Geography 1 Extended Library Research Project

Page history last edited by Pavlinka Kovatcheva 1 mo ago

 

              

 

GEOGRAPHY 1 EXTENDED: Library Research Project

 

Due Date: 14 March 2009

 

The students need to come to the Library, Level 1, at the Roving desk (next to the Internet computers), ask for Pavlinka Kovatcheva,

Subject Librarian Sciences, pkovatcheva@uj.ac.za, tel: 011 559 2621

 

P.S.: Students can come in a groups up to four people. Further appointments can be arranged if necessary.

 

This Library instruction will help you find the library resources for your assignment needs. You will learn to search for books, journals and to think critically about the information you retrieve.

This instruction will also explain how important it is to acknowledge all books & articles you use in your assignment, and how to cite and reference it. Good luck!

 Use these Guides to help you around the APK Library and its Sciences Resources:

 

Quick Guide to the APK Library: Sciences Resources.pdf

Inter Campus Lending Brochure 2009.pdf

LIBRARY SHELF CODES FOR THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE SUBJECTS.pdf

WRITING AN ASSIGNMENT SHORT GUIDE 230908.pdf

Create PIN in the Library.pdf

 

If you need additional assistance find out how the Library can HELP you!

Visit Ask-a-Librarian and User Guides & Tutorials web pages.

 

Visit the Geography Subject Portal for additional library resources and help!

In order to start with your assignment, you need to be able to find useful and relevant information. Developing an effective search strategy is an important part of this process. You need to think of what steps to take - from defining your keywords, to searching techniques, journals and books search, writing and referencing. Lets get you started:

 

Step 1. Define your TOPIC

 

Topic:

Conduct research (by using the library) into the use of COLOUR, SHADING and PROPORTION IN MAPPING in order to answer the following research questions:

 

  1. The purpose of using colour and shading in maps
  2. The difference between colour and hatching/cross hatching
  3. Why a map should be in proportion or "balanced" 

Step 2: Identify the main keywords or concepts

 

The coloured words above, are your main KEYWORDS/ TERMS/ CONCEPTS, which you will need to use while searching for BOOKS or JOURNALS ARTICLES.

 

colour, shading, map                          

colour, hatching

colour, "cross hatching"

map proportion

balanced map

 

You can use additional keywords to enhance your search strategy. Draw a list of synonims or related terms.

 

Use Reference works: Dictionaries and Encyclopediasto find additional terms or the meanings of the those you already have. 

 

Search these Electronic Dictionaries & Encyclopedias to find how your keywords are defined (the meaning)

 

 

Go to the Geography Subject Portal to access more Geography related Reference works.

 

Back to the TOP!

Step 3:  Broaden or Narrow your search

 

When you search, you should consider either NARROWING your search, by using more specific keywords or BROADENING the search by using more generalised keywords.

Step 4: Using Booleans Operators

 

Use "AND" to combine KEYWORDS/TERMS together and to NARROW your search. The more words you combine together with "and" the fewer records you will retrieve. For example:

 

If you combine colour AND shading you will retrieve records in which BOTH words will appear in the same record (book or journal article).

 

Use "OR" to search for any of the words on both sides or together. For example colour OR shading will retrieve all records containing each one of the words or both of them. You can also try this option:

(colour OR shading) AND map

 

Use "NOT" to exclude the word that comes after NOT. For example: colour NOT shading, will find all records in which colour appear, but not shading.

 

Additional searching techniques:

 

PHRASE SEARCH: Use the quotation marks to search for results that contained those words together. For exaple, search for "cross hatching" with quotation marks to retrieve records in which both words will appear next to each other.

 

Back to the TOP!

Step 5: Locate the Library resources

 

Go to the: Library web page (http://www.uj.ac.za/library)

 

Select: Subject Collections > Sciences > Sciences Librarian Portal

 

From the Subject Collections click on: Geography or go directly to: http://ujsciencelibrarian.pbwiki.com/geography

 

All resources relevant to the Geography students are available on THIS web page.

Step 6: Access Library Resources to retrieve (books, journals, databases, etc.)

 

NOTE: You can access the electronic resources both ON CAMPUS and OFF CAMPUS. You just need to log-in (see instructions below)

 

  • Using BOOKS for your assignment:

 

Option 1: Search UJLink (Library Catalogue) for books on your TOPIC. Use your KEYWORDS/TERMS.

 

Search TIPS:  Multiple words are searched together as one phrase; See also "the Boolean operators" above.

Search Library Catalogue for additional books, which can be of interest to you. Use the above words. Get additionnal HELP!

      

Option 2: Search Course Reserve to find BOOKS or other materials, that are placed on RESERVE for your course.

 

What is Course Reserve?

Course Reserve are prescribed or recommended materials (books, articles, chapters in a book, class notes, etc.) placed in the Reserve Collection. These materials are placed either by Lecturer or the Subject Librarian.

 

How can I search for books on Reserve?

You have two searching options: either per COURSE (either the course code or the name of the Department) and LECTURER SURNAME.

 

Go to Course Reserve and select any of these options. The list with the titles will be displayed. Just write down the SHELF CODE and go to Lending desk.

 

Where in the Library is the Reserve Collection?

Once you have ensure that the books you want are available on the Reserve Collection, go to the Lending Desk at APK Library (in the foyer) and request no more than 2 books at the time. These books are used ONLY IN THE LIBRARY for 2 hours.

 

Which books are on RESERVE  for this assignment? 

The following books have been placed on RESERVE for your course. Just CLICK on the title to view the book record.  

 

  • Create PIN for access to Library Resources

 

To access the Online Journals, Databases & Books you will need to log-in with your:

- SURNAME

- STUDENTS NUMBER

- PIN

If you don't know how created PIN, click HERE for explenation. If you forget your PIN, just contact the APK, Lending Desk for assistance (011 559 2165)

 

Back to the TOP!

  •  Using ONLINE JOURNALS for your assignment

 

These journals are recommended for this project. Click on the HYPERLINKED journal title or the HYPERLINKED database for access.

 

Embargo means that, you don't have full-text access to the journal articles for the specified period.

 

Once you access these journals individually, you have an option to SEARCH WITHIN THESE JOURNALS to retrieve relevant articles.

 

Just use your KEYWORDS (see above, Step 2)

 

 

  • Using A-to-Z list to find full-text JOURNALS (both print and electronic)

 

Use CASE: A-to-Z Journals to find full-text journals in the library. You can either type the journal title (if you know it) or you can search by typing a keyword. This way you will find all journals that contain that KEYWORD.

 

Back to the TOP!

 

  • Using FULL-TEXT ELECTRONIC DATABASES (journal articles search) 

  •  

 

What is an electronic database?

A database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system (Wikipedia).

 

What is an Electronic Library Database?

  1. Library databases contain information of published works. For example: journals articles, books, encyclopedias, etc.
  2. Library databases are searchable by Keywords, Subject, Author, Journal titles, and any other useful data.
  3. Library databases provide electronic access to the FULL-TEXT journal articles. You can print or e-mail the entire article.
  4. Library databases provide access to citations/abstracts of a record. Full-text is not available in those instances. You need to further extend your search to find, if the Library has full-text through OTHER DATABASE.

 

Which full-text databases can I use for this project?

 

Search any of the databases below to retrieve the information you need. Use the keywords, which were defined in Step 2, above. You will need to log-in to access these databases (surname, student number and PIN). Don't have PIN? This is how you can create PIN number.

 

Highly Recommended full-text databases!

 

Academic Search Premier(EbscoHost)

Academic OneFile(Gale)

JSTOR

 

Visit the Geography Subject Portal for additional library resources. 

 

Back to the TOP!

Step 7: Evaluate and refine your searching strategy 

 

After you searched and use various books, journals, databases and managed to gather information, the next step is to start writing your assignment. You need to ensure that you have enough resources to read and use. If you are not happy with the "draft", then you can search for some additional information.

 

Change the journals or the databases; Use different keywords; ask your librarian for help.

 

Step 8: Citing and Referencing (avoid Plagiarism) 

 

To be able to use the information you have found, you need to learn how to do it properly.

 

Plagiarism

You need to acknowledge all books or journal articles you use to support a point in your assignment. If not you are Plagiarising by using other peoples work as your own. Link your ideas to those from the books or the articles.

 

Read more on Plagiarism and how to avoid it. Also if you have time do these interactive tutorials:

 

 

Referencing

The Department of Geography should have given you an instructions for referencing journals, books, other materials.

 

The Library also provides Harvard Method Techniques, which you can consult.

 

You can also consult the referencing used in the "South African Geographical journal".

 

Use this ARTICLE as an example for IN-TEXT REFERENCING (citing) and how to compile a REFERENCE LIST.

 

Referencing Teminology:

  • Citations: recognising citations in-text, to support an argument/conclusion
  • References: List of resources used in your assignment. The list is at the end of the assignment. The entries are in ALPHABETICAL ORDER per AUTHOR.
  • Bibliography: When you use additional books, articles, web pages, but have not acknowledge in your assignment.

 

The reference for a book is: Author. Year. Title of the book. Place of Publication. Publisher.

 

The reference for a journal article is: Author. Year. Title of article. Title of Journal. Vol (issue):pages

 

In-text reference: ..." to approximately 570 000 tones per annum (McCarthy and Ellery, 1998)....

 

Back to the TOP! 

 

 

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