SOCI 5200:Seminar on Research Methods and Design

Dr. Yeatts / Fall 2007 ~ Survey research assignment

Catalog description: Research designs; techniques of sampling and scaling; problems of reliability and validity; consideration of appropriate tests of association and significance. 3 hours. (Chilton, room 270)

Scope: This class page focuses on Survey research & College students

FOR ARTICLES: ELECTRONIC DATABASE/INDEX SEARCH STEPS

Step One: Database Selection.

Start out with an interdiscplinary index (like EbscoHost) which is full of databases (like Academic Search Premier).

1. From the UNT Library Catalog, click on Electronic Resources

2. From the A-Z list, click on E , and scroll down and click on EbscoHost

3. EbscoHost is an index full of databases. You will be lead to a list of databases to choose for your search. Academic Search Premier and MasterFile Complete all selected by default.

For your purposes, good ones to choose include:
Social Sciences Abstracts  Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection etc

4. Click Continue (after all the databases you want have a check mark by their boxes)

 Now you are ready to go to step two and search. Note that the more databases you chose in step one the broader your search...this is particularly useful for a narrow or highly specific  topic with little research associated with it.

Step Two: Beginning your search

 1. Click on the Advaced Search Tab
(Note: the default search box will say "Select a Field (optional)" and that is just a typical keyword search (Keyword searches are the type you do in a basic Google search--they search everywhere in the record).

2. In the first search box put college students and from the drop-down menu select SU Subject Terms
    leave the and box at that option, and add the word survey research as a keword "Select a Field (optional)"

 

(Note: If know the "Subject Term" used for a topic in a particular database (or the catalog) start with that. Otherwise, start will a keyword search and examine results to see which subject terms might fit.)

 

3. Limiting your search results: full text, date range, etc.

Notice that this particular search has 45 results (some in full text and some are not).

Before you click search in step 2, you can check the box next to Full Text in the Limit your results

section.

 

Step Three: Narrowing down your topic.

 

4.  You can make your focus your search results by narrowing or expanding your search.

Try adding keywords or subject terms.

Helpful subject terms for this search would be: research, surveys, college students--alcohol use, united states, college students--attitudes, social aspects, (education, Higher), college students, law & legislation, drug abuse, drugs of abuse, college students--alcohol use, drinking of alcoholic beverages, drinking age, drinking age--laws & legistlation, substance abuse, marijuana, marijuna abuse,attitudes. . .

You can pair up different terms. AND = adds unrelated concepts (narrows search by adding terms)

                                                   OR = adds related concepts/synonym (expands results by adding more terms)

 

Step Four: Save, Print, E-mail articles in Full-Text (PDF or HTML)

 

5. When you find articles you want...

SAVE to flash drive, PRINT (10 cents a page or free for current students at Computer Access Lab in Willis Library) Or...

E-mail articles (Choose Citation format, APA citation style (or the type you prefer) and click send.

E-mailing full-text articles (PDF or HTML) this way, comes with the full citation. Whoo hoo!!!

   

 FOR BOOKS: UNT LIBRARY CATALOG SEARCH STEPS

 Books are good for background research or terminology in particular.

Step One: Go to the library catalog link

1. From the library homepage (http://www.library.unt.edu/)

Click on the link for the library catalog (http://iii.library.unt.edu/)

 

Step Two: Do a search (keyword to subject unless you know the term to use)

2. Speilling matters in the catalog, and the terms are sometimes different then the ones in the database, so you may want to start out with keywords. A keyword search is the default.

Example: keyword search for survey research will give you books like:

Survey research methods / Floyd J. Fowler, Jr.
  WILLIS LIBRARY-2nd FLOOR, call # HN29 .F68 2002

 

Notice that if you click on the permanent URL

for this link it will give you a subject terms "Social surveys"

 

3. You can also search by Title, Author, Subject, or Numbers, or Journal Title.
Do a subject term seach by clicking on the Subject Tab.
Enter in applicable subject term.

Examples: a subject search for Social surveys.

would give you the book above and let you browse similar items.

 

 Interlibrary Loan: Gets books and articles we don't have through ILL!!!

Go to the ILL homepage and you will see options needed to request an article, book, etc. (http://www.library.unt.edu/ill)

1. If you have an accountLog into your ILLiad Account

 

2. Otherwise Create an Account

 

   fill out the form for First-Time Users

 

3. Whenever possible, articles will be delivered straight to your e-mail!


If you have questions, please contact me:

LRamin@library.unt.edu

940-565-3981

 

GOOD LUCK!!!!