TSEM 102 Laksamee Putnam

lputnam@towson.edu

Research & Instruction Librarian

Slides: http://bit.ly/TSEMbmcarthurslides112

First… Laksamee Putnam

lputnam@towson.edu

Cook Library Reference:

410.704.2462.

IM/email

Phone: 410.704.3746.

Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU

Albert S. Cook facebook profile!

Slides: http://bit.ly/TSEMbmcarthurslides112

Agenda

Article/Video Discussion

Background reading/Internet searching

Keywords

Evaluating Resources

Wikipedia Woes and Google Gaffs

What are the pros and cons of so much information being online?

What do you do to be sure you’re finding more than “information junk food”? How do you evaluate

the information you find while researching?

Why is it important to support your argument with valid sources?

Appelbaum, Y. (2012). How the professor who

fooled Wikipedia got caught by Reddit. The

Atlantic. May 15.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archi

ve/2012/05/how-the-professor-who-fooled-

wikipedia-got-caught-by-reddit/257134/#

Prater, E. (2011) Beware online filter bubbles.

TED: Ideas worth spreading.

http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_

online_filter_bubbles.html

Interpreting the Assignment

Reading Background Information

Using Online Databases & Indexes

Gathering Sources

Drafting Paper or Presentation

Identifying & Listing

Vocabulary

Citing Sources

Refining a Topic

Evaluating Sources

The Research Process

Selecting a Topic

Web “Pre-Searching”

Why start your search online?

Find background information

Help solidify research topic

Find new terminology to use as keywords

Find links and/or citations to other sources

Improve Google

internet and bully

Advanced Google

searching

Power searching

Duck Duck Go

body image and girls

Cook Library’s

Guide to the Web

Try new features to help build

your keyword list and search

strategy.

Keywords come from the search question

Use Boolean “search connectors” to

combine keywords in ways that capture

the results you need

Search Tip #1

Boolean “search connectors”

AND OR NOT For example:

internet AND children Combining >1 topic

instruct OR teach Combining synonymous terms

Search Tip #2

Use truncation!

Educat* finds

Educate

Education

Educating

Educator

Etc…

Search Tip #3

Phrase Searching…

Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase

intact (words will be searched in the

specific order)

Examples:

“No Child Left Behind”

“school reform”

Keywords are critical!

Sample topic:

What are some ways elementary teachers can assess whether a certain technology solution is effective?

First, break the question down into keywords:

What are some ways elementary teachers can assess whether a certain technology solution is effective?

More on keywords… Expand your list to include synonyms then add to it

once you have done some background reading.

What are some ways elementary teachers can assess

whether a certain technology solution is effective?

teach* assess* technolog*

learn evaluat* comput*

strateg* test* [software name]

method gauge

instruct*

Putting it all together… What are some ways elementary teachers can assess

whether a certain technology solution is effective?

teach*

instruct*

method*

learn*

assess*

evaluate*

test*

technolog*

comput*

[software name]

teach* OR instruct* OR method* OR learn*

AND

assess* OR evaluate* OR test*

AND

technolog* OR comput* OR kidspiration

Evaluate what you find

Go to one of the websites below and analyze it

http://bit.ly/cosmicweb1

http://bit.ly/cosmicweb2

http://bit.ly/cosmicweb3

http://bit.ly/cosmicweb4

http://bit.ly/cosmicweb5

http://bit.ly/cosmicweb6

http://bit.ly/cosmicweb7

Currency

Reliability

Authority

Purpose/Point of View

Check for CRAP

Check for CRAP Currency

How recent is the information?

Can you locate a date when the resource was written/created/updated?

Based on your topic, is this current enough?

Why might the date matter for your topic?

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

http://www.flickr.com/photos/helloeveryone123/3937374193/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Check for CRAP Reliability

What kind of information is included in the resource?

Does the author provide citations & references for quotations & data

Where am I accessing this information?

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnappi/5930145952/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Check for CRAP Authority

Can you determine who the author/creator is?

What are their credentials (education, affiliation, experience, etc.)?

Who is the publisher or sponsor of the work/site?

Is this publisher/sponsor reputable

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

http://rantchick.com/a-doctrine-on-respect/

Check for CRAP Purpose/Point of

View Is the content

primarily opinion?

Is the information balanced or biased?

What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/5484085301/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Begin your own research

Fill out this worksheet

http://bit.ly/TSEMb102mcarthurWS112

Next class:

“Read” and prepare for discussion

Use your keywords to find books/articles

Questions? Feel free to contact me:

Laksamee Putnam

lputnam@towson.edu

410.704.3746.

Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU

Or any reference librarian:

Visit Cook Library Reference Desk

410.704.2462.

IM – tucookchat