//It’s been a busy year seeing students about their research and referencing. Such is the demand that Martin and I have shortened our appointments to offer 30, 35 or 40-minute slots. Our appointments or either in-person (on the ground floor of the Library) or online (via MS Teams). As students are preferring to see us the Library (GCW), I have dropped the ‘drop-in’ that took place Wednesdays 10-11 to maximise my student interaction.
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There are loads more outstanding dissertations being published this week from a range of schools, including the Lincoln International Business School (LIBS). Which one would help you carry out your research? Plenty of choose from: either undergraduate or postgraduate – feel free to take your pick!
We always get asked about the grades on the showcase. As an apposite reminder, the purpose of the dissertation showcase is to promote outstanding student work as exemplars of best practice: https://library-showcase.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/. The dissertations in the showcase represent the “Top Ten” undergraduate dissertations selected by participating Schools within the University of Lincoln. These will normally have achieved a First Class degree and represent a range of subject areas. Over a hundred of them belong to LIBS!
However, it is worth noting that some dissertations cannot be made available for reasons due to commercial sensitivity or that contain un-redactable personal information.
//If you’re wondering how the Library can help you this semester then there are loads of workshops you may be interested in. Reserve your place today!
Workshops Flyer at University of Lincoln Library by Daren Mansfield on Scribd
//We have a new wonderful facility where anyone (well, anyone with electronic access to the University Library) is able to browse an enormous range of journals, categorised under subject headings. One of the things we like is the colourful graphics that tempts the user to explore a diverse range of subjects.
All you need to do is go to the Library website > Find > Browse Electronic Journals and select a subject area, which would probably be Business and Economics but of course, you are free to access any of the other areas. We hope you like it. We do.
//Earlier today, I presented this lecture to 1st year Lincoln International Business School students about Qualtrics, survey software. This includes instructions and advice on setting up your account.
Qualtrics: Design your study by Daren Mansfield on Scribd
//For a wide-ranging database try using Scopus for your research (library.lincoln.ac.uk > Find> Databases > S >). I’ve added it to my subject guides (Accountancy and Finance, Advertising and Marketing, Economics, Events Management, HRM, International Business, Modern Languages and Tourism). To test the search, I entered ‘entrepreneurship community social’ which elicited over 1000 results, which included eye-catching article titles like ‘Community energy and social entrepreneurship: Addressing purpose, organisation and embeddedness of renewable energy projects’ and ‘Financial social innovation to engage the economically marginalized: insights from an Indian case study’ (N.B. you’ll have to log in to read these articles). See what you can find on this database and deepen your research still further. Carrying out this kind of research not only gives you ideas but exercises the imagination too.
//A systematic review is a type of literature review that collects and critically analyses multiple research studies or papers. In the University of Lincoln Library we are mainly supporting PhD and Masters level students with the process of defining their question and developing criteria for searching and then how they should conduct their searches. Oonagh Monaghan, the Psychology and Sports Subject Librarian, has just launched a useful guide on systematic reviews.
//Combine, truncate and locate! Why not use a few of our Boolean search tips for @GCWLibrary databases in our new presentation via Sway.com, and sharpen your research skills to razor-sharp perfection…
//What does a Mixed Method approach mean? Conveniently, the much-borrowed Saunders & Lewis (2012) textbook carefully unpacks what a mixed methods research approach means via the layers of a onion diagram.
What mixed methods #research is + how & when to use it https://t.co/7reIrWk55N (video) https://t.co/TyRzV2SgUF (slides) #phdchat #ecrchat pic.twitter.com/0atozqwxkg
— Write That PhD (@WriteThatPhD) March 6, 2017
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We really want to know what resources you can’t get hold of!
Let us know what they are and we’ll buy more books and e-books. Select the appropriate option and complete the form with details of what you need.
The decision to purchase requests is made on a case-by-case basis. In some cases costs may be prohibitive but we’ll get in touch with you if we need any additional information. Most books will be supplied within 4 weeks and we can reserve the book for you when it arrives.
If you require books for teaching purposes please contact your Academic Subject Librarian.
//This video that was produced by Helen Williams, the Academic Subject Librarian for distance learners in the Lincoln International Business School, shows you how to find books and journals using the Library homepage at library.lincoln.ac.uk.
//I was asked about thematic coding recently and searched the internet for a logical answer. This short video (6 mins) produced in 2010 by Graham R Gibbs from the University of Huddersfield is a useful introduction to this kind of systematic research analysis.
Or there’s a webpage from the University of Auckland’s School of Pysychology, which offers a neat overview of thematic analysis, and suggests various approaches., in which they mention this definition:
The University of Huddersfield have also compiled an innovative website entitled Template Analysis (sounds like a 70s prog rick album!) designed by Professor Nigel King. This contains much useful information for the keen social sciences researcher. There’s even a Facebook community for the intrepid explorer wishing to explore their own discipline.
//Owing to student demand for greater flexibility around our drop-in sessions taking place at the Business School building, Martin and I will be delivering separate 1 hr sessions on the ground floor, opposite Starbucks (the Book & Latte) from 10-11am on Wednesday (Daren) and 10-11am on Thursday (Martin). Although we support different subjects we are keen to meet any student in the Business School with a library-related query such as researching the library databases, Harvard referencing and essay writing (such as essay planning, how considerate research relates to structuring and assignment, etc).
//You may be wondering how to can plan an assignment using our library resources? There is an easy way to design an essay structure using our library search engine, Find it at Lincoln. Using themed searches 5 or 6 times (depending on the length of your assignment) you can email relevant journal articles and save them on your student profile. These folders could become the main body of your assignment, with each folder representing a paragraph. Your introduction would simply be an explanation of what you are going to cover, whilst your conclusion is the summary of your reading.