navigating the mechanics of research
TRANSCRIPT
Find models for your own research- can help you organize your D. Min. dissertation
Helps you narrow or refine your topic/research question if broad and vague
Find additional resources - mine the citations of others!
Why do research early?
Visible web - that portion of the World Wide Web that
is readily available to the general public and searchable with standard web search engines such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo
Open access - (OA) means unrestricted online access to research. All you need to access OA resources is an internet
connection
INCLUDES peer-reviewed or scholarly journals
Some terms to know
Invisible web refers to the vast repository of
information that search engines and directories don't have direct access to.
Proprietary databases
Databases that are bought and require authentication; must “log-in” as someone who has a right to these materials.
More terms
Index - “…open-end finding guide to the literature of
an academic field or discipline…”
Abstract - a summary of the content of a written text
Full text - the complete version of written material
Citation – a reference that identifies a source.
More terms
Wilder library LibGuides
Start here…
Doctor of Ministry Dissertation Research
Research Guide for Theology and Religious Studies
Websites for Theology and Religious Studies
Guides in subject areas related to your topic.
Guides to consult
Online catalog
Databases
Electronic Journals
Research Guides
Archives
Interlibrary Loan
Wilder Library Resources
WorldCat.org - a union catalog
Open access sources of materials
RIM or the ATLA Research in Ministry index http://rim.atla.com/star/rimonline_login.htm
Google Scholar
Richmond Academic Library Consortium
Washington Theological Consortium
Inter-library Loan (For print books Richmond area students only. Articles have no geographic restriction.)
VIVA
If we don’t have it…
Richmond Academic Library Consortium
Show your student ID
Limited borrowing privileges
Participating Schools: Reynolds Community College, John Tyler Community College, VCU, Randolph-Macon College, University of Richmond, Richard Bland College, Library of Virginia, & Virginia State University
RALC
Passes are a good for a year.
Must have a pass and student ID to borrow materials. Privileges vary from school to school.
We can fax a pass to another WTC library during regular business hours. (8-5)
Washington Theological Consortium
Inter-library loan email address: [email protected]
Electronic submission only works with Internet Explorer browser.
For Chrome and Mozilla, download and save the form to your computer. Then send it via email as an attachment.
Inter-library loan
The Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) is the
consortium of nonprofit academic libraries within the Commonwealth of Virginia.
For participating libraries: http://www.vivalib.org/borrowing/
Must bring your student ID and proof of current enrollment, i.e. your current schedule from MyVUU*
VIVA
“Literature review is a critical and evaluative account of what
has been published on a chosen research topic. “
Gaps in research will happen. Address them in your paper, but make sure there really are gaps with thorough and in-depth research.
Include materials that addresses only part of or indirectly your research topic.
Don’t be afraid of “grey” literature or non-traditional resources, i.e. conference papers, blog posts, etc., depending on the type of research you are doing.
Research Issues
Create a word bank and subject headings bank
related to your research early on to stream line your research.
Almost every database search function uses double quotation marks to nest words together in a search.
Research tips
Use of these will depend on the nature of your particular D.
Min. project.
Articles and materials published on an organization's website.
Conference papers and poster presentations
Blogs, wikis, online forums, twitter accounts
Interviews, private communications
Some of these will be found via a search engine, i.e. Bing, Google, Yahoo
Non-traditional resources
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database
ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials
Academic Search Complete
ProQuest Research Library
JSTOR
Religion and Philosophy Collection
STVU databases: http://vuu.libguides.com/stvu
How to get to the databases if on campus
How to get to the databases if OFF campus
http://vuu.libguides.com/stvuoffcampus
Best practices: database searching
Databases are literal.
Truncation: * For example, type comput* to find the words computer or computing.
Wildcard: ? (sometimes databases use #) when you don’t know the exact spelling. Sm?th for Smith and Smyth
Phrase searching: use double quotation marks to keep words together. “Croatian politics”
Use OR for the broadest search. Teenagers OR
Adolescents OR “young adults”
AND includes additional terms to be included in the search. The records search must include both terms. Theology AND art.
NOT narrows or eliminates terms to be searched. Theology NOT doctrine NOT dogma
Boolean operators: AND, OR, & NOT
ProQuest Dissertation formatting
Use the recommended typefaces
Embedded your fonts to maintain your formatting
Security settings must be OFF.
Must convert your dissertation to a pdf- there is a conversion tool on the ProQuest site if you do not have one.
http://www.proquest.com/products-
services/dissertations/submitting-dissertation-proquest.html
http://www.grad.washington.edu/students/etd/proquest_dissertation_guide.pdf
ProQuest Dissertation formatting- helpful links
http://www.howtogeek.com/106681/how-to-
embed-fonts-in-a-microsoft-word-document/
https://blogs.mtu.edu/gradschool/2010/04/27/how-to-determine-if-fonts-are-embedded/
ProQuest Thesis and Dissertations- helpful websites for formatting, etc.
Note: your dissertation will not be published until it is approved and the dissertation checklist completed on the ProQuest submission site.