5 Tips on How to Develop a Search Strategy

5 Tips on How to Develop a Search Strategy 5 Tips on How to Develop a Search Strategy In academic writing, a â€Å"search strategy† refers to the methods used to find sources. You’ll often have to document your search strategy in the methodology section of a thesis or dissertation. But how do you develop a good search strategy? It depends on what you’re researching, but these five tips are a great starting point. 1. Selecting Databases Your college library should offer access to various academic databases. But not all of these will be relevant to your work (e.g., if you’re studying medicine, you probably won’t need the American Meteorological Society’s Meteorological Geoastrophysical Abstracts database). Unless you take under the weather literally. Consequently, you should either select the most relevant databases via your library’s search engine or access individual databases online. You should also make sure to list the databases used when you write up your search strategy. 2. Search Terms Next, you’ll need to select relevant search terms. Some of these should be obvious based on your research topic (e.g., if you’re writing about mummification in ancient Egypt, you’ll definitely want to search for â€Å"mummification† and â€Å"Egypt†). Well preserved.(Photo: dada/wikimedia) For others, though, you may need to brainstorm related terms. One option is looking at a few papers related to your topic and seeing which keywords they use in their abstracts. 3. Wildcards and Truncation You can increase the number of results you get from a search using â€Å"wildcards† and â€Å"truncation†: Wildcards are symbols used to find alternative spellings of the same term. If a wildcard is represented by a â€Å"!† symbol, for instance, you could search for â€Å"Ram!ses† to find variant spellings of the name (e.g., Ramses, Rameses, Ramesses). Truncations allow you to search for various endings to the same term. So if a truncation is represented by a â€Å"*,† you could search for â€Å"Egypt*† to bring up results that include â€Å"Egyptology† and â€Å"Egyptian.† The symbols for these may depend on the database, so remember to check the â€Å"help† section when using a new database to find out how to use wildcards and truncation. 4. Using Boolean Operators Another way of customizing search results is to use Boolean operators. The three main terms you’ll need here are â€Å"AND,† â€Å"OR,† and â€Å"NOT.† The â€Å"AND† operator allows you to search for papers that contain more than one search term (e.g., â€Å"mummification AND Ancient Egypt†). The â€Å"OR† operator, meanwhile, will return results that feature either of the search terms mentioned (e.g., â€Å"mummification or burial rites†). Or Mummies AND Cats.(Photo: Mario Snchez/wikimedia) â€Å"NOT† lets you exclude certain results from a search. For instance, if you only wanted to find results about ancient Egyptian mummies, you could search for â€Å"mummification NOT bog bodies† to exclude European mummies found in peat bogs.   5. Limiting Searches You can also control searches using limiting conditions. These are the options that allow you to filter certain results for relevance. Common filters include language (e.g., searching only for papers published in English) and date of publication (e.g., searching only for papers published after 2005). The limiters available may depend on the database, but they can be useful if a term returns too many results.

Reviewing The Achievements Of Looked After Kids Social Work Essay Essay Example

Reviewing The Achievements Of Looked After Kids Social Work Essay Essay Example Reviewing The Achievements Of Looked After Kids Social Work Essay Essay Reviewing The Achievements Of Looked After Kids Social Work Essay Essay Essay Topic: Kids Research shows that the educational accomplishments of looked after kids is by and large low. Pulling upon findings from multiple beginnings this research highlights what the grounds may be. Beginnings have shown that looked after kids have hapless educational attainment at GCSE and merely 7 % of looked after kids go through to higher instruction ( Parliament statistics, 2009 ) . The authorities s response to this job has been through underscoring the importance of instruction for kids in attention through a series of publications. With such a high degree of media involvement this issue needs more consideration. Social work practicians who have contact with looked after kids need to be cognizant of how to successfully advance such accomplishment and how to forestall low educational results. This literature reappraisal will inquire why there has nt been a important alteration in the educational accomplishment of looked after kids and what the deductions are for societal work pattern. Rees, 2006 high spots that the authorities has produced marks to better the educational results for looked after kids. However within the current clime of fiscal restraints most marks can non be met. Therefore the deductions to societal work pattern are huge. The term looked after was introduced in 1989 by the Children Act. Looked after kids are those who are capable to a attention order, there are about 60,000 kids who are looked after by local governments in England. Statisticss have shown that the chief ground why societal services first engage with looked after kids was because of maltreatment or disregard, when kids are capable to a attention order parental duties are vested in the local authorization through the societal services section. Therefore it s the local authorization s duty to assist these kids entree instruction, to guarantee their results are brighter than the 1 they could hold faced. The authorities s response to this major job has been to bit by bit underscore the importance of instruction for looked after kids in such documents as Every kid affairs ( section of wellness, 2004 ) and Time for a alteration ( section of wellness, 2007 ) . Although Rees, 2006 found that because of the current economic clime we are confronting any marks that the authorities has set the local governments to work to can non be achieved. Previous research has shown that looked after kids have low educational attainment ( Jackson, Ajayi and Quigley, Martin and Jackson, Goddard, Mittler and Jackson, Heath, Colton and Aldgate, Gallagher, Brannan, Jones and Simon ) . 6 % of looked after kids go on to entree third instruction. Several beginnings of research and articles indicate the deficiency of formal makings among kids in attention, hence the chance of them come ining higher instruction negligible. A argument triggered by Lord Listowel highlighted the jobs faced by kids in attention, he argued that the demands of kids in attention were non recognised. He emphasized that despite efforts to better the preparation of staff in residential places some were still non trained in 2005, whereas in other Continental states all staff have two to three old ages of instruction at University degree. Poor educational attainment at GCSE degree was besides highlighted, at approximately one per kid, which is really low compared to 65.3 per centum of the general population. Jackson et Al, 2005 found that kids in attention come ining University needed particular aid, being supported while at that place comparable to that provided to other pupils by their households. Documents found so far have highlighted several grounds for the low educational accomplishments of looked after kids. Heath, Colton and Aldgate, 1994 found that kids who have a history of kid maltreatment or disregard before come ining attention appears to hold permanent effects. They found that merely when exceeding instruction inputs are given that the looked after kids escape disadvantage. A survey by Rees, 2006 echoes this study, most looked after kids that have experienced disregard, maltreatment or rejection are affected enormously. The impact it has can be womb-to-tomb influencing emotional, physical well-being every bit good as societal and educational chances. This study found that equal fond regard is a demand to guarantee recovery, professional attention should guarantee this is established. Poor results for looked after kids demonstrates that we need to better services to better these results. A survey from McLeod, 2008 found that kids in local authorization attention need a positive and sustained personal relationship with their societal worker to advance their well-being. So when this relationship is in upset how much of a negative consequence does it hold on the looked after kid? The Who Cares Trust plants in assisting kids in attention to boom. They found that kids in attention are more likely to travel about than those non in attention and approximately 10 times more likely to hold a statement of particular educational demands. They found that some still do acquire good classs and enter University or follow a career, besides that the associating factor between those making good, despite their past attention experiences has been a individual who has faith in that looked after kid. This research subject was chosen because I have an involvement in looked after kids and their results, holding experience in the subject was besides portion of the ground for taking the research inquiry. I know i want to work in this country hopefully this paper will assist me gain my calling aspirations. I think it s of import to bridge the spread of cognition available to professionals so they have an apprehension of the grounds why the bulk of looked after kids do non entree third instruction and have low educational accomplishments and what societal workers and other professionals can make to assist them accomplish better results. There is no research available which covers this inquiry in item that besides brings in policies and betterments. There are many grounds as to why looked after kids have low instruction attainment, this literature reappraisal will review documents that cover a broad scope of issues to reason the chief grounds, whilst matching to policies and happening the reply to the proposed inquiry and happening the deductions for societal work pattern Research Question The bulk of looked after kids have low educational accomplishments compared to the remainder of the population. Why is this and what are the deductions for societal work pattern? Design and Method There are a figure of ways that the informations can be collected. A systematic reappraisal could hold been used as its method for roll uping informations, nevertheless the narrow focal point and methods of the systematic reappraisal do nt let for comprehensive coverage of the subject, whereas the narrative reappraisal is comprehensive and covers a broad scope of issues which is why the narrative reappraisal as the method for roll uping informations was chosen. The job with utilizing a narrative reappraisal is that it s an interpretative exercising which may do prejudice, which the research worker should be cognizant of at all times. Particularly as they have experience of this country of societal work. The literature used in this thesis will be identified through a systematic hunt of databases, diaries, web sites and books and through mention harvest home. A Narrative reappraisal will be undertaken and finding of the research for inclusion, based upon standards reflecting the methodological quality of documents will be considered. This narrative reappraisal will summarize a scope of primary surveies sing this subject, decisions are drawn by uniting observations from the reappraisal with bing theories and theoretical accounts. A best grounds attack will be used to methodically choose the best literature which was most relevant and of the best quality to include in the reappraisal. Please see appendix 1 for the Search scheme. This best grounds attack selects the literature which has most relevancy to the research inquiry, the literature that gave the best reply to the research inquiry and the quality of research methods and how it reported its findings. The overarching topic of this literature reappraisal is to research the research involved in this subject paying peculiar attending to the different attacks and theoretical accounts being considered to increase the educational accomplishment of looked after kids. Resources, hazards and timetable The chief resources to be used throughout this literature reappraisal are the usage of databases, books, computing machines, authorities statute law and attacks. The research worker will hold to pay attending to printing costs and the jobs the research worker may confront in accessing diaries. The research worker will necessitate sufficient equipment to bring forth the reappraisal and a Supervisor to forestall the research worker from traveling off path. The jobs found so far are that non all documents are accessible and this may impact the consequences of the reappraisal. Time direction could be an issue if the research worker does nt lodge to the timeline set out. Timetable February 2010 March-May 2010 June- August 2010 August- October 2010 November December 2010 January 2011 February 2011 Hand in research proposal. Meet with coach one time finalised subjects to be covered. Continue hunt for documents, read literature Continue reading literature, get down compose up Continue authorship. Re-write and redacting Final cheque, adhering Hand in Dissertation Every month the research worker will run into with their supervisor to discourse advancement with the reappraisal, offer feedback when needed, offer counsel and rede the research worker about affairs of presentation and administration.

Education policy in USA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Education policy in USA - Term Paper Example It has often been argued that education policies adopted by USA have not been as effective as expected during the planning phase owing to the persistence of several problems. One of the critical issues in the educational policy of USA can be identified as the lack of adequate number of teachers as compared to the number of students. Consequently, there is unevenness in the student-teacher ratio that is affecting the education system of the country. Furthermore, it has been analyzed that the rise in tuition fees of the collages is also an important issue to be worth discussing in the education policy of USA. It has also been viewed that the graduation percentage of USA has been decreasing in the recent times, probably because of the rising high education prices. Evidently, the government has been concerned about such issues, and thus, USA today aims to be the best in providing education in the world and lead the world in terms of college graduates by the year 2020 assisting educationa l institutions and states with requisite funding in order to minimize financial burden on schools which in turn is expected to cut education expenses in the country (AASCU, â€Å"Top 10 Higher Education State Policy Issues for 2010† Policy Almanac, â€Å"Education†; Policy Insider, â€Å"U.S. Dept. of Education Continues Funding School Improvement Grants†). The issues mentioned above are quite significant in relation to the development of the education system of the country. For instance, less student-teacher ratio would mean that students could be able to learn more efficiently and increase their chances of success. It has also been viewed that the success or the development of the students largely depends on the teachers.... orld and lead the world in terms of college graduates by the year 2020 assisting educational institutions and states with requisite funding in order to minimize financial burden on schools which in turn is expected to cut education expenses in the country (AASCU, â€Å"Top 10 Higher Education State Policy Issues for 2010† Policy Almanac, â€Å"Education†; Policy Insider, â€Å"U.S. Dept. of Education Continues Funding School Improvement Grants†). Significance The issues mentioned above are quite significant in relation to the development of the education system of the country. For instance, less student-teacher ratio would mean that students could be able to learn more efficiently and increase their chances of success. It has also been viewed that the success or the development of the students largely depends on the teachers. Additionally, the issue of rise in tuition fees has also affected the higher education in USA by a significant extent, especially among the low-income group and middle-income group students. Although the government has been allocating requisite funding to the schools, the occurrence of recent financial turmoil as well as the recessionary conditions in the economy can be identified to have widened the issue of rising education costs in USA. Hence, as education acts as a backbone of societal development, USA needs to intervene and solve such issues as failure to do so would de-motivate people from pursuing higher education courses and thus hampering the overall progress of the society on the whole (AASCU, â€Å"Top 10 Higher Education State Policy Issues for 2010†; Hopkins, â€Å"Colleges with the Lowest Student-Faculty Ratios†). Future Prospects It has been observed that the performance of the education policy of USA in the recent years has not been