Library Workshop for Preparation of Honours Project

Collecting information effectively for Geography resources Library Workshop for Preparation of Honours Project Research Strategies April 2006

Generate ideas from the Honours projects done by the graduates <Library’s Honours Project Database if your dept. participated> Overviews of research activities done by scholars/subject experts Identify gaps in the literature Write down a list of “doable” topics Ecosystem management of forest Soil quality and pollution in China Renewable energy resources in China Sustainable land use in deserts Overview of Research Process 1. Think of “Doable” Topics

Energy production & conservation What kind of renewable resources? Transportation of energy Water resources Which province? International cooperation Solving pollution problem? Wind energy Environmental impact assessment Renewable energy resources in China Overview of Research Process 2. Develop your Research Focus • A “Doable” Topic: Renewable energy resources in China • Ask yourself questions on what interest you to know more? • Example: Creating more pollution problem by using wind energy?

Do you need pictorial works/ photos? Do you need current articles or historical articles? Do you need literary criticism/ book review articles? Do you need statistics? Do you need government documents? Do you need survey and polling results? SOURCES Finding books in the Library Catalogue Finding journal articles in e-databases/ e-journals Finding newspaper articles Finding photos/ pictures on the Internet Overview of Research Process 3. Identify Appropriate Resources 4. Searching

Search Techniques – A Summary cultur* VS cult* • Truncation • Useful to find words in variant forms • Search all words that start with the same characters • Represent multiple characters • Placement of truncation symbol is significant Behavio?r Wom?n • Wildcard • Useful to find words in different spelling, singular/plural form • Represent zero or a single character China AND(environmental policy ORenvironmental protection) • Phrase search • To search multiple keywords as an exact phrase • E.g. social role • With limitations e.g. “environmental policy of China” CANNOT find titles with “China’s environmental policy”, “environmental protection in China”, etc. • Combining the use of AND, OR, AND NOT • Useful to narrow down, expand your search • To exclude unwanted concepts • Use brackets to set search priority (conservationORenvironmental protection)AND natural resource*AND NOT manage*

Subject search Keyword search Search Techniques - Revision • Keyword Search VS Subject Search: Keyword Search: Environmental impact assessment Subject Search: Environmental impact analysis Roads – Environmental aspects

E.g. energy AND conservation energyreleased by motion XXXXXXXXXXX。XXXXXX XXXXXXXX conservation of old buildings XXXX。 E.g. energy within 3 conservation energyin urgent conservation need。XXXXX，XXXX，XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX。XXXXXXXXX X，XXXXX conservationof energyXXXXXX。XXXX。 LOW ACCURACY E.g. energy conservation (phrase) XX energy conservation， XXXXX。XXXXX，XXXXX XXX，XXXXXXXXXX。In XXXXX XXXXXX。 MORE FLEXIBILITY TOO RESTRICTIVE Search Techniques - New • Proximity • To set how close between two search terms • Useful in free text search • Useful in giving flexibility to search proper noun

1 2 S: ecosystem* Ecosystem* Keyword search: Keyword search: Irrelevant to “ecosystem” in geography context Subject in Computer software Subject in Ecosystem management Search Techniques - New • Field Search (Keyword=XXX) • To search the keyword in a particular field • To avoid retrieving irrelevant records Relevant to “ecosystem” in geography context

E.g. 朱鎔基and s:傳記 E.g. (s:江澤民OR Jiang Zemin) including 評論/思想研究, etc. Applications • Field Search • To search the keyword in a particular field • Example: s=subject, t=title, a=author Biographical Information/ Works ABOUT a person Finding Speeches • E.g. s:(speeches or quotations or格言 or語錄 or演講集) AND s: (胡適 or Hu Shi) Statistics Finding Surveys and Reports E.g. <country> AND <topic>AND s:statistic* E.g. 中國 AND (農村 OR鄉鎮) AND s:統計 E.g. s:(hong kong OR 香港) ANDs:(social survey*OR poll?OR public opinion* OR調查) AND <topic> E.g. a:(香港青年協會 OR hong kong federation of youth groups)AND(value?OR人生觀 OR價值觀 OR理想) Finding Interviews E.g. (president? AND united states) AND s:(interviews or 訪問錄) E.g. bush ANDs:interviews Finding Documentary Programs E.g. (a:bbc) AND globalization in <Multimedia>

Social Related Statistics Hidden in Somewhere OFFICIAL STATISTICS • Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics (香港統計年刊) • Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics (香港統計月刊) • Hong Kong Social and Economic Trends (香港社會及經濟趨勢) • Census & Statistics Dept. Hong Kong Statistics (Online) at: http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/(Under “Statistics by Subject” & “Social Topics Studies”) • Census & Statistics Dept. Thematic Household Survey Report • Environmental Protection Dept. Hong Kong. Environmental Statistics at: http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/resources_pub/envir_info/envir_info.html UNOFFICIAL STATISTICS HIDDEN QUESTIONNAIRES • Non-profit organizations

Use of Renewable Energy solves the environmental problems in China? Concepts Needed Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 1 + Group 2 Group 1 + Group 3 #1 (renewable energy OR renewable resource) #1 (renewable energy OR renewable resource) #3 china #2 (environmental protection OR environment impact OR sustainable development) Develop Search Strategies Skills:1. Grouping keywords together 2. Combination of groups of keywords • Concepts Needed? - Synonyms Environmental protection OR Environmental impact Sustainable development Renewable energy OR Renewable resource china Group 1AWind, solar energy, geothermal, tidal, biomass AND AND

Use of Renewable Energy solves the environmental problems in China? Concepts Needed Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Environmental protection Environmental impact Sustainable development Renewable energy Renewable resource china Group 1A + Group 2 Group 1A + Group 2+ Group 3A #1 (wind OR solar energy) #1 (wind OR solar energy) #2 (environmental protection OR environment impact ORsustainable development) #2 (environmental protection OR environment impact OR sustainable development) #3 Xinjiang Develop Search Strategies Skills:1. Too many records=>Narrow Down the search 2. Too few records=>Broaden the search • Concepts Needed? - Synonyms Group 3AXin Jiang Group 1AWind, solar energy, geothermal, tidal, biomass

* Conference Papers Index * Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management * Geography • Provides citations to papers presented at major scientific meetings around the world since 1982. • Subject emphasis since 1995 has been in life sciences, and environmental sciences. • indexes over 5980 scientific journals, conference proceedings, reports, and monographs in environmental sciences from 1967 onwards • thesaurus • Link to full-text e-journals subscribed by HKBU • covers international literature in physical and human geography from over 2000 journals, monographs, books, conference proceedings reports, and theses. Major Electronic Resources in GEOG Subject Related • Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management • Geography • TOXLINE • Conference Papers Index

Current Events WiseNews Lexis-Nexis Academic HK TV Programs Db. * JSTOR * Project Muse • 6 e-journals in “Ecology” • 8 e-journals in “Geography” • 9 e-journals in “Population studies” • The earliest back issue dated back to 1876 • Historical study of a subject • About 2 e-journals in “Geography”, “Population studies • About 12 e-journals in “Asian studies” • Full-text Major Electronic Resources in GEOG Full-text Databases • Academic Research Library • Academic Search Elite E-Books/E-Journals • NetLibrary • Project Muse • JSTOR

* 中國統計數據庫 (China InfoBank) * 中文科技期刊數據庫 * China Journal Net 中國期刊網 * 中華民國期刊論文索引影像系統 • Phrase search e.g. 可再生能源 • Boolean operators (全部字詞命中=AND, 任意字詞命中=OR, 全部字詞不出現=NOT) • 在前次結果中檢索 • 傳統檢索, 高級檢索, 分類檢索 • 全文下載 • VIP browser/ PDF file • covers all aspects of the study of Chinese & English core journals • 收錄中、英文核心期刊和專業期刊5,000余种，收錄時間由1994年開始。 • CAJ viewer • PDF file • 2700+ Chinese & English journals from China, HK & Taiwanfrom 1991 • 收錄1991年以來館藏台灣及部份港澳地區出版的中西文學術期刊學報2700+之論文篇目 Chinese Electronic Resources Chinese e-Resources • China Journal Net 中國期刊網 1994-(Big5 or GB) (全文數據庫 –社會科學專輯: 人口學與計劃生育) • 中國期刊題錄數據庫(GB) – http://www.cnki.net理工A輯:地球科學、天文學;理工B輯:能源、環境科學; 理工C輯: 交通運輸、水利工程;農業專輯 : 林業、農業、水產、漁業 • 中華民國期刊論文索引影像系統1991- • 中國統計數據庫 (China InfoBank) • 中文科技期刊數據庫 – 生物科學專輯全文 (GB)

: Campus-wide Web-based Bibliographic Management Tool • Functions: • Import references directly from major databases available through the Library homepage and the Library Catalogue or from text files, or enter references manually. • Create personal folders and organize references into folders for different topics • Format in-text citations • Create bibliographies in a variety of citation styles including APA, MLA, and • Chicago. • Access your references from any location via the Web Unit 2.2: Citing Information Resources @Library Tutorials How to Create your Bibliography?

Access to Resources Beyond HKBU Library –Final-Year • Apply for a Temp. Reader's Card • HK$50 per application • valid for 3 months, non-renewable • endorsement from supervisor; interview • Request books that our Library does not hold or that have been checked out, but that are held by other libraries with the status "AVAILABLE" throughHong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL) • Online Interlibrary Loan Request • First 20 articles per academic year free of charge • Web-based HKBU ILL System • First-time user registration • Keep track of the status of requests online • Retrieve electronic articles on desktop • HK$5 charge for each additional article filled by local libraries.

Library Workshop for Preparation of Honours Project