My previous posts this week looked at research and expanding the wealth of information you can amass.

Since we’re on the topic, I thought I’d finish up by offering a few links to get you thinking even further.

Happy weekend reading!

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Harvard Business Review (Editors’ Blog) - Can Google Lengthen Our Attention Span?

[Google doesn't have to make us dumb.  With curiosity and questioning, there's plenty to chew on.]

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Study Matrix Blog - Becoming an Outstanding Critical Thinker

[The wonderfully detailed Study Matrix Blog comes up trumps again with this extensive post.  Covering the traits of a critical thinker, problem solving and questioning tactics, I suggest you tuck in to this before, during, and after your research sessions.  Questions are more fun than answers and often uncover more in the long run.]

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A Don’s Life - Why Research is Fun

[Despite tipping her hat to Google Books, Mary Beard explains here why research can sometimes uncover more than you would expect.  Libraries are still able to surprise...]

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Oxford University Press Blog

[Just a bit of fun, or a serious resource?  According to the OUPblog's page:

"The talented authors, staff and friends of Oxford University Press provide daily commentary on nearly every subject under the sun, from philosophy to literature to economics. OUPblog is a source like no other on the blogosphere for learning, understanding and reflection."

And it's not just the postings that are interesting.  There's also a fantastic collection of links, as well as up to date links to the Oxford English Dictionary's 'Word of the Day' and other updated dictionary entries.  Whether or not you're able to make academic use of the posts, they are sure to give you food for thought.  The enlightenment may get you in the mood to discover all sorts of new information in your own field of study.]

Yesterday, I ranted talked about the role of Google in obtaining useful information on an academic level.  Today, some ideas on going ‘beyond’ Google.  Or, if you really do like Google, how to get the most out of it.  Let’s sniff out the winning ways:

Photo by BryonRealey

1. Show positivity in your quest for accurate data and important information - There’s no point in making your search casual.  Research is just as important as the coursework itself.  In fact, it’s probably more vital, given that you’re meant to back up your claims and sources and reasoning.  As a result, take your search seriously and allow a positive attitude while you work.
2. Make good use of librarians and use their expertise in taking what you need to help in your study - Ask questions and explain what you’re trying to find.  You’re not looking for the librarians to give you the answers to life, you’re looking for them to point you in the right direction.  A good librarian can help uncover amazing resources that you can then use to your full advantage.
3. Use your own initiative too! - Librarians can help you out, but I bet you could surprise yourself with how much you could unearth yourself.  Actively pursue what’s available at your institution and beyond.  The more you consider for yourself, the more focused your questions will be when you do need to ask others for guidance.
4. Discover books outside the library (and still borrow them) - Searching the library catalogue in isolation may not uncover all the books available to help your study.  Go beyond the library catalogue…use COPAC, check the British Library catalogues, browse your subject and specific keywords on Amazon.  And when you find the books that sound useful, borrow them through the inter-library loans system.  All libraries have a slightly different way of dealing with inter-library loans, so ask how your system works.
5. Use a multiude of resources - That is to say, exploit the Internet and libraries to the full.  Most libraries subscribe to a number of journals and collaborative sites that will keep you knee-deep in the latest word on what you study.  Citing the latest papers in your field (so long as they’re relevant!) will help show you know your stuff.
6. Public libraries hold additional benefits - Don’t ignore public libraries just because your institutional libraries hold so many goodies.  One benefit of a local library is that they subscribe to various online services too, giving you free access to useful databases, encyclopedias, business stats, and so on.  If you’re living away from the family home, sign up with the library where you’re now staying.  Then you’ll be able to use the resources from two different library areas, because they do all differ slightly.
7. Use subject portals - If Google really does impress you that much on search, use it to find ‘portals’ on the broad topics you’re studying.  But if you can bear to go beyond your own attempts at search, check your library website (or ask a librarian) for their online list of handpicked websites that cater to your specialist subject.  The less work you have to do finding the sources of information, the more time you get to read through the information itself.
8. Use Search Operators - Sticking with Google again, when you want to make sure you’re getting worthwhile results, you need to make sure your query is damn good.  Google Guide can help you along the way with references on search operators like this and this.
9. Improve your Google search with date-related articles - If you want only the latest information, or if you’re researching something that hadn’t happened longer than a fortnight ago, Google cannot help with just a standard search.  However, if you add &as_qdr=d to the end of the web address when you make your search, Google adds a little dropdown menu after the search term, allowing you to find results from the last 24 hours, week, month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, or year.  As an example, check the difference between a standard search for ‘university’ and a search for ‘university’ in only the past week.
10. Check other search engines - Maybe search is the way you like to work.  Google is just one of many search tools.  For other ways of researching the Internet, check out the alternative search engines out there.  They all have unique benefits and may be just what you’re looking for to bring the quality of your Web search forward.
11. Check forums, news sources, online journals and anything that carries up to date research and information - Not all pages get indexed by Google, even if Google points to their main homepage.  And when Google does index it, that doesn’t mean it’s updated straight away.  Get bookmarking!
12. Make the most of RSS feeds - Save time and bring the information straight to you.  If you aren’t using a feed reader, or you don’t know what RSS is, check out the following links to discover the magic…Road 2 Graduation (What is RSS?) / Angela Maiers (The Power of RSS Feeds) / Mashable! (RSS & Giving Away Music) / Internet Duct Tape (Really Simple Syndication) / Pelf-ism (Step-by-step to RSS) / Problogger (What is RSS?) / Back in Skinny Jeans (How to explain RSS the Oprah way)
13. Don’t rely on a single source for an ‘answer’ - Whether it’s a reference book or a trusted website, they don’t always get their facts 100% right.  If you want to be sure, use a number of resources.  That’s pretty much the point of this whole post.
14. Remember your own reference books - You have set texts and reading lists for a reason.  Hopefully your bookshelf has at least a few books.  The detail may be easily accessible within the pages of these books.  See what you can find here first, because it might help you save time looking elsewhere.
15. Don’t give up - Academic research is not meant to be easy.  Sometimes you have to work hard to uncover the best references.  You won’t find what you want in a single 30 minute session.  It just isn’t going to happen.
16. Your resources are tools, not answers - Reference, information, data…it’s all out there to help you create the best work and achieve the most in your study.  Treat your sources as tools to do the job and you’ll be less likely to think you’re ‘missing’ the solution.  The solution comes with your skill in using the tools.  From that point, it just needs to be set out on the page.

Do you have any solid ways of uncovering the information you need?  Are you a winner when it comes to research?  Where do you generally find your best information?

sunset_directions (photo by saavem)

I was an early adapter to the Internet.  I was dialling up to Bulletin Boards and sending off for underground magazines on floppy disc before the internet as we know it was around.  And in the infancy of ‘the Web’, when it meant little more than something spiders created, I was telling everyone at school how amazing the Internet was.  You could chat to people around the world, find information on your favourite band, get detailed information to help with homework, look up the most amazing jokes, and a million other things!

None of my friends really cared at the time.  But in a flash, the Internet was THE big thing.  Fast forward to today and now it’s simply the norm.  We take it for granted, despite its relative newness.

As we have speedily adapted to this new way of life, has the internet replaced more traditional sources in terms of ease and accuracy?  The 5th June edition of Times Higher Education discussed ‘the Google generation’, wondering if we have become too dependent (and Google-eyed) on the online search beast.  Has the ease of finding information led to less critical thought and innovation, at a time when you’d rather expect the free flow of data to open up new possibilities?

I recently found a fantastic article from the site Publishing 2.0:

What newspapers still don’t understand about the web

After reading, I thought it’s no wonder most of us use Google as the first (and often only) port of call for information.

And in terms of academic research, going as far as Google Scholar (still Google!) and Wikipedia isn’t exactly breaking out into a secret world of exclusive information.

Google clearly does have a huge scope.  You’d be mad not to use it.  I do so frequently on a daily basis.

The problem is when we rely almost solely on just one resource.

Google may bring together a large number of resources, but that misses the point.  Google is still a single entity when you use it as a service for research.  Despite its huge scope, it doesn’t handle all information.  For specialist research purposes, Google is a help, but only when used as part of the research process.

I hear a lot of complaints that students of today are less likely to work independently and need to have their hand held at all times.  But this is a complete contradiction.  In many cases, students are acting independently and using what they know.  This knowledge is generally making use of the Internet and, more specifically, Google.  Yes, there are still trips to the library, but while the lives of students are changing, many aspects of libraries have remained static.

Books (photo by ijsendoorn)

That’s not to say that the overall role of the library has changed.  But the needs of students have.  This, in turn, means that libraries need to adapt their approach; something that may not be possible across the UK due to funding issues and lack of support.  However, the Times Higher Education mentions the “role of library staff in developing students’ information skills”.  In my mind, this is a crucial point, and one that doesn’t need vast funding to make good.

That said, even with a dedicated library staff, they still need to be approached by students if they are to assist.  Some students simply won’t come forward.  But I’m sure those of you reading this would love to have the help.  It’s just that you might not be aware how that help can be given, or the advantages of asking for that help.

The communication difficulty is, therefore, an issue that needs addressing before libraries can evolve to meet the needs of students.

The Times Higher Education report goes on to suggest that ‘power browsing’ and flicking quickly through digital information may be true for all academics, not just students.  However, academics have the advantage of knowing much of the ideas within the literature already, which suggests they may be in a better position to take the snippets of new information on board.

Google searches can return thousands, if not millions, of documents.  We’re clearly not going to check through all those results.  These searches also rely on your search term being a good one, as well as focusing on a topic that doesn’t cause controversy and false facts on the Web.  To be certain of what we read online isn’t easy unless the source can be properly verified or automatically trusted.  Even then it can be confusing.

A few months ago, I thought a change may be creeping through.  I was going to post about a resource that sounded amazing…You can fire up your web browser and connect directly to a librarian at a public library in the UK (or when out of hours, the US) who will assist with all your questions.  It sounded like a dream come true…personal help getting students the information they need.

Unfortunately, after I tested it, I found that the librarians were using Google as their main resource, so I decided not to mention the service.

I asked questions on university structures, qualifications, and various issues surrounding uni students.  Prior to asking these questions, I did some basic searching on Google.

To my surprise and disappointment, the librarians answered my questions by sending me to the very sites I had found in my brief Google search.

Ever the optimist, I asked for further information on some questions, mainly where an answer was not conclusive.  The responses were still vague.  At no point did I come away with any additional information or answers, other than a couple of new websites that contained no further useful detail.  On one occasion, I was told that no information relating to my query would be available, something I later found to be untrue.

I was disappointed that the service fell down on anything other than fairly simple requests.  While the staff were extremely friendly and interested in my questions, it was disappointing to be left without the information I was seeking.

This service used public libraries, NOT academic libraries.  But according to June’s CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Update, university libraries haven’t fared too well recently either.  Apparently, 20 university libraries were phoned by a ’student’ with various questions.  Not one library got all the questions right, and only 4 of about 80 questions were answered via a book.  The main sources of information given were through Google and Wikipedia; the very sources questioned by academics in terms of research.

It was argued that a university library is geared toward pointing students in the right direction, rather than giving direct answers.  Still, it’s worrying to see a trend of using Google and Wikipedia to get answers.

In an online piece for the Times Higher Education, Tara Brabazon sums up the difficulty that these examples outline:

“We have accepted the metaphor of the internet being a library for a decade.  It was always an odd and incorrect affiliation, but we are now seeing the consequences of this metaphoric misalignment.  If the internet is a library, then librarians are redundant.”

So, have libraries been given such a bad name that their use has been discarded?  At the very least, are libraries being ignored as true institutions of information?  Are the librarians themselves starting to give in to the internet?

While I understand that Higher Education in the UK is an ever-changing concept, I am concerned that libraries haven’t been given the chance to evolve.  I don’t see this as the fault of librarians or students and, thus, it can only be a negative result for future students, as well as those who study today.  From the website comments found in response to the Times Higher Education’s writing, there appears to be frustration among academic librarians too.

Where should students go for their reading, learning, research, understanding, recreation, development?  As far as I’m concerned, they should go wherever possible.

The internet certainly hasn’t replaced the library.  That’s like suggesting airbags have replaced the brakes in cars.  Not only are airbags and brakes unrelated entities, but airbags are a help for keeping drivers and their passengers safe, not an alternative.

A canny student will use all available means to access information and find the best quality sources.  The internet complements the library and vice versa.  Any source of information can complement another source.  It’s not a competition!

In my next post, I’ll give you a few pointers and suggestions for getting the best out of your research, both in libraries and via the Web.

info (photo by svilen001)

Brian Kelly, of the great blog UK Web Focus, has recently been reflecting on the different approaches that universities have in using Web 2.0 tools (I’ve commented on the matter there too).

Institutions obviously want to know how they can reach out to students effectively and maintain quality contact.  They want to make sure that the right information and help is there for each and every student.  They would like to succeed in making their lives a little clearer and a little easier.  In the process, they hope that your lives will also become a little easier.

In recent years, it’s obvious that the end-user (i.e. YOU) calls a lot of the shots.  If you’re not publishing blog posts, you’re updating your Facebook profile.  If you’re not Tweeting, you’re sharing photos for the world to view (and possibly even reuse).

No longer is the Internet just a bunch of static views and specific functions.  Now you can create mashups, specialise on YOUR terms, and personalise to your unique and individual brand.

For us as ‘Generation Y’ (as it’s known), we’ve grown up with the Web and all the exciting developments that we take for granted.  It’s led to this:

1. Students don’t want specifics imposed upon them (who wants - or needs - that now?);
2. Students don’t appreciate the changes from what they see as a platform for personal and social interaction, to a platform that’s been hijacked by educators and officials as a method of contact and coming closer.

It doesn’t matter that your uni is developing new tools to make your life easier.  Firstly, you may disagree that it helps your individual circumstances.  Secondly, it clouds the boundaries between personal/social life and educational/study life.

With so many Web 2.0 tools out there, the point is that you can pick and choose the services you want/need. It’s mainly up to you, as an individual, to decide what’s important.  That’s an essential component of the Web 2.0 idea.  It’s a fluid, changing space.  To an extent, you help to create the rules.  Once the fluidity is taken away, much of the ‘Web 2.0′ badge may as well be gone.

So the big question is, in what ways can universities achieve a solid base that you - as users - can embrace, but then further develop yourself?

Has your uni helped to give you more control of your educational pursuits online?  Do you make use of social networking and Web 2.0 tools to further your education/career, or do you see these functions as purely a tool for entertainment purposes?

[Update: I've found that new research by JISC has found that nearly three quarters of those students who use social networking sites (which is almost every student) use the sites to discuss coursework with others.  Over a quarter do this frequently.  But does this mean that students want a social networking connection to their tutors, or is it better to keep the discussion between peers as another way to do group work...?]

You might not think it, but you write differently, dependent on what tools you use.

Our brains engage on different levels when typing compared with when we use pen and paper.

But what other factors change the way your brain tackles the creative process?

1. Location

Be it in your room, in the library, on the steps of a large building, at a mate’s house…wherever you are, your emotions are altered based on your surrounding.

In turn, your writing takes on a different life.

The next time you can’t get the words out, your creativity will burst through when you just change where you are.  Just pick up your stuff and take it somewhere else.

Better still, take it somewhere new.  See how the unknown surroundings open your thoughts up to places you didn’t know existed.

2. Format of the paper/screen

Paper comes in various types, suited to all sorts of situations.  Plain paper, lined paper, squared paper, notation paper, and so on.

Standard lined paper may restrict the way in which you work.  Why not buy a plain moleskin notebook and let the perfectly empty canvas take you to the heart of your creativity?

3. Shape and size of medium

Are you an A4 fiend, or an A1 wonder?  Do you open the word processor window in fullscreen, or do you keep half the screen real estate available to other applications?

The physical appearance of what you use to write with can also lead to different actions within the creative process.

An enormous sheet of blank paper may be screaming out to some people as a challenge to be covered, while others will see an ever bigger piece of paper as an ever shrinking confined space.

4. Time of day/Weather

Most of us know that we react better at certain points in the day.  However, we also take cues from the state of the atmosphere.

When the sun is out and there’s peace all around, you may fare far better with a sunny disposition.

Alternatively, the sun may be a distraction for having fun, so your prime writing time may be on a dull day when nobody wants to leave their room.

It all depends on personal preference.

Of course, we can’t control the weather, but it’s worth getting an understanding of what influences you.

—

The act of writing is more than a simple set of processes that you either have or don’t have.  You have the power to form a state in which the writing comes easily.

Before you work on inspiration, you have to find the right surroundings and tools to be inspired…

Today is Digital 60 Day, celebrating 60 years since the birth of the world’s first stored program digital computer.  The computer was designed and built at The University of Manchester and it executed its first program on June 21st, 1948.

The computer was called ‘The Baby’ and was the forerunner of the technological computer advances that we take for granted in gadgets today.

In Manchester, a live demonstration of ’The Baby’ will take place and is being broadcast over the Internet.

I might not have been around for ‘The Baby’, 60 years ago, but I do have fond memories of the computers I used as a kid (photos of the ZX Spectrum 48K and Amiga 500 are below).  Those were the days.  And all those games consoles too.  Good times.  Thanks Manchester.

Digital 60 Day links:

• Digital 60 on The University of Manchester site
• Digital60.org

Whatever point you are with a module, from months away until starting to halfway through the work, you have the power to dictate where you’re going and telling yourself what you don’t yet know.

So much study is based on being told what to learn and looking back to what you already know.  As soon as you stop being shown the signposts, you’re running without direction.  A dedicated student should have no trouble putting that right and setting up their own signposts.

All you need to do is to write down what you don’t yet have a grasp of.  Explore the places that you haven’t yet explored.

It’s easier than it sounds.  When you’re faced with anything like a specific topic, subject, module, text, assignment, or similar, you already have a starting point with which to work.  You can see the basis of what’s needed, but you need to fill in the gaps.  Once the gaps are filled in, it’s so much easier to then learn and research all that you need.

And the one step to take you there is this:

Ask questions

This is the most important aspect of uncovering all the elements you need to learn.  Far from being a passenger, you’re the one in the driving seat.  Ask what you need to find out about before you can excel.  The mind is good at going blank when it craves answers, but we’re ever so good at asking questions.  Make the most of it and ask away.

Get these questions down on paper.  Make it visual, add some colour, let this process of exploration lead you further into questioning, not nearer to answering.  It’s a contradiction, but by not getting nearer to answering, you’re developing a stronger position to do exactly that.

Here are just some of the many questions you can ask:

• How do the topics fit together?
• What do I need to research further?
• Do some topics seem important than others?  Why?
• Who are the most important figures to discuss and refer to?
• How much is known by scholars in the field?
• Where could I look to expand my knowledge on this subject?
• What are my initial impressions of this topic/assignment?
• Are there any well-known arguments that will help or hinder my work?
• Is the information likely to change over time, is it just historical, or is the matter widely contested?
• Who is in the best position to help uncover what else I need to know?
• What ground have I already covered?
• Could my prior knowledge of generally unrelated subjects help in any way here?

It doesn’t matter whether you know a lot, or just a little.  Without questions, you don’t have any solid basis for answers.

Whatever you don’t yet know, let the process of uncovering and understanding these new findings be a relaxed one.  It’s pointless to feel overwhelmed with the belief that you don’t know enough.  Instead, congratulate yourself for having so much interest and so many questions ready to answer.

That is the difference between simply being in the dark and actually walking toward the light.  You’re walking when you let the questions guide you to greater understanding.  So get walking.

Those of you who want to be at a university with great results in competitive sports…step right up!

The Complete University Guide has released tables for those institutions with best results in competitive sport.  The Independent also gives the lowdown.  The top 10 universities are:

1. Loughborough
2. Bath
3. Birmingham
4. Edinburgh
5. Nottingham
6. Durham
7. University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
8. Oxford
9. Newcastle
10. Exeter

Those universities not listed here may still have good sporting facilities.  For instance, the Indpendent’s report does give the University of East Anglia a mention for having a splendid reputation in providing all students with fantastic sports facilities.  So if you’re more of a casual sporty-type, you’ll have plenty to get your teeth into at UEA.

Sport is never the only reason for going to university, obviously…but if it’s a passion or a strength, the better facilities and competitive practices may be worth a lot to you.  After all, you’re planning on being there for several years!

A table like this just adds to the billions of other tables out there, but I’m happy to point this one out to prospective students, because it may be the ‘make-or-break’ table for those of you unable to decide between two or three equally appetising institutions.