How do you navigate digital library databases for interdisciplinary research?

1 Define Goals

Before you start your search, clearly define your research goals. What are you hoping to discover? By setting clear objectives, you can tailor your search strategy to be more focused and effective. Use these goals to identify keywords and topics that are central to your interdisciplinary inquiry. This approach ensures that you're not just gathering data, but also aligning it with the specific outcomes you aim to achieve, which is a foundational principle in BI.

2 Choose Databases

Selecting the right databases is crucial for interdisciplinary research. Look for platforms that offer a wide range of subject areas to ensure comprehensive coverage of your topics. Many digital libraries provide access to journals, books, and other resources that span multiple disciplines. By choosing databases that align with your research goals, you'll be better positioned to find relevant and high-quality information.

3 Search Smartly

Smart searching involves using advanced search features such as Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), quotation marks for exact phrases, and asterisks as wildcard characters to broaden or narrow your search. This technique is akin to filtering data in BI, allowing you to refine your search results and quickly locate the most pertinent information. It's a skill that becomes more intuitive with practice, so don't hesitate to experiment with different combinations of search terms and operators.

4 Analyze Results

Once you have your search results, analyze them with a critical eye. Look for patterns, themes, and gaps in the information you've retrieved. In BI, this step involves data analysis to draw conclusions and make informed decisions. Similarly, in research, you synthesize the findings to build a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter from various disciplinary perspectives.

5 Organize Information

Organizing the information you've gathered is essential for effective interdisciplinary research. Create a system to categorize and store your findings, whether it's through bibliographic management software or a simple spreadsheet. This organization mirrors the data management aspect of BI, where structuring data efficiently is key to making it accessible and usable for analysis and reporting.

6 Review Regularly

Interdisciplinary research is dynamic, and digital library databases are continuously updated with new information. Regularly review your research strategy and the resources you've collected to ensure they remain relevant and comprehensive. In BI, this is akin to maintaining data quality and relevance through ongoing data governance practices. By staying up-to-date with the latest developments, you'll keep your research at the cutting edge.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?