Research and Organization methods

[Little_Guy]

With all the smart guys on here, I was curious about how you go about researching topics?

Obviously Pubmed is a huge resource here, but beyond that....I know Datbtrue has made mention of unpublished articles and papers...

What is your particular method of delving into a topic, sorting out the truth from the BS, organizing your thoughts, and distilling all the info into an easy-to-understand summary?

The amount of info posted here is extensive and overwhelming. I am both impressed and intimidated.

I know, this isn't the typical 'how do I reconstitute GHRP' first post, but it's something I'm curious about.

 

[papapumpsd]

GOOGLE SCHOLAR...love it. Use the Advanced search if you want to search by author, date, etc.

 

[iprimate]

As an example the article I am writing on Synthergine contains Sodium Glucuronate. There is a huge archive of research in a form that is mostly unpublished and written in Japanese. The Japanese Pharmaceutical companies and Universities in the mid-1950s were very interested in every thing about this compound. They held conferences every year in Tokyo for 5 years and presented several hundred articles every single year.

Unpublished research and conference papers have a relatively low evidentiary value since they haven't been subjected to any form of peer review and may in fact not be worthy of publication in any reputable journal. If the Japanese conducted good quality research on Sodium Glucuronate then it most likely would have been published in (at least) reputable Japanese journals, been critically appraised and any subsequent research would benefit from the scrutiny. If you are having to fish for unpublished papers from obscure conferences and symposia then your final article will not have a very strong evidentiary foundation, you would be -- to put in bluntly -- scraping the bottom of the (evidentiary) barrel. Further, if you don't draw the line at papers published in peer reviewed reputable journals (which is what is conventionally done) where do you draw the line? Would you also base a strong conlusion on an unpublished honours, masters or doctoral dissertation?

This would be my only criticism of the method you have described.

 

[BigTex]

With all the smart guys on here, I was curious about how you go about researching topics?

Obviously Pubmed is a huge resource here, but beyond that....I know Datbtrue has made mention of unpublished articles and papers...

What is your particular method of delving into a topic, sorting out the truth from the BS, organizing your thoughts, and distilling all the info into an easy-to-understand summary?

The amount of info posted here is extensive and overwhelming. I am both impressed and intimidated.

I know, this isn't the typical 'how do I reconstitute GHRP' first post, but it's something I'm curious about.

Another good way to to find full text research studies is to join your local city library. Our library system here allows access to full text research studies. Its certainly worth the small price they charge for a library card.

Fourth, I download and put into a hierarchy of folders every single article I am interested on.

I will also print articles and mark them up with my special symbols using multiple colors... especially if I am writing a comprehensive article.

Isn't current technology great! I remember when I do my post-graduate work personal computers were very new. Most computers were still using basic programs to operate. Libraries still had card catalogs and all research had to be done with a library search on a subject. Very tedious! Then research articles had to be ordered, which took weeks to get a photo copy. Man, it took you for ever to write a research paper. Now, I do the same thing you do and put studies I have an interest in folders. Imagine what it will be like 20 years from now.

 

[DatBtrue]

If you are having to fish for unpublished papers from obscure conferences and symposia then your final article will not have a very strong evidentiary foundation,

I didn't say I had to fish.

you would be -- to put in bluntly -- scraping the bottom of the (evidentiary) barrel. Further, if you don't draw the line at papers published in peer reviewed reputable journals (which is what is conventionally done) where do you draw the line?

I don't draw a line. I am quite capable of making any distinction that needs to be made.

Would you also base a strong conlusion on an unpublished honours, masters or doctoral dissertation?

This would be my only criticism of the method you have described.

You made a whole lot of unwarranted assumptions in your rush to reach a... how did you put it a "criticism".

A criticism... what a joke. You aren't even worth responding to. You posted what you did to make yourself feel superior in some way.

 

[iprimate]

I didn't say I had to fish.

Had to, want to it doesn't matter.

I don't draw a line. I am quite capable of making any distinction that needs to be made.

Well if you are making a distinction then you are "drawing a line".

You made a whole lot of unwarranted assumptions in your rush to reach a... how did you put it a "criticism".

I made no assumptions, you described the papers as unpublished:

There is a huge archive of research in a form that is mostly unpublished and written in Japanese.

A criticism... what a joke. You aren't even worth responding to. You posted what you did to make yourself feel superior in some way.

The above is problematic for a few reasons:
(i) You did respond to me;
(ii) You took my post as a criticism hence your wounded response;
(iii) You are trying to "mindread"; and
(iv) My intention in making the post is quite distinct from the content of the post.

Don't be so thin skinned, it's unbecoming (and somewhat amusing). Rather than attempt to read my mind or divine my intentions you may want to spend some quiet time with this diagram:

**broken link removed**

As far as I can see the substance of my post still stands: to the extent that your article is based on unpublished papers it is to that extent evidentially weak. I'm checking if I feel superior after stating that and no I don't.

 

[Little_Guy]

Wow. A touchy subject. lol

Papa, thanks for the Google Scholar tip. That'll be a useful tool.

BigTex, nm. I see that he deleted it. Luckily I'm at Big 10 university with a huge library system. Between that and the internet, there shouldn't be anything I can't find.