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Intro To Proseminar: Geo 518 Winter 2006: Geo 518 Anne Nolin and Dawn Wright

This document provides an overview and outline for an introductory geography course called GEO 518 at Oregon State University. It discusses course information like objectives, assignments, and grading. It also outlines the major areas of geography studied at OSU, including physical, resource, and geographic information science. Additionally, it offers guidance on selecting a research topic, including 11 points to consider, and developing keywords. Finally, it provides a detailed overview of how to conduct a literature review, including identifying relevant sources, evaluating information, and managing the literature search process.

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78 views23 pages

Intro To Proseminar: Geo 518 Winter 2006: Geo 518 Anne Nolin and Dawn Wright

This document provides an overview and outline for an introductory geography course called GEO 518 at Oregon State University. It discusses course information like objectives, assignments, and grading. It also outlines the major areas of geography studied at OSU, including physical, resource, and geographic information science. Additionally, it offers guidance on selecting a research topic, including 11 points to consider, and developing keywords. Finally, it provides a detailed overview of how to conduct a literature review, including identifying relevant sources, evaluating information, and managing the literature search process.

Uploaded by

ipilakyaa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Intro to ProSeminar: Geo 518

Winter 2006
GEO 518
Anne Nolin and Dawn Wright

Outline for 9 January 2006

Course information
Introductions
Three major areas of OSU geography
Honing in on a research topic
Listing your keywords
The literature review: the Hows, Whys and
Wherefores

Course Information

Syllabus and course website


Learning objectives
Weekly readings
Assignments

Grading
20% Attendance & participation as well as short inclass assignments
20% Homework assignments
20% Student-led panel discussions
40% Research proposal including:

outline (with some detail)


written proposal
presentation of proposal
appendix of an annotated bibliography of 10 scientific
articles.

OSU Geography Program


Definitions:
Physical Geography
Resource Geography
Geographic Information Science

Introductions

Honing in on a research topic


"It is really important to do the right
research as well as to do the research
right. You need to do 'wow' research,
research that is compelling, not just
interesting."George Springer, chairman
of the aeronautics and astronautics
department at Stanford University

11 points to consider (From Robert Smith,


in his book Graduate Research: A Guide for Students
in the Sciences (ISI Press, 1984)

Can it be enthusiastically pursued?


Can interest be sustained by it?
Is the problem solvable?
Is it worth doing?
Will it lead to other research problems?
Is it manageable in size?

11 points (continued)

What is the potential for making an original


contribution to the literature in the field?
If the problem is solved, will the results be
reviewed well by scholars in your field?
Are you, or will you become, competent to
solve it?
By solving it, will you have demonstrated
independent skills in your discipline?
Will the necessary research prepare you in
an area of demand or promise for the
future?

Where to start?
Develop a list of
keywords that
describe your interest
in a particular
research area

Snow
Glaciers/ice sheets
Climate change
Arctic
Pacific Northwest
Water resources
Sea level rise
Socio-economic impacts
Remote sensing
Sensor webs

The Literature Review


The Hows, Whys, and Wherefores

What is a Literature Review?


an overview of previous research on your
research topic
a comprehensive review of all published
research that is relevant to your proposed
investigation and guided by your research
objectives

Questions to Keep in Mind:

What is known about the subject?


Are there any gaps in the knowledge of the subject?
Have areas of further study been identified by other researchers that you may
want to consider?
Who are the significant research personalities in this area?
Is there consensus about the topic?
What aspects have generated significant debate on the topic?
What methods or problems were identified by others studying in the field
and how might they impact your research?
What is the most productive methodology for your research based on the
literature you have reviewed?
What is the current status of research in this area?
What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to
you?

(from http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/litrev.html)

Purpose of a Literature Review


Convey the depth and breadth of research that
has been accomplished on a subject
Supports the motivation and significance of the
research
Identify important issues and link to hypotheses
Identify key areas of missing knowledge
Describe methodologies used
Describe existing data sets
Link proposed research to previous and ongoing
research efforts -- provide context

Purpose of a Lit Review


Helps you learn everything about your
subject
Ensures that you are not reinventing the
wheel
Helps you learn about the people in the
field (important for networking)

How to do a Literature Review

Define the research topic


Compile and prioritize a list of keywords
Identify sources of information
Read, evaluate, analyze all the works
Discuss findings and conclusions with others -- important
for understanding context, gaps in previous research
Divide works into supportive and antithetical positions
Identify relationships between works in the literature
Articulate how these apply to your research

Identify Resources

Books
Journals
Conference Papers
Dissertations
Bibliographies
Maps
Internet
Indexes/Abstracts Printed
Electronic Databases
Government publications
Theses
Interviews and other unpublished research

Assessment
Assess the quality of the information source:
refereed journal article?
conference proceedings?
corporate report?

Assess the standing of the author

academic?
journalist?
government employee?
is the work in their major field of research?

Evaluate the Information

determine the facts/points of view


examine new findings
question assumptions
determine if methodology is appropriate
are the objectives clearly outlined
do the conclusions logically follow from the
objectives?
identify classic, landmark articles

Continually Evaluate Your


Research Process
No relevant information?
Need to reconsider your search strategy
New keywords
Explore other disciplines for information

Too many irrelevant items?


Re-evaluate keywords
Narrow scope of your search

Document your search strategy


Keep multiple lists of keywords
Indicate what works, what doesnt

Getting the Information

Download full text from the Internet


University library
Interlibrary loan
Government offices
Specialty libraries

Information Management
Select a strategy for organizing information
Notecards (primitive but it works!)
List of references on a computer
Bibliographic database software (EndNote)

Develop good lit search habits


Start immediately
Keep searches up to date
Summarize papers that you read

Questions?

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