If you need help, please contact Shiyi Xie, Liaison Librarian at 778-782-8023 or shiyi_xie@sfu.ca or Ask a librarian

This web page is intended to help you with your CMPT 105W assignments. Also refer to the research guides for Computing Science and Engineering Science for general information. Start early so you can get the information and assistance you need. 

Literature search strategy 

What words will you use to search for information? On your essay question, what are the most important concepts? What are other terms that you could use for them? 

"nursing homes" OR "long-term care" OR LTC
eldercare OR senior* OR aged
Robots (device/application) OR Robotics (concept)
Eldertech

Combine the terms with the issue (eg privacy, bias, equity, environmental)

Information resources 

Background information 

A. Reference

You should begin your research by looking for background information on your topic. This information is often found in reference books (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks). 

The reference books that are useful to you will really depend on your topic. Here are some online reference books that might include background information on your topic:

• Gale Virtual Reference Library (a large collection of reference books in many subject areas, including science and technology)
• AccessScience: encyclopedia covering all major scientific disciplines
• Sage Knowledge (collection of many encyclopedias related to the social sciences)
• Encyclopedia of science, technology, and ethics (4 volumes) [online and print]
• Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age 

B. Books

Books and book chapters--especially their introductions--can be very useful as background sources. 

Use the default search on the Library home page ("Catalogue Search") or Advanced search. 

• Tips on using Subject Headings: Check a book's subject headings  (listed under Details) in the catalogue record that can be used to find books about your topic. For example, the  book Electronic Monitoring in the Workplace: Controversies and Solutions includes: Electronic monitoring in the workplace; Privacy, Right of; and Supervision of employees. When you click on any subject heading, you can find more books about the same topic.

  See the SFU Library Catalogue Search Guide

Specific Titles: You may also wish to narrow your search to our technical e-book collections, such as: 

• Knovel : Collection of technical handbooks, including chemicals and formulae.
• Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and Computer Science: short-ish e-books that provide overviews of CS topics such as algorigthms, data mining, quantum computing, etc. 
• SpringerLink: Publisher platform that includes books, handbooks, encyclopedias, and more
• Access Engineering :McGraw Hill engineering reference and teaching platform
• Taylor & Francis eBooks: Taylor and Francis platform for e-books and reference works

Oxford Very Short Introductions provides readers with a quick and accessible entry point to a wide range of subject areas -- including science, history, philosophy, sociology, and more

• Robotics: A Very Short Introduction
• Engineering : A Very Short Introduction
• The History of Computing: A Very Short Introduction
• Trust : A Very Short Introduction

C. Review articles 

Review articles are an important source of background information and can be helpful when starting with your topic. They synthesize key research and are typically written by experts in the field. The valuable bibliography included in a relevant review article can save you time in literature searching. You can find review articles in databases of journal records. 

Research articles 

Selected databases for journal articles and conference papers. 

• IEEE Xplore :A database of worldwide literature in electronics and electrical engineering, computers and control, physics and information technology.
• EI Compendex : Covers the core literature of engineering
• PsychInfo: Premier database for psychology research 
• ACM Digital Library: Conference proceedings and reports from the Association of Computing Machinery 
• Web of Science: Multidisciplinary database of journal and conference literature. Also used for citation analysis of research
• Scopus: Multidisciplinary database of journal and conference literature. Also used for citation analysis of research

See SFU Library's Database page for a full list of SFU databases by discipline.

Current events

Refer to the following guides for resources: 

• News Resources: Finding Newspaper Articles and Newspapers
• Alternative News Media Sources

Data/Statistics

• Statista  Statistics portal that integrates statistics from thousands of sources, on topics related to business, media, public policy, health and others  

Refer to the Data & Statistics Information Guide for selected resources that are drawn from national agencies, intergovernmental organizations and other official sources of statistics.

Analysis/Opinion/Opposing viewpoints

• General Interest Magazines (The New Yorker, The Tyee, The Walrus, The Atlantic, Salon, Slate). Search within websites themselves. If/when you hit a paywall, search for the article in Library Search 
• Canadian Points of View. A database of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue
• Newspaper opinion columns (See Current Events)
• The Conversation.ca:  "an independent source of news and views, from the academic and research community, delivered direct to the public"
• "Reversals in psychology" blog post: Psychology results that have been irreplicable. Includes research on the Stanford prison experiment, Milgram experiment, screen time and wellbeing, etc.
• Retraction Watch: blog and database that tracks retractions in the scientific literature

Grey literature 

Grey literature is information produced outside of traditional publishing and distribution channels. Common grey literature publication types include theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, datasets/statistics, patents, reports (annual, research, technical, project, etc.), working papers, government documents, white papers and evaluations. 

Refer to the Grey literature guide for where and how to find it. Also, see the following guides for resources on certain types of grey literature:

• Guide to Technical Standards
• Patent Information Guide
• Theses and Projects from SFU 
• Theses from Non-SFU Universities 

Information evaluation 

Popular vs. scholarly sources

Popular/non-scholarly sources inform and entertain the general public. Examples include newspapers, magazines, trade journals, popular books, data and statistical publications and compilations, letters to editors, and book reviews.

Scholarly sources disseminate research among professionals within disciplines. Examples include journals, conference proceedings, research monographs, theses and dissertations, and patents.

Quality check for journal articles

Many databases allow you to limit to peer-reviewed journal articles. We also use Ulrich's Periodical Directory to find out whether a journal is peer-reviewed. 

Use the Journal Citation Report database to find a journal's Impact Factor (JIF) and the rankings of journals in many subject categories. 

See the following guides as needed: 

• What is a Scholarly Journal? 
• What is a Peer-reviewed Journal

Source evaluation frameworks

SIFT

• S - Stop: Before you read or share an article or video, STOP and consider: What you already know about the topic. What you know about the source. Do you know its reputation?
• I - Investigate the Source: What can you find about the author or creator? What is their mission? Would their assessment be biased? Do they have authority in the area? You may conduct lateral reading or use the hovering technique. 
• F - Find Better Coverage: What coverage is available on the topic?
• T - Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to their Original Context:  Is information being taken out of context?​ Does the extracted information support the original claims in the research?

M. Caulfield,  “SIFT (The Four Moves),”the June, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves. [Accessed May 20, 2024].

RADAR

• R - Relevance: Does the source relate to your topic or answer your research question? Does it meet the requirements for the assignment? Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is the one you will use?
• A - Authority: Is the author known as an expert in the field? Does the author work for a reputable institution, e.g. a university, research center or government? Does anyone cite this author/work? Does the author rely on other well-cited works? Is there contact information, e.g. a publisher or email address?
• D - Date: Has the information been revised or updated? Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well? If older, is this a seminal or landmark work? Are the links functional?
• A - Appearance: Was the work published by a peer-reviewed journal, academic press or other reliable publisher? Was the information reviewed by an editor or a subject expert before it was published? Do the references support the author's argument? Are the references properly cited? Can you verify any of the information in another source? Does the source look professional? Are there advertisements, typographical errors, or biased language?
• R - Reason: Why was the information created? Appropriate information sources are created: to educate by spreading scholarly information; sometimes but not always to persuade the reader; never to entertain or sell something.

J. Mandalios, “RADAR: An approach for helping students evaluate Internet sources,” J. Inf. Sci., Vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 470-478, 2013.

Citing sources

It is important to cite your sources to:

• Give credit to the original researchers 
• Show you've done proper research
• Help readers find the sources you used

IEEE style guides:

• IEEE Style - Reference Guide 
• IEEE Style - Mathematics Guide 
• IEEE Style - Template Selector 
• Purdue OWL IEEE General Format

APA style guides:

• APA Style - In-text Citations
• APA Style - References & Reference Examples
• APA Style - Paper Format 
• Purdue OWL APA General Format

Avoiding plagiarism 

SFU library guides:

• Avoid Plagiarism
• Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism Tutorial

IEEE guidelines: 

• Plagiarism Information Centre
• Identify Plagiarism 
• Investigating Possible Misconduct 

APA guidelines: 

• Plagiarism
• Avoiding Plagiarism Guide

Writing Resources

SLC Writing Resources
Writing Thesis Statements
Book a Peer Consultation