how to refine your search
TRANSCRIPT
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Using the World
Wide Web torefine your topic
Chapter Two
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Characteristics of ascholarly topic
Unlike a general subject, a scholarly topic should:
• Examine one narrowed issue, not a broad subject.
• Have a serious purpose –one that demands analysis
of the issues, argues from a position, and explain
complex details.
•
Meet the expectations of the instructor and conformto the course requirements.
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subject to discover ideas andfocus on the issues
1. Free writing
2. Listing keywords
3. Arranging the keywords into a preliminaryoutline
4. Clustering
5. Asking Questions
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Using the World Wide Webto refine your topic
The Internet provides a quick and easy
way to find a topic and refine it toacademic standards.
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However . . .
However, the Internet made it difficult to
apply traditional evaluations to anelectronic article:
Is it accurate, authoritative, objective, current ,timely and thorough in its coverage?
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Problems. . .
Some Internet sites are advocates to
special interests.
Some sites market products or sprinkle
the site with banners to commercial sites
and sales items.
Some sites are personal home pages.
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Answers
Go to the reliable databases available throughyour library such as Questia, InfoTrac,PsychInfo, UMI ProQuest, Electric Library, the
library of congress and EBSCOhost.
Look for articles that first appeared in aprinted version.
Look for a reputable sponsor, especially auniversity, a museum or professionalorganization.
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Answers
Check the following site for additionaltips on methods for evaluating Internet
sources and more information on thedifferent search engines:
<http://ablongman.com/lester/>
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Using an Internet KeywordSearch
To find sites quickly, enter the keywords fora topic you wish to explore.
Internet search engines will force you tonarrow your general subject.
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Using an Internet KeywordSearch
For example, one student entered “Internet +addiction”, and the computer brought upthousands of sources.
By tightening the request to the phrase “Internet addiction” , enclosed within quotation
marks, the researcher cut the list considerablyand discovered other keywords: cyber-wellness, webholics, and net addiction.
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Databases to Find and Narrowa subject
1. Select a database.
Some databases such as Infotrac, Questia and UMI-ProQuest are general.
Others focus on one discipline; for example, PsychINFO
searches psychological sources, ERIC indexes
educational sources.
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Databases to Find and Narrowa subject
1. List keywords or a phrase to describe your
topic, enclosed within quotation marks.
Avoid using one general word. For example, the word
forestry on the EBSCOhost database produced 6000
possible sites.
The two-word phrase “forestry conservation” produced a
manageable 31 sites.
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Databases to Find and Narrowa subject
1. Examine the various entries for possible
topics.
Look for relevant articles, browse descriptions, read the
abstracts, and when you find something valuable print
the full text, if it’s available.
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Book Catalog to Find andNarrow a topic
The library's book index will suggest topics
and confirm that your subject has been
treated with in-depth studies.
The electronic index lists all books housed in
the library.
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Book Catalog to Find andNarrow a topic
When you go to the stacks to find a book,
take the time to examine nearby books on the
same shelf, for they will likely treat the samesubject.
Carefully read the titles of books and chapter
titles, noting any key term.
Go to the books’ indexes for additional
headings.
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Assignment
Using a search engine, like Google or
Yahoo, begin with a broad search topic.
-Bring to class next time one source with an index
card attached to it.
-The source has to be relevant to your topic.