As a research assistant, I have used an electronic index extensively to find specific subject articles. However, I have never so intensely narrowed my search results as described and practiced in the course tutorial. I can see the relevance and use for such a narrowed search, but personally found difficulty in obtaining results on less researched topics, for example, geriatric assisted suicide. The narrowed search was ineffective for finding the information needed. My second try using the narrowed search, I chose a smoking and cancer to see how narrowed the results would be on a general term. I was impressed the search returned results in the hundreds instead of the thousands.
The guideline index has an only one edge of being able to create a reference page within the same software. I will use a guideline index when I am only looking within specific universities. A guideline index provides me with a smaller results and a smaller database. I enjoy using a guideline index and an electronic index together. By exporting my references to the guideline index, I can narrow my search results to specific topics, and I can create, share, save on file, e-mail, and cite articles and research papers very quickly.
A web search is my last effort to obtain a free article before accessing interlibrary loan. Google Scholar is the search I use the most. However, I have used other browsers to perform random searches for articles and authors. Most articles can be found easily through a web browser, but, I have found that most articles are not free, and one cannot determine the cost of the article until after clicking into the sponsored website.
Eccles and Marriot Libraries have multiple tabs that I will try prior to performing a random search online. If the article is a periodical, articles can be accessed by specifically searching for electronic journals. Most articles after 2003 are available electronically online. Secondly, finding the journal is a lot easier than scrolling through pages of search results of key words or author. Other websites that I have used in the past are National Institute of Health, the Center for Disease Control, and up-to-date.com.
Contextual relevant data retrieval doesn’t work for me very well either. Information search in the context tends to pick specific words right out of the text that usually is very limited in relevance and validity of my search. Contextual relevant data retrieval works occasionally, but is similar to online searches. Times that contextual data retrieval works great is when I am trying to find specific word complexes within the article text. Instead of reading the whole article, I can skip right to the paragraph my search word is describing. This type of search works great, when I am looking for a reference on subject matter, not so much the whole article.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Module 2 Question 2
The first tab that I normally use in endnote is the collect tab. This tab allows me to search online through specific databases; I use the University of Utah and the Eccles Library. Secondly, the collect tab allows me to import saved references from EBSCOHost, CINAHL, PubMed and other like databases. I can organize my documents through the creation of subfolders under the organize tab to quickly access subject specific articles.
Lastly, if the format tab, this one is my favorite. With this tab I can select the folder created under my collect and organize tab, specific to the subject I want to share or reference. Then, I choose the bibliographic style, such as, MLA, or APA, my favorite is Annotated APA 5th. Finally, I choose the format, HTML, rich text, or plain text. After I have completed these steps I can share the data through e-mail, printing, or saving the data to be accessed at a later time. Again, my favorite is to preview and print, this automatically alphabetizes my list and formats a correct reference page. I usually copy and paste this document to the word document associated. There is a, “Cite while you write plug-in,” that will cite and reference information has you write the paper. I have attempted use of this several times, but have issues getting the software to work appropriately, or being able to export the references without getting gobblegook. The functionality of endnote is amazing, plus, I can access the webpage for free through http://www.myendnote.web. The ease of Endnote’s use keeps me coming back to perform literature searches and format extensive reference pages.
Lastly, if the format tab, this one is my favorite. With this tab I can select the folder created under my collect and organize tab, specific to the subject I want to share or reference. Then, I choose the bibliographic style, such as, MLA, or APA, my favorite is Annotated APA 5th. Finally, I choose the format, HTML, rich text, or plain text. After I have completed these steps I can share the data through e-mail, printing, or saving the data to be accessed at a later time. Again, my favorite is to preview and print, this automatically alphabetizes my list and formats a correct reference page. I usually copy and paste this document to the word document associated. There is a, “Cite while you write plug-in,” that will cite and reference information has you write the paper. I have attempted use of this several times, but have issues getting the software to work appropriately, or being able to export the references without getting gobblegook. The functionality of endnote is amazing, plus, I can access the webpage for free through http://www.myendnote.web. The ease of Endnote’s use keeps me coming back to perform literature searches and format extensive reference pages.
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