Zale Library atPaul Quinn College

Information Literacy Module 1:Selecting Good Information

Dr. David HamrickReference/Cataloging Librarian

Why it matters We select information to

Make DECISIONS and… Draw CONCLUSIONS “Is this movie any good?”

Ask a friend, but… “Do they like the movies I like?” Read a review, but… “Does this reviewer have a bias?” Do you pay attention to the

reviewers’ quotes on themovie posters?

Why it matters In writing a college paper,

information selection is crucial Good selection leads to plenty of

material, easier writing Poor selection leads to shallow

writing and inaccurate statements We select different information

for different tasks Wikipedia is okay for quick facts

such as dates or places, but You need more depth and authority to write a good paper

What we’re doing

Learning the strengths of different resources Internet vs. Library Popular vs. Scholarly writing Magazines & newspapers vs.

Scholarly journals & books

What we’re doing

Learning where to find different resources What is in the library catalog? What is in an online periodical index? What kinds of resources

are on the Internet?

Types of resources

Reference books Encyclopedias, handbooks, directories Prepared by experts in various topics Best source of quick,

accurate information Usually not enough

depth for a paper—just short articles

Gives an overview ofthe subject; goodplace to start

Types of resources

Scholarly books Selected by faculty, librarians

for quality of their information Usually the work of several

years, lots of expertise Provide depth and

interpretation of subject Use the index to find if your

topic is covered!

Types of resources

Scholarly journals Articles reviewed by a group of experts in topic Usually more current than books in same subject Contain articles on narrower topics in depth

Types of resources

News magazines & Newspapers Written for general readers (not for other scholars) Not as much depth, not peer-reviewed Often the best source

for information aboutcurrent events &popular culture

Current political stories Sports, music, film

Types of resources

Voyager library catalog Helps you to find… Reference books Circulating books E-books Videos Authoritative

Web sites

Types of resources

Online journal indexes Texshare, JSTOR Help you find articles on a topic Many articles available in full text (not all!) Some indexes available for specific topics

Gale Health & Wellness Ebsco Enhanced

Business Search Handbook of Texas Online

Can narrow search byauthor, date, subject, etc.

Types of resources

World Wide Web Most current information, but… You have to be the reviewer—check reliability Many good resources available from education,

government, library web sites www.loc.gov (Library of

Congress) www.ic2.utexas.edu/bbr/

(Univ. of Texas Bureau ofBusiness Research)

What about this next one?

FAIL

Popular or scholarly?

Popular resources… Are written for the general public May promote a particular point of view Entertain more than educate Exist to make a profit by selling ads Shorter articles, less depth May cover many topics Examples: Sports Illustrated, Vibe,

GQ, Essence

Popular or scholarly?

Scholarly resources… Written for other scholars, specialists Try to be unbiased Share research and educate Sell little or no advertising Long articles with bibliographies Usually focus on a limited topic Examples: Journal of the AMA,

Business Communication Quarterly

The Library and the Web

In the library… Information is selected for

its accuracy/authority Reviewed/recommended

by librarians & faculty Provided with personal

assistance Organized to keep similar

information together Free and non-commercial

The Library and the Web

On the Web… Many sources of information

have an agenda No one stops misinformation

from being posted Many resources are

provided for-profit only No organization—and no

search engine has it all MANY sources are designed

to sell a product

Who’s on the web

This doesn’t mean the Web is bad… It is the best, easiest way to

get some information It gives a voice to

alternative points of view! It encourages collaboration

and cooperation

Who’s on the web

Many scholarly resources are on the Web Published by governments (thomas.loc.gov) Published by universities (www.beg.utexas.edu/) Published by organizations (www.ama-assn.org) Published by libraries (www.nypl.org/research/)

Use the Web wisely

Be a smart consumer of information Check the credentials of

the author Check the credentials of

the organization Check the quality of the

citations If you aren’t sure, find an

independent evaluation

Use the Web wisely

Remember the library has a lot on the Web! JSTOR, Texshare are there anytime, anywhere The library web page has links to good resources The library wiki supplements these—suggest more!

http://www.pqc.edu/lib/zale_library.htm

http://zalelibrary.pbworks.com/

The End

Ask the library staff for help—that’s why we are here!