The computer terminal is well on its way to being as commonplace as the telephone, and its usefulness to the scholar and scientist is so great that already computer screens and disks are seen frequently in academic offices. The value of computers in research is well established, with vast amounts of data being processed daily by all sizes of computers. Computers also have had dramatic effects on the researcher's literature-searching options: Scientists and scholars can now query enormous databases containing tens of millions of citations to published literature and can extract bibliographies tailored to their specific questions. The power and flexibility afforded the user of information by these literature-searching systems ease the burden of library work, but in order to use the systems effectively, it is necessary to understand both their capabilities and their limitations. Mr. Gilreath describes the principles underlying online bibliographic systems, the databases available, and the factors a researcher must consider in using them. He explores in some depth the relationship of the structure and terminology of publications in various fields to the literature-searching process and provides detailed guidelines for research in the life, health, agricultural, and social sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, geology, meteorology, engineering, education, psychology, business, law, current affairs, and the humanities. A glossary of literature-searching terms is included.

A unique reference manual for academic surgeons, this book discusses every facet of surgical research. From getting grant money to choosing a topic, reviewing the literature, planning and conducting research, and reporting results.

`As research guides go, this is probably the best, most readable and encouraging books for nurses that I have come across....I recommend this volume to students and researchers at all levels, and at all stages of their professional careers. It is an excellent read′ - Nursing Standard ′[This book] is an ideal reader for someone who is thinking about starting a research project with no or limited previous experience. This is because it outlines the whole research process from start to finish. It also provides useful tips for those who are more experienced′ - Nurse Researcher Organizing and Managing Your Research: A Practical Guide for Postgraduates deals with the practical, day-to-day aspects of managing and organizing research. Its focus is on strategies, skills, and systems that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of research practice across all research disciplines. Written in an accessible, non-technical style that speaks directly to the reader in a personal and collegial voice, this text gives practical advice and offers many tips and strategies gleaned from experienced researchers. The written text is accompanied by a website that provides downloadable templates and live links to appropriate sites. Key Features include: - Tips boxes to outline useful strategies and shortcuts based on day-to-day practice of experienced researchers. - Feature examples illustrate the practical application of some of the concepts covered - `Want to know more about ...?′ boxes offer pointers to further sources of information - `Over to you′ questions at the end of each chapter prompt the student to reflect on how the strategies and concepts can be applied to their own research project

Electronic Literature considers new forms and genres of writing that exploit the capabilities of computers and networks – literature that would not be possible without the contemporary digital context. In this book, Rettberg places the most significant genres of electronic literature in historical, technological, and cultural contexts. These include combinatory poetics, hypertext fiction, interactive fiction (and other game-based digital literary work), kinetic and interactive poetry, and networked writing based on our collective experience of the Internet. He argues that electronic literature demands to be read both through the lens of experimental literary practices dating back to the early twentieth century and through the specificities of the technology and software used to produce the work. Considering electronic literature as a subject in totality, this book provides a vital introduction to a dynamic field that both reacts to avant-garde literary and art traditions and generates new forms of narrative and poetic work particular to the twenty-first century. It is essential reading for students and researchers in disciplines including literary studies, media and communications, art, and creative writing.

Healthcare providers, consumers, researchers and policy makers are inundated with unmanageable amounts of information, including evidence from healthcare research. It has become impossible for all to have the time and resources to find, appraise and interpret this evidence and incorporate it into healthcare decisions. Cochrane Reviews respond to this challenge by identifying, appraising and synthesizing research-based evidence and presenting it in a standardized format, published in The Cochrane Library (www.thecochranelibrary.com). The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions contains methodological guidance for the preparation and maintenance of Cochrane intervention reviews. Written in a clear and accessible format, it is the essential manual for all those preparing, maintaining and reading Cochrane reviews. Many of the principles and methods described here are appropriate for systematic reviews applied to other types of research and to systematic reviews of interventions undertaken by others. It is hoped therefore that this book will be invaluable to all those who want to understand the role of systematic reviews, critically appraise published reviews or perform reviews themselves.

This book focuses on searching and hands-on experience, which makes the text suitable for those who wish to learn searching for their own use as well. It is intended for those who will act as search intermediaries, accepting questions from clients and performing the searches.