Computer Science COMP

The research process

1. Begin by defining exactly what you are searching for
2. Get background information from handbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries
3. Be specific when determining search terms: synonyms/antonyms
4. Use Boolean Operators to connect search terms by understanding how search engines operate
5. Once your topic is narrowly defined, select databases to find specific articles that have been published in journals
6. Use the advanced interface of electronic databases and Internet search engines to help narrow your search. Limit to: specific field (article, book, conference proceeding, newspapers, video); full-text or peer reviewed journals only
7. Find books on your topic to gain greater depth and understanding
8. Films and Videos and Images are non-literary forms of representation
9. Take notes during your research to keep track of where you have been, keywords searched, what worked and what didn't, etc. You may consider using Microsoft OneNote or free software for note-taking such as Evernote
10. Write down or store all the references you have consulted to include them in the bibliography of your research paper

Sources​ of information

Publication Cycle: to find primary and secondary sources of information, use tertiary sources of information: dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks. When a researcher publishes material, they follow the cycle clockwise. To find primary and secondary sources, follow the cycle anti clockwise.

FAQ

1. Brainstorm for the Essay (UNC at Chapel Hill)
2. Conducting a Literature Review (CUL) see rubric (internet)
3. Google search secrets / Christa Burns and Michael P. Sauers (CUL electronic resource)
4. Library research (CUL)
5. Office of Student Affairs (Carleton University)
6. Paul Menton Centre (Carleton University)
7. Thesaurus (internet)
8. Wellness - Current Students (Carleton University)
9. Writing an Annotated Bibliography (CUL) see rubric (internet)
10. Writing an Outline for your essay (CUL) see rubric (internet)

Online journals

• by 'Subject'

Databases

• tagged 'Computer Science'
• tagged 'Science'
• by 'Type'
• OMNI: the Carleton University Library search interface

Other suggested databases

1. ASME Digital Collection: the most current and relevant content in mechanical engineering and related engineering fields, such as medical device research, energy resources, and nuclear engineering
2. ENGnetBase: the latest handbooks in civil, mechanical, electrical, industrial, and mining engineering
3. Google Scholar: access to scholarly literature from many disciplines and sources. It indexes articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court opinions from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and other websites.
4. SAGE Research Methods: With information on the full range of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods for the social and behavioral sciences, as well as methods commonly used in the hard sciences, the book, reference, and journal content in SAGE Research Methods helps researchers of all levels conduct their research.
5. Techstreet Enterprise: industry standards and technical books from many organizations.
6. Wiley Online Journals: Multidisciplinary Wiley journals (current issues and backfiles).

PrePrints

1. arXiv: arXiv is a free distribution service and an open-access archive for 1,769,134 scholarly articles in the fields of physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, statistics, electrical engineering and systems science, and economics. Materials on this site are not peer-reviewed by arXiv.
2. Earth ArXiv: EarthArXiv.org is moving from the OSF Preprints platform to the Janeway preprint platform at the California Digital Library (CDL). In preparation for this move, EarthArXiv will stop accepting submissions on Friday August 21, 2020. EarthArXiv.org will redirect to the new service when it becomes public on October 1, 2020.
3. TechRxiv: TechRxiv (pronounced "tech archive") is an open, moderated preprint server for unpublished research in electrical engineering, computer science, and related technology. By using TechRxiv, authors can quickly disseminate their work to a wide audience and gain community feedback on a draft version of their research. A preprint is a draft version of an article; final versions of published articles should not be submitted to TechRxiv.

Subject headings

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) use controlled vocabulary to access and express the subject content of documents. Computer Science has largely been divided into the following collections. ​This is a searchable index. Click on a link below to discover the Library's holdings in this area:

1. Algorithm analysis and problem complexity
2. Algorithms
3. Analysis
4. Artificial intelligence
5. Computer communication networks
6. Computer science
7. Computer science -- Artificial intelligence
8. Computer science -- Hardware and architecture
9. Computer science -- Information systems
10. Computer science -- Interdisciplinary applications
11. Computer science -- Software engineering
12. Computer science -- Theory and methods
13. Computer simulation
14. Data mining
15. Data mining and knowledge discovery
16. Database management
17. Engineering -- Electrical and electronic
18. Information storage and retrieval
19. Information systems
20. Information systems applications
21. Mathematical logic and formal languages
22. Mathematical models
23. Optimization
24. Programming techniques
25. Software engineering
26. Studies
27. Telecommunications
28. User interfaces and human computer interaction
29. Video/film

• Add keywords
• Use the filters on the left of the resulting screen.Typical filters are Available Online and Peer Reviewed Journals

Supplementary readings

1. Google vs. the Library: Student Preferences and Perceptions When Doing Research Using Google and a Federated Search Tool
2. Google vs. the Library (Part II): Student Search Patterns and Behaviors when Using Google and a Federated Search Tool
3. Google vs. the Library (Part III): Assessing the Quality of Sources Found by Undergraduates
4. How to Read a Book, v5.0 School of Information University of Michigan
5. How to Read a Paragraph: The Art of Close Reading
6. How to Read (and Understand) a Social Science Journal Article: Tips and tricks to make reading and understanding social science journal articles easier
7. How to Read for Grad School Miriam E. Sweeney
8. Read Like A Graduate Student, Not A Mystery Fan William Doane

Minecraft (Education Edition) is free for Carleton students

1. Just download the installer: Download | Minecraft Education Edition
2. After install, launch the game and log in using your Carleton email address (cmail) and password then you're good to go.