**

social and casino* and social and casino* and gambl*gambl*

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Search the following topic:

Single men’s perceptions towards marriage

single malesperceptions

ororattitudes

marriage

single and males and marriageand (perceptions or attitudes)

Quick Recap…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 ServiceHelp with:

• your research topic• using databases

– Information Desk 5th Floor– Email: askalib@nus.edu.sg

clbha@nus.edu.sg