Library Research Methods - Design and Dissemination - Lecture Notes, Study notes of Development Economics

Download Library Research Methods - Design and Dissemination - Lecture Notes and more Study notes Development Economics in PDF only on Docsity! Library Research Methods This class will help you gather information related to your projects. The initial 45 minutes will be lecture/demo with screen projection, while during the final 45 minutes, project teams can conduct some research with these library tools and librarian help as needed. Why do library research for you projects? • Learn what have people already done; i.e. SQL databases for health care tracking • Explore technologies that might be relevant: i.e. for micro-hydro, research sedimentation control methods. • Collect useful data: e.g. for solar water disinfection, you might want to review regional and community safe water statistics. D-Lab Research Tools The MIT Libraries have created a special page for D-Lab SP.722 resources. It includes • Book search • General Reference (Virtual Reference Collection) • Journal article search tools (VERA) • Facts and Statistical Information • D-Lab Project Specific Resources Book Search For example: search the library with keyword “bicycle powered.” There’s a 1978 MIT thesis on a bicycle powered water pump! Successful keyword searches often require a creative approach. You may be researching dogs, but need to search with a lot of different words – i.e. dogs, canines, puppies. In the MIT Library search tool, there’s a subject link in any record, to expand search into holdings that the librarians felt are related. General Reference The MIT Virtual Reference Collection is a resource compiled by the library staff with links to all manner of online resources. It contains style manuals, travel information, encyclopedias, etc. Journals MIT’s VERA (Virtual Electronic Resource Access) system indexes journals by subject area. Journals may be more up to date, more specific or detailed, than what is published in books. Vera directs you to all the databases that Docsity.com