CON 598
Research Methods

 

Outline of Today's Class: Introduction to RefWorks Creating Effective Search Strategies Recommended Databases for Construction Using "Get It @ ASU" Exporting References from Databases into RefWorks Using Write N Cite Exercise

Your Librarian: Linda Shackle Coordinator for Science & Engineering Services Noble Science & Engineering Library 480-965-7601 linda.shackle@asu.edu

 

 

Introduction to RefWorks

Refworks is citation management software. Refworks will store your references, keep them organized and provide a link to the full text of the document (if available online). Refworks will also create a bibliography of your references; with the addition of the Write-N-Cite plug-in, Refworks will also format your paper, too!

Refworks is available at http://www.asu.edu/refworks

The Refworks toolbar:

• References: import references or enter references manually
• View: see your folders
• Folders: create new folders or view your list of folders
• Bibliography: create a bibliography and/or format a paper
• Tools: where to find the Write-N-Cite software
• Help: tutorials and instructions

 

 

Creating Effective Search Strategies

For a dissertation or theses, the literature review must be comprehensive, systematic, explicit and reproducible.

1. Write the topic in one simple sentence or as a simple question.
   
   Example: safety management for skyscraper construction
   
   
2. Divide the sentence into concepts.
   
   Concept #1: safety
   Concept #2: skyscrapers
   Concept #3: construction
   
   
3. For each concept, determine synonyms, acronyms, abbreviations, spelling variations.
   
   Concept #1: safety, accidents
   Concept #2: skyscrapers, high rises
   Concept #3: construction, building
   
   
4. For each concept, place the keywords within parentheses and separate by "OR".
   
   Concept #1: (safety or accidents)
   Concept #2: (skyscrapers or high rises)
   Concept #3: (construction or building)
   
   
5. Combine the concepts into one search statement separating the concepts by "AND".
   
   (safety or accidents) and (skyscrapers or high rises) and (construction or building)
   
   
6. Refine your strategy as you discover new/better terminology via your database searching.
   
   
7. Repeat the search with the new terminology.
   
   
8. Refine the search as many times as needed.
   

Search tips:

• Limit to two or three concepts; searches with four or more concepts usually result in a short (or empty) results set.
  
  
• Eliminate unnecessary concepts from the search. Image a journal article with a title that has all of your concepts minus one; if the article would still be of interest to you without that concept in the title, then you probably don't need to have that concept in the search.
  
  
• Use truncation (wildcard symbol, usually "*", sometimes "?" or "$" ) when necessary to pull out variant forms of your keywords.
  
  
• It's better to do a broad search of one or two concepts that pulls out too many items then it is to start out with a narrow search of three (or more) concepts that pulls out too few. Why? You can always trim down a broad search by adding another concept. However, a narrow search that pulls out a few good articles can mislead you into thinking that you've found everything, when in reality, there are other good articles with just one or two of your concepts, instead of all three.
  
  
• Consider the OPPOSITE of your topic. You may call the concept safety, but others may call it accident prevention, hazards, or toxicity. Other examples: stability vs. instability or degradation; remediation vs. contamination; regulatory compliance vs. noncompliance or self regulation.
  
  
• Adapt your search to the terminology preferred by the database you're searching. Examine the search results and look for terms labeled as:
  1. controlled vocabulary
  2. descriptor
  3. subject heading
     
  In the example skyscraper example above, the EI Compendex database uses the controlled vocabulary term "Tall Buildings"; when this term is included in the search as a synonym for skyscrapers, the results are greatly increased. On the other hand, the term "High rise buildings" is preferred in the ABI/Inform database.
  
  
• Don't use the NOT operator to eliminate a concept from your search. Injudicious use of the NOT operator will cause you to miss many good references. If your search results contain a lot of junk in addition to what you want, try one of the following techniques:
  • Use the AND operator to include a concept that will get just what you want (while eliminating what you don't)
  • Redo your search strategy to exclude the keyword that is causing the false drops
  • Instead of using a keyword, use a controlled vocabulary term (or subject heading, or descriptor) and limit that term to that field (controlled vocabulary, subject heading, descriptor)
    
    
• Use multiple literature databases for searching; each database covers different publications and uses different terminology and indexing that can effect results.
  
  
• Use the "alert" features of databases and journals to keep up to date on your topic.
  • Compendex will run a saved search strategy each week against the new items added to the database.
  • ABI/Inform will run a saved search strategy against the new items added to the database; you decide the frequency - daily, weekly, monthly or every 3 months.
  • Web of Science will notify you if a specific article has been recently cited.
  • Most journals, such as the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (published by ASCE) will alert you when a new issue is published so you can review the table of contents

 

 

Recommended Databases for Construction

The following databases cover human factors engineering, but each from a different point of view. Select the one or two most appropriate for your topic.

• ABI/Inform (business)
• Avery (architecture)
• EI Compendex (all areas of engineering including manufacturing)
• Web of Science (multidisciplinary, engineering coverage begins in early 90's)

 

 

Using "Get It @ ASU"

Use the button to determine if the journal is available at ASU.

If the journal is not available at ASU, request a copy via the Interlibrary Loan service.

Notes:

• "Get It @ ASU" only works for journals at this time; for conference proceedings and books, search the ASU Libraries Catalog.
  
  
• Have a printed list of books, conference proceedings, or journal articles and want to know if the ASU Libraries have them?
  
  
  • Look up books and conference proceedings in the ASU Libraries Catalog
    
    
  • For journal articles, use either:
    • the Citation Linker option of "Get It @ ASU"
      (found on the Research Database page, in the right hand column under "Useful Tools")
    • The ASU Libraries' Journal Title Lookup
      (found on the Libraries' home page in the left hand column, click on the "plus sign" next to "Find Articles" or on the Research Database page, in the right hand column under "Useful Tools")

 

Exporting References from Databases into RefWorks

 

ABI/Inform:

1. Click on checkbox to the left of each record you want to export
2. Click on the Export link (in yellow, near the top of the screen)
3. Click on "Export directly to RefWorks"
4. RefWorks will open up; login; records will be imported
5. Move the references into desired folder
   
   
   
   

Avery

1. Click on the checkbox to the left of each record you want to export
2. Click on the export link at the top of the list of results
3. Choose "RefWorks" from the list of citation managers
4. RefWorks will open up; login; records will be imported
5. Move the references into the desired folder
   
   
   
   

EI Compendex:

1. Click on checkbox to the left of each record you want to export.
2. Click on the "Download" link (in blue, near the top of the screen)
3. Choose "RefWorks direct import", click on the "Download" button.
4. RefWorks will open up; login; records will be imported
5. Move the references into the desired folder
   
   
   
   

Web of Science:

Method 1: Fewer steps but only adds the brief citation information

1. Mark each record you want by clicking on that record's checkbox.
2. In the right column, click on the "Export to Reference Software" button
3. A popup window will ask if you want to save this file; click Save (and note where the file is being saved on your computer!)
4. Open RefWorks and login
5. In the drop down menu under "References", select Import.
6. For "Import Filter/Data Source" select ISI (Institute for Scientific Information).
7. For "Database" select Web of Science
8. For "Import References Into" select desired folder
9. The "Import Data from the following Text File" radio button should be selected; click browse to find the file you saved in step 3.
10. Click Import. The references will be added to the folder you selected.

Method 2: More steps but you can determine exactly what information you want to include in Refworks

1. Mark each record you want by clicking on that record's checkbox.
2. In the right column, click on the "Add to Marked List" button
3. At the top of the page, click on the "Maked List" button
4. Under Step 1 Choose the fields you want to export. (Hint: the abstract, when available, is helpful!)
5. Under Step 2 (select an option) choose Save to File (make sure field tagged is selected).
6. A popup window will ask if you want to save this file; click Save (and note where the file is being saved on your computer!)
7. Open RefWorks and login
8. From the References drop down menu, select Import.
9. For "Import Filter/Data Source" select ISI (Institute for Scientific Information).
10. For "Database" select Web of Science
11. For "Import References Into" select desired folder
12. The "Import Data from the following Text File" radio button should be selected; click browse to find the file you saved in step 6.
13. Click Import. The references will be added to the folder you selected.
    
    
    
    
    
    

 

 

 

Using Write-N-Cite

Refworks has a "Write-N-Cite" plug-in that will format your paper as well as your bibliography. All library terminals have the Write-N-Cite software installed.

You may install Write-N-Cite on your own computer. To get the Write-N-Cite software, open your Refworks account and click on "Tools" on the toolbar, then click on "Write-N-Cite on the drop down menu. Important: there is a special setup you must do if you will be using Write-N-Cite from off-campus, see the special instructions at http://www.asu.edu/lib/refworks/ (scroll down to the heading "Using Write-N-Cite from Off-Campus)

To use Write-N-Cite to format a paper:

1. Open WORD
2. Click on the Write-N-Cite icon and login to your RefWorks account.
3. In the Write-N-Cite window, mark the box for "Always on Top"; resize and move the window to the right side of the screen.
   
   
   
   
4. Type the text of your paper; as you come to where you'd like a reference to be located, click on the "Cite" link in the Write-N-Cite window for that item.
   
   
   
   
   
5. When you have finished writing your paper, save it to a file. (You may also close the Write-N-Cite window at that point, too.)
6. Go to RefWorks (http://www.asu.edu/refworks) and open up your account.
7. Click on Bibliography on the toolbar
8. Select the Output Style
9. Click on the Format a Paper and Bibliography button
10. Select Document to Format (use Browse button to find the document)
11. Click on References From button and select the Folder (CON598Practice)
12. Click on Create Bibliography

 

 

Exercise

1. Enter your Refworks account and create a CON598Practice folder.
2. For your assigned topic, create a search strategy by dividing the topic into concepts and finding synonyms or other terminology for each concept.
3. Select an appropriate database(s) for your topic and do the search.
4. Look through the results for other terminology that may be needed in the search strategy and redo the search as needed.
5. Select five (5) citations that are appropriate for your topic (do not just pick the first 5 to be displayed - look for the best ones!) and export into your RefWorks CON598Practice folder
6. Create a WORD document that contains the following information:
   • Your name
   • Your search Topic
   • Your final search strategy
   • The name of the database(s) you used
   • Type the following text and insert your citations at the indicated spots.
     
     Here is my first citation [citation #1]. This is followed by my next two citations [citation #2][citation #3].
     
     I also have two more citations [citation #4] [citation #5].
     
     I have now finished my paper.
     
7. Format the paper into the style of your choice
8. Print out the formated paper and give to Dr. Sullivan

Page last modified: December 12, 2007