By: Janice Kung
As we adjust to the sudden changes the COVID-19 pandemic throws at us, we’d like to remind you about the breadth of online resources and services available as you continue to pursue your research. The following sections list resources and tools to help you as you navigate through the different stages of your research journey.
Research Methods
Are you looking for the right type of research methodology, or need a refresher? Do you have statistics questions, such as what is the significance of the chi-square test? These resources are a good starting point.
- Sage Research Methods (includes cases, ebooks, videos etc.)
- Electronic books on research methods
Literature Searches & Keeping up with the Literature
Having trouble developing a search strategy that will locate relevant, up-to-date literature? Unfortunately, a simple Google search just won’t do. There is an art (and science) when it comes to searching effectively; making sure you aren’t wasting time by browsing thousands of search results. To help you save time, make an appointment with your subject librarian! We are trained to navigate the complex nature of the myriad databases that exist. If you’re comfortable with searching, feel free to browse by subject in the Databases A-Z list.
If you are working on a comprehensive review project (e.g. systematic review, scoping review, etc.), check out this guide!
Did you know that you can set-up email alerts for new articles that match your research interest? Ask your librarian. Databases can notify you if new publications match your search criteria. You can also set up Google Scholar and many journals to send you email alerts regarding new publications by key researchers or on topics of interest.
Managing References & Screening Articles
Managing references can be challenging. If you don’t already use a reference manager our Reference Manager guide lists some commonly used ones.
If you are working on a systematic review or a scoping review, consider using Covidence. Covidence is a web-based screening tool that can help you with the initial screening stages of your project.
Publishing
Finding the right home for your research can be challenging. There are a number of strategies for finding the right journal to publish your work in.
- Interested in open access? There are some APC (article processing charges) publication discounts available for certain journals.
- Is the journal impact factor an important consideration? Speak to your subject librarian and learn all about impact factors.
- Find journals that are likely to publish your work by doing a keyword search (e.g. using the title and abstract of your manuscript). The following tools will retrieve journals that have published articles with similar keywords.
- JANE (the focus is on health science journals)
- JournalFinder (Caution: this is an Elsevier product so it will only display Elsevier journals)
- JournalGuide
- Avoid predatory publishers – Click on the link to learn more.
Research Data Management / Tech & Software
No matter where you are in the research life cycle, there are tools available to help you organize, manage, share and archive research data. Click here for more information. Do you have technological or software questions? Email staff at the Digital Scholarship Centre. They can consult with you remotely and do their best to help you with technology/software and digital literacy learning.
This is not an exhaustive list, by any means. Feel free to ask us if you have any questions while you’re working away on your research. We’re here to help!
