Business Research Methods

The purpose of this guide is to help you locate and use those library resources most relevant to your research. The library spends much of its time and money on collecting, organizing, and making available to you high-quality resources. Please make use of these resources when you are doing your research (and literature review for other papers, projects, etc.)

Research (Definition)

The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. (From The Concise Oxford Dictionary)

Library Catalogue

The Library Catalogue is a good starting point. When searching for materials on a particular topic, use KEYWORD BOOLEAN searching. Use basic Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). Remember to use alternative terms and truncation to broaden your search.

The catalogue lists only journal titles, not article titles. For article titles you need to use the databases on LibraryLink (Management).

If you are working off campus, remember to LOGIN on the first page of the catalogue, so that you can access online journals through links on the catalogue.

Items on the same subject will be in the same call number range and this is useful if you want to browse the shelves for information on a particular topic.

Search terms

It is very important to find your search terms and design a search strategy to do the effective search. For example:-

Action research, Case research,  Data collection method, Empirical research, Post modernism, Poststructuralism, Qualitative research, Quantitative research, Research design, Research methods

Quick Reference

(Near the Information Desk)

This area has Dictionaries, Encyclopaedias, Handbooks etc. and good for finding alternative terms for broadening your research. Range of call numbers for Research is LB, HD,... and for Management Resources is from HA to HJ.

Journals

Journals/ Serials/ Periodicals are available in Level 1 (Management subject journals are not for circulation). Please search in the Library Catalogue using Journal title or Keywords.

Requesting Interloans

Databases (Full Text)

ACM Digital Library
EBSCO Mega File Premier
Elsevier Science Direct
Emerald
Ingentaselect
Project Muse
ProQuest
PsycINFO
Wiley Interscience

Databases (Index only)

APAFT (some full text)
Current Contents
ISI Web of Knowledge (Current Contents, Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index since 1993)

New Zealand databases

Index New Zealand
(New Zealand periodicals and newspapers - only index is available)

Newztext Plus. (Incorporates Newztext Daily Newspapers, Newztext Magazines, Newzindex and Newswires   databases). Can be cross-searched or searched individually. All databases full-text except for indexes and abstracts.

Some basic rules for searching the databases are:

• Type all search terms in lower case letters
• Truncate and use alternative terms to broaden your search - research and method?
• Add more essential search terms to narrow your search - business and research and methodol?
• Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) - qualitative and "research methods"
• When searching for a phrase, use speech marks - "case study" and yin
• Use brackets to group terms example, (business and research) NOT method?

Please use the Help Menu to find more tips for using the Library Catalogue.

Select from the Library Home page LibraryLink - Management databases - select the database you want to search - enter - type the text you want to search for in the text box / field - choose (limit) the date range etc. - search

Please visit the Waikato Management School for information on the courses offered by the Department of Management Systems.

Web sites useful for finding more information on Research Methods

BUBL Link

Google Directory

Six Great Ways to Search the Web

OR/MS Related Internet Resources

Qualitative Research in Information systems (by Michael D. Myers)

Research Methods

Research methods in the www

Students' guide to research on WWW

Suggestions and comments to this page are most welcome, James Revell Management Librarian.