Electronic Research: Sources and Strategies

Amy Ferguson Fall 2009

www.richlandcollege.edu/library

Richland College Library

Computer UseComputer Use

• Only use computers as I direct.

• Anyone using computers for other purposes (IM, games, etc.) will be asked to leave and will NOT receive credit for this workshop.

Finding sources appropriate for college work is hard.

Receive the Information Literacy Certificate!

Receive the Information Literacy Certificate!

Attend all 3 workshops in the Library Instruction Program

• Research 1: Introduction to College Research

• Research 2: Electronic Research - Sources and Strategies

• Research 3: MLA - Avoiding Plagiarism and Documenting Sources.

Knowing how to use the right tool puts information at your fingertips.

Class Goals

• Know the difference between the electronic research tools in order to use the best tool for a specific research need.

• Construct a tool-appropriate research strategy in order to locate relevant materials on a given topic.

• Evaluate information sources in order to use quality information sources.

Agenda

• Attendance

• Brainstorm Search Terms

• Electronic Library Tools– Library Catalog

– Library Databases

• Internet Tools

• Source Evaluation

• Worksheet

Search Terms

1. Select a topic.

2. Turn your topic into a question.

3. Circle the main concepts.

4. Brainstorm synonyms and related terms.

Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/664535

Find a Book in the Library Catalog

Find a Book in the Library Catalog

Use the Library CatalogLibrary Catalog to find…

• Books

• Periodical Titles

• Websites

• Other Media– Videos– Audiocassettes– And more

…that Richland and the Dallas County Community College District own.

Use the Library Databases to find…Use the Library Databases to find…

•Articles from Periodicals

•eBooks

•Articles from Reference Books

•Images

•And much more!

Advanced Search Strategies

• Phrase Searching: Search for an exact phrase with Quotation marks. Works in Internet and Library Tools. For example: “assisted suicide”

• Truncation: use the asterisk * to search for all words that begin with same letters. Works in Library tools only. Example: psych*

Boolean OperatorsBoolean Operators

• AND: Combines ideas and narrows your searchExample: children and violen* “video games”

• OR: Synonyms, broadens your search Example: child* or kid*

• NOT: Excludes ideas and narrows your search Example: “illegal aliens” not UFOs

Works in most library tools and some internet tools

• Search Engines– Like Google, Yahoo,

and Ask.com

• Subject Directories

• Databases– Examples: Internet Movie

Database; Recipe databases; Amazon.com

Locating Web Pages: Internet Search Tools

* Search Engines Examples Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com

* Subject Directories Examples: lii.org, ipl.org

* DatabasesExamples: Internet Movie Database

(www.imdb.com), Amazon.com,recipe databases, employment databases

The Undergraduate Research EngineThe Undergraduate Research Engine

Search the entire Google database with Librarian-selected sites rated highest.

www.research-engine.net

Find A Websites

• Use the Undergraduate Research Engine (research-engine.net)

• How do you know when you have found a credible website?

Evaluate Your SourcesEvaluate Your Sources

Currency

Authority

Relevancy

Bias

Subject Directories

• Catalogs of web pages compiled and reviewed by human editors

• Current Events & Controversial Issues from Library Help Sheets

• Librarians’ Index to the Internet: http://lii.org/

360 Search

Citing Electronic Sources for your Research Paper

The MLA handouts provide guidance.

Or attend Research 3: The MLA Format and learn how to cite your sources with NoodleBib.

Workshop Summary

• To find Books, use the Library Catalog.

• To find Periodical Articles, use the Library’s Online Databases.

• To find Web Sites, use Search Engines and Subject Directories.

• Always start your research for class assignments with Library Tools.

• Internet Search Tools and Library Tools use different Search Strategies.

• Use the CARB method to evaluate all your sources.

Contact Me

• E-mail: richlandlibrary@dcccd.edu

• Phone: 972-238-6082