Literature Search Strategies for Interdisciplinary Research

The amount of published literature can be overwhelming for scientists and researchers moving from a broad disciplinary research area to a more specialized one, particularly in fields that use information from more than one discipline. Without a focused inquiry, the researcher may find too little information or may be overcome by too much. Striking the correct balance of information is the focus of Literature Search Strategies for Interdisciplinary Research.

This useful reference tool studies diverse interdisciplinary areas revealing the general and individual qualities that dictate the strategies of successful searches. Beginning with a bare-bones search strategy for finding primary research in interdisciplinary areas, the book then goes on to provide hints for research in specific disciplines, as the unique traits of the individual fields compound the difficulties in interdisciplinary research. Individual chapters, written by experts in that particular area, address ten research fields in depth, disclosing the common qualities of interdisciplinary research. The study areas covered include Paleontology, Crystallography, Quaternary Research, Human Factors Engineering, Nanotechnology, Atmospheric Chemistry, Bioethics, Computational Biology, Engineering Entrepreneurship, and Machine Learning. For scientists and engineers new to their fields, as well as librarians whose responsibilities include collecting library materials for newly-emerging interdisciplinary research areas, Linda Ackerson’s guide provides all that is needed to develop a successful search strategy.

Author Biography

Linda G. Ackerson was associate professor of Library Administration and assistant engineering librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.