Hands on Review of Literature


On the 20th of August 2024, Christ College Pune had the privilege of hosting a workshop on effective research paper finding techniques for MSc DS student of Christ (Deemed to be University) Pune Lavasa Campus, led by Mr. Venkatesh Iyer. The session, which was highly anticipated by the students of the Data Science and Analytics program, focused on essential skills for academic research, particularly in leveraging Google Scholar for finding relevant papers. The workshop provided valuable insights into the importance of keywords, citation tracking, and maintaining an organized record of research activities.

Importance of Keywords in Research

Mr. Venkatesh Iyer began the session by emphasizing the significance of keywords in the research process. He explained that keywords are the foundation of any research query, determining the quality and relevance of the search results. The choice of keywords directly impacts the ability to find pertinent research papers, making it crucial to select them carefully. Mr. Iyer advised students to think critically about their research topics and identify key terms that encapsulate the essence of their inquiry. He also suggested using synonyms and related terms to broaden the search scope, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the subject matter.

Utilizing Google Scholar for Research

The workshop then delved into the functionalities of Google Scholar, a powerful tool for academic research. Mr. Iyer demonstrated how to effectively use Google Scholar to locate research papers, focusing on advanced search techniques. He guided students through the process of refining search queries using filters such as publication date, author, and domain. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of exploring the "Cited by" feature, which allows researchers to track the influence and relevance of a paper within the academic community. This feature helps in identifying foundational papers and understanding the evolution of research topics over time.

Citation Tracking and Its Relevance

A significant portion of the workshop was dedicated to understanding the relevance of citations in academic research. Mr. Iyer explained that citations serve as a measure of a paper's impact and credibility. He emphasized that tracking citations can provide insights into the most influential papers in a particular field, helping researchers to build a strong theoretical foundation for their work. Furthermore, Mr. Iyer illustrated how Google Scholar's citation metrics could be used to identify key researchers and institutions in specific domains, enabling students to connect with the broader academic community.

Maintaining a Research Record in Excel

To ensure systematic research management, Mr. Iyer introduced the concept of maintaining a research record in an Excel sheet. He stressed the importance of documenting every research paper that students read, along with critical details such as the year of publication, domain, models used, technologies referenced, and citations. Mr. Iyer provided a template for the Excel sheet, which included columns for the title of the paper, authors, publication year, domain, keywords, machine learning models and algorithms used, technologies, and a summary of the paper. He explained that this organized approach would not only aid in quick retrieval of information but also help students track their progress and identify patterns in their research journey.

Practical Application and Interactive Session

Following the theoretical discussions, Mr. Iyer conducted a hands-on session where students were encouraged to apply the concepts learned during the workshop. They were tasked with finding research papers on a given topic using Google Scholar, selecting appropriate keywords, and recording the details in the provided Excel template. This practical exercise was instrumental in reinforcing the workshop's teachings and allowed students to clarify any doubts they had about the process.

The workshop concluded with a Q&A session, where Mr. Venkatesh Iyer addressed the students queries and provided additional tips for effective research. The session was immensely beneficial, equipping students with essential skills for academic research and encouraging them to adopt a systematic approach to their studies. Mr. Iyer's expertise and engaging teaching style made the workshop a valuable learning experience, and the students left with a deeper understanding of how to navigate the vast landscape of academic research using Google Scholar.

 

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