Postgraduates & Researchers: Finding & Evaluating Current Research

Conducting research at Postgraduate level involves being able to find reliable resources and evaluate them.

This page takes you through some of the steps you should consider when finding resources in science based subjects.

This content complements our Finding Resources Step-by-Step Guide on the Online Study Skills Hub, which we recommend you complete first.

Where can I find relevant academic resources? 

In addition to using UR Library Search to search for books and articles using keywords, other options include:

• Using your module reading lists to see which authors and journals your tutors are recommending you use.
• Exploring the databases listed on your subject resources page. Read the description of each database to decide if the collection is relevant to your research area.
• Using the eJournals Finder to locate journal titles in your subject area. 
• If you find a useful article for a topic, take a look at the article references to find more relevant papers (known as citation chasing). You can also use an article to find more recent resources.

What is Citation Chasing? 

You can use the publications you have in-hand to track down other relevant sources.

Watch the video below for a demonstration of how this works. By the end you should be able to:
--Chase citations BACKWARDS (find relevant publications based on the sources cited in the literature you are reading)
--Chase citations FORWARDS (find relevant publications based on the sources that have cited the literature you are reading)

Using filters to refine your search

Databases usually hold a range of different types of material. Take a look at the filters to help you refine results to the type of sources you want to use. 

Look for journal articles, research articles and academic journals. Some databases may also have a 'peer reviewed' filter, or you may even be able to refine by the type of research conducted, e.g. limiting to Randomised Control Trials in PubMed.

When researching at postgraduate level, you are expected to use databases to locate resources involving academic research. Some research modules may ask you to conduct systematic reviews, which are not covered in this guide.

Scan the Title and Abstract

Scan the title and abstract of the articles to see if it is relevant to the area you want to research.

Review the Subject Headings

Some databases includes lists of Subject Headings or Keywords for a journal article. Reviewing these can help you to pick out further keywords to use in your search.

Citation Metrics

You may have heard the terms 'citation metrics', 'journal impact factor', 'research impact factor', or 'bibliometrics' mentioned in relation to academic journals. These are terms related to the metrics developed to evaluate and assess research articles.

These metrics have been used in academia to support academic promotions and in applications for funding.

The original metrics were based on how often a piece of research was cited by other researchers in peer-reviewed journals.

Over time further metrics have been developed based on other factors such as how often they are cited in social media; these are known as alternative metrics or altmetrics, and researchers have also started using these in their research.

A more detailed history and overview of such metrics is available through UR Library Search:

Lasda, E.M (2019) A brief history and overview, in Lasda, E.M. (ed.) The New Metrics: Practical Assessment of Research Impact. Bingley: Emerald Publishing, pp. 1-13. doi:10.1108/978-1-78973-269-620191001

Using Metrics

There are a variety of metrics available. Here are two that are used in the science field.

SCOPUS  - gives you details of how often a journal article cited. Enter your subject area details to view list.

SCOPUS help guides include descriptions of the different table headings presented.

Some databases such as Science Direct include altmetrics such as PlumX alongside the research article.

Useful tips on reading a paper

• Check title and abstract for relevancy before continuing to read on.
• Pay attention to the methodology and results.
• Skim read the discussions and conclusions to get the author's opinions on what the results reveal, but remember you need to scrutinise the results yourself and see if you agree with the authors' conclusions.

This quick, four minute video summarises the creator's own way of reading a paper (journal article), which you may find useful as a starting point.

This blog post by Jennifer Raff (Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas) explains the process of reading a scientific paper/journal article in more detail with guiding questions to help you make notes.