Dissertation Research Support - Design - Industrial and Product - LibGuides at Institute of Technology Carlow

Introduction

The aim of this page is to highlight online SETU Carlow Library resources that are useful if you are completing a dissertation/research project.

Highlighted resources include research methodology material such as relevant e-books / databases and tips for effectively managing your referencing workflow.

For guidelines on chapter layout etc please refer to your dissertation pack or consult with your supervisor.

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Good Research Practice

þ Keep track of your information sources as you are using them. When searching online Library databases keep a record of relevant journal articles etc. Use the Download or Email facility available through these resources to record Citation/Referencing details or use a Reference Management tool such as EndNote.

þ Be organised when undertaking your research – develop a sustainable workflow

þ Seek clarification from your lecturer/tutor if you are unsure about assignment expectations

þ Practice good time management when completing your assignments – give yourself enough time to write your assignment properly and complete your referencing properly

Research Methods Resources

E-Books

SETU Carlow Library provides access to a broad range of e-books covering the areas of research methods, use of research methodologies, statistical analysis etc via the databases Sage Research Methods and our dedicated e-book database E-book Central.

Sage Research Methods

SETU's subscription provides full-text access to a wide range of books offering extensive overviews on all aspects of Research Methods. Access is also provided to a range of podcasts from researchers in the Social Sciences and how they deal with methodological issues.

E-Book Central

There are a broad range of Research Methods e-books available through this database:

Some useful titles include the following:

Design Research Through Practice: From the Lab, Field and Showroom (2011) I. Koskinen

Design As Research: Positions, Arguments, Perspectives (2016) G. Joost

Architectural Research Methods (2013) L.N. Groat, D. Wang

Research Methods for Business Students (2019) M. Saunders

Design Methods and Practices for Research of Project Management (2015) B. Pasian, R. Turner

Understanding Business Research (2012) B. Weathington

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioners Guide to User Research (2003) M. Kuniavsky

Human-Computer Interaction: An Empirical Research Perspective (2013) I.S. Mackenzie

Managing Your Referencing Workflow

It is recommended that you effectively manage your referencing workflow as you progress through your literature searching. It is advisable to save the referencing details of relevant material such as journal articles, case studies, books etc that you are consulting for your literature review. These bibliographic details will be required for your bibliography. To this end, it is useful to use a referencing management software tool which allows you to collate, organise and format your references. When searching Search and Find: Online Resources it is also possible to email a list of saved references through the Folder option.

Reference Management Tools can help you to easily organise, store and manage your citations. Choose the citation tool most applicable to your needs and easily cite as you write, with add-ons for MS Word and Google Docs. Endnote is the main reference management tool supported by SETU Carlow Libraries, with a licensing agreement in place. However, there are many free open source tools which you may find suitable for your research.

There are two versions of Endnote : Online and Desktop

EndNote Online: Available without downloading to your computer or adding a licence key. You can use it to collect and format your references and create bibliographies. The web version is free but you need to register and set up an account, you can do this here http://www.myendnoteweb.com
Endnote Desktop version: This is the full licenced version of EndNote and it needs to be installed onto your computer. You need to get an installation link and a product licence key to complete the installation.

EndNote Online

EndNote Online (formerly called EndNote Web) allows you to access your EndNote library from any PC with an Internet connection, to create bibliographies in Word and to share your library with group members.

Creating an EndNote Online account

When you first access EndNote Online you MUST Register at https://www.myendnoteweb.com/. Once you have created your account you will be able to use EndNote from anywhere once you have a PC with Internet access.

Once an account has been set up it is possible to export references from the Search and Find: Online Resources search service to EndNote Online by the following method:

Exporting records to Endnote Online from the Search and Find: Online Resources Saved Items folder.

When a search of Search and Find: Online Resources is performed and records have been saved into the Saved Items folder using the icon these items can be exported to EndNote Online by opening the Saved Items folder and selecting the required references and then the Export option:

On the next screen selected the Direct Export to EndNote Online option:

and click on Save

NOTE: it is recommended that EndNote Online is opened before starting the export process – if EndNote Online has not been opened, the login screen will be shown before the export is completed.

Once finished EndNote Online will display a confirmation that the export has successfully completed: