Stephanie Miller
INFO 521
IPL Project
June 2, 2010
Question #1
Patron Question:
Question: What are some trends of the South African economy over the last five years.
Name: Mahlubandile
From: t0921@tsiba.org.za
Confirm: t0921@tsiba.org.za
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Area: Education
Reason: Study and compiling my assignment.
School: Yes
Source Consulted: Economist, SAinfo, South African Reserve Bank Quatertly Bullitin
Question claimed: May 5, 2010 12:05 p.m.
Question answered: May 5, 2010 12: 56 p.m.
Time spent answering question: approximately 51 minutes
My Answer:
Hello from the ipl2,
Thank you for your question about the South African economy over the last five years. I
found a few sources that I hope will answer your question.
Sources
1. The website for the International Monetary Fund has extensive economic data and
statistics available by country, including South Africa. This data is published in the
IMF’s “World Economic Outlook Database” which was published in April 2010. You
question asked for trends through the past five years. This database includes historical
data from 1980 to the present. You can access the World Economic Outlook Database at
the following link:
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/index.aspx
This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortened version for your
convenience:
http://tinyurl.com/379o9fd
The IMF also publishes articles about South Africa’s economy. These publications can be
accessed by the following link:
http://www.imf.org/external/country/zaf/index.htm
The IMF is an extremely well known international organization that publishes reliable
economic data.
2. Information about the South African Economy is also available through he CIA World
Factbook, at the following link:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html
This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortened version for your
convenience:
http://tinyurl.com/yvwhje
The CIA World Factbook is a publication of the US government and contains reliable
reference information on countries throughout the world.
My Search
I located my first source, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by going directly to the
IMF homepage at:
http://www.imf.org
I have personally used the IMF’s online resources frequently in the past as an
undergraduate economics student and knew that they published extensive economic data
on countries throughout the world. To access data specific to South Africa I selected the
“Data and Statistics” tab at the top of the homepage and then selected the “World
Economic Outlook Databases” from the list of resources under the heading “Global
Data.” I chose to search “By Country (country-level data).” South Africa is among the
countries listed. By following the prompts from this page forward, you may select
specific economic data for specific time frames and a table of the trend through that time
frame is produced.
To access the articles on the South African Economy published by the IMF, I selected
“Country Info” from the IMF’s homepage and selected “South Africa” from the
alphabetical list of countries.
I located my second source, the CIA World Factbook, through the ipl2 website at
http://www.ipl.org
I first selected the tab marked “By Subject” from the homepage, and then chose
“Reference” from the list of categories. From there, I selected Almanacs from the links
in the left pane of the webpage. The World Factbook is among the list of references.
I hope these sources answer your question. Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you
need more information. Thank you for using ipl2.
Sources consulted and strategies used:
I chose this question because I studied international economics as an
undergraduate and thought that I would understand the question well and provide the
patron with reliable sources. In completing undergraduate projects, I used the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a resource many times and was fairly certain they
would have comprehensive information about South Africa for this patron. Although I
found this source quickly, I spent a considerable amount of time navigating through the
site to find country specific information and in particular, information that showed
economic trends over time, which is what I knew the patron was looking for. My
strategy was first to locate information specific to the South Africa and then to narrow
down the search results further to find information over fixed time periods.
The information from the IMF was comprehensive, but at times the presentation
of the information was difficult to decipher and the writing very technical, (but not more
so than the Economist and other sources already consulted by the patron) so I wanted to
give the patron another source that was more user-friendly. I knew that the patron was
requesting this information for a school assignment but I was uncertain of the level of
education. we
I found the ipl2’s homepage to be extremely useful for answering many
patrons’ question and it was often my first choice as a resource when I did not have
something very specific in mind. For this question, I first browsed the resources under
the “Business and Economics tab” but found that most of these were specifically about
the United States, were more of a quick reference tool like a business glossary or were
about a particular economic theory. Next, I turned to ipl2’s Reference section for
information about South Africa rather than a source about Economics. There, I found a
link to the CIA Factbook in the Reference section of the ipl2’s homepage. This gave me
a reliable source to which I could refer the patron.
Critique that indicates level of satisfaction with the answer provided:
I am fairly satisfied with the answer that I provided to the patron for this question.
Both the IMF and the CIA Factbook are reliable sources for economic data about South
Africa.
What I would do differently:
If given additional time to answer this question, I would have corresponded with
the patron to find out exactly at what level he is studying economics, whether it is high
school or university. With this information I would have been able to tailor the sources I
gave to the patron more precisely. I would also provide a better description of how to
navigate the resources on the IMF webpage. The website is not the most user-friendly
site and I could have been more specific about how to locate information about South
Africa and how to view information about trends over time. I might have also referred
him to specific articles published by the IMF rather than directing him to the area of the
IMP website where the publications could be found.
Question #2
Patron Question:
Question: i want sources and information about history of cancer
Name: nada
From: h_day57@yahoo.com
Confirm: h_day57@yahoo.com
Location: egypt
Area: Health
Reason: the search
School: No
Question claimed: May 7, 2010, 12:17 p.m.
Question answered: May 7, 2010, 3:12 p.m.
Time spent answering question: approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes
My Answer:
Hello from the ipl2,
Thank you for your question about the history of cancer. I found a few sources that I
hope will answer your question.
Sources
1. The website for the American Cancer Society has extensive reference information on
a variety of topics related to cancer, including a history of the disease. You can access
the article “The History of Cancer” published online by the American Cancer Society at
the following link:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_the_history_of_cancer_72.asp?sit
earea=
This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortened version for your
convenience:
http://tinyurl.com/2a7dqqs
The American Cancer Society is an extremely well known and reputable health
organization dedicated to the elimination of cancer as a major health problem. Their
publications are up-to-date and reliable.
2. Emory University maintains a website entitled “CancerQuest” which publishes
information both about the cell biology of cancer and cancer topics such as the history of
cancer, prevention and diagnosis and detection of cancer. In particular, I thought this
website would be useful for you because it presents information in a timeline format.
The time line can be accessed at the following link:
http://www.cancerquest.org/index.cfm?page=2405&lang=english
CancerQuest is a reliable resource. CancerQuest is associated with Emory University, a
respected educational institution. The information published at CancerQuest, including
the timeline, consistently cite additional outside references.
3. The website for the National Cancer Institute provides information on a wide variety
of cancer topics. Although there is no timeline or history of the disease published by the
National Cancer Institute, it is a excellent resource for general information. It may be
useful for any other questions that may arise during your research. The link to the
National Cancer Institute is as follows:
http://www.cancer.gov
The National Cancer Institute is a government organization and a part of the U.S.
National Institutes of Health. Therefore, it is a trusted resource for health related
information.
My Search
1. I located my first source, the American Cancer Society through the ipl2 website at:
http://www.ipl.org.
I first selected the tab marked “By Subject” from the homepage, and then chose “Health
and Medical Sciences,” then “Diseases, Disorders and Syndromes” from the links in the
left pane. Finally, I selected “Cancer.” The American Cancer Society was among the
resources listed. The homepage for the American Cancer Society is as follows:
http://www.cancer.org
From the homepage I selected “Information for Health Information Seekers,” then
“Cancer Reference Information,” then “More information: Cancer (general information)
and finally “The History of Cancer.”
2. I located my second source, “CancerQuest” at Emory University by searching Google
at the following link:
http://www.google.com
I used the search terms “History of Cancer” and “CancerQuest” was among the search
results. The homepage for CancerQuest is as follows:
http://www.cancerquest.org
From the homepage, I selected “History of Cancer” from the links on the left pane of the
website and then “Timeline of Cancer.”
3. I located my third source through the ipl2 website. I followed the same steps as for
the first source, described above. The website for the National Cancer Institute was
among those references listed with the American Cancer Society. The homepage for the
National Cancer Institute is as follows:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics
I hope these sources answer your question. Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you
need more information. Thank you for using ipl2.
Sources consulted and strategies used:
This question was more difficult than I first anticipated. My initial searches
were over-broad and finding information about the history of cancer among the vast
amounts of information about types of cancer and cancer treatment was a challenge.
My first search strategy was to turn to the ipl2 resources and I quickly found
links to the American Cancer Society and for the National Cancer Institute in the “Health
and Medical Sciences” tab from the ipl2 homepage. The most time consuming part of
my search was, by far, navigating through each of these websites, both of which I
considered to be very authoritative, to find the specific information about the history of
cancer that the patron was looking for.
I also explored other resources at ipl2 including Discovery Health and
IntelliHealth but found that these sources were completely dedicated to information about
the definition of cancer, types of cancer and the treatment of cancer. I thought the
“History of Medicine” subsection might also contain useful sources but found that these
were sources about the history of the practice of medicine rather than the history of any
particular medical condition.
After I thought that I had fully explored ipl2’s resources, I decided to use the
Google search engine. The first search results were repetitive of what I found at ip2,
namely, links to the American Cancer Society. However, I was immediately drawn to the
5th link in the search results because the heading indicated that there was a timeline
available. I was pleased to discover that there was an interactive flash presentation in a
timeline format giving comprehensive information about the history of cancer.
Moreover, the entire site was very informative about cancer and maintained by a
reputable university.
Critique that indicates level of satisfaction with the answer provided:
I am satisfied with my answer to this question. I provided reliable sources to the
patron regarding the history of cancer. In particular, I was pleased to find the timeline
available at the CancerQuest site, maintained by Emory University. I think the sources to
which I referred the patron also provide extensive information about the disease that will
hopefully serve to answer any follow up questions that the patron has.
What I would do differently:
My search for sources for this patron should have been more efficient. Although I
believe ipl2 to be an excellent resource that I used repeatedly in working on this project, I
spent a considerable amount of time looking at health related site and cancer related sites
without knowing whether they contained any information specifically about the history of
the disease. When I turned to the Google search engine, the first link was a direct link to
the History of Cancer section of the American Cancer Society webpage that I had spent
approximately 20 minutes searching for by navigating through the ACS site. Answering
this question was an excellent lesson for me in knowing when to use a search engine and
also when to use the searching capabilities within a website.
Question #3
Patron Question:
Question: What are the ranks of the military branches of the United States?
Name: Kiya
From: kiya.smith1490@yahoo.com
Confirm: kiya.smith1490@yahoo.com
Location: Ashland, OR/USA
Area: Military
Reason: Personal use
School: No
Question claimed: May 10, 2010, 4:38 p.m.
Question answered: May 10, 2010, 8:02 p.m.
Time spent answering question: approximately 1 hour and ten minutes
My Answer:
Hello from the ipl2,
Thank you for your question about military ranks. I found a few sources that I hope will
answer your question.
Sources
1. The website for the Department of Defense provides tables for both for enlisted
soldiers and officers which lists military ranks for each branch of the U.S. government
and displays the insignia for each rank. You can access both of the tables showing the
ranks of enlisted soldiers at the following link:
http://www.defense.gov/specials/insignias/index.html
U.S. government websites are very reputable reference sources. The information found
at the website for the Department of Defense can be relied upon for information about the
branches of the U.S. military.
2. For additional information about military ranks and military personnel more generally,
infoplease.com is an online almanac that contains excellent reference sources.
Infoplease.com also provides a table of military ranks for all branches of the U.S. military
as well as to total number of military personnel that hold that rank. You can access this
table at the following link:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004604.html
I selected this source because I have used Infoplease.com many times as a reliable source
for reference materials.
My Search
1. I located my first source, the U.S. Department of Defense website by searching
Google at the following link:
http://www.google.com
I used the search terms “Department of Defense” and the government website was among
the search results. The homepage for the U.S. Department of Defense is as follows:
http://www.defense.gov
From the homepage, I entered the search terms “military rank” into the search box in the
upper right-hand corner of the webpage. The links entitled “The U.S. Military Enlisted
Rank Insignia” and “The U.S. Military Officer Rank Insignia” were the third and fourth
search results, respectively.
2. I located my second source through the ipl2’s collection of reference materials. From
ipl2 homepage I selected “Resources by Subject” then “Reference” then “Almanacs.”
Infoplease is among the list of Almanacs. The homepage for Infoplease is as follows:
http://www.infoplease.com
From the Infoplease homepage I first selected “United States” from the menu in the left
pane of the screen. I then selected “Military Affairs,” “Military Personnel” and finally
“U.S. Military Ranks.”
I hope this response has fully answered your question. If you still need more
information, please write back. Thanks for visiting the ipl2!
Sources consulted and strategies used:
My first strategy was to locate a government website featuring the ranks of
military officers in the five branches of the U.S. government. I knew that a government
source would be the most reliable to provide to the patron on this particular topic. My
first instinct was to search for the Department of Defense. I used the Google search
engine to find the Department of Defense homepage. I learned from answering Question
#2 regarding the history of cancer to use the search feature on the webpage to search
more efficiently and employed that strategy for this question. I searched the Department
of Defense website and quickly found a page of military ranks in chart form that listed
the ranks of all five branches of the military.
I located a second source for the patron among ipl2’s resources. I changed my
strategy when I began looking for a second source for the patron. I wanted to find a
source that both confirmed the information regarding military ranks but also one that
would serve as a further source about the military. I thought an encyclopedia entry about
the U.S. military would serve this purpose. From the Reference section of ipl2’s website,
I selected Encyclopedias. From the list of sources, I selected Enclyclopedia.com. After
exploring this site and searching for military ranks, I was disappointed. The information
was very broad in scope. I returned to the ipl2’s Reference section and this time
reviewed the list of sources under Almanac. I chose Infoplease.com. Infoplease also
presented the military ranks in a chart format but included additional information about
the number of service men and women that hold each rank.
Critique that indicates level of satisfaction with the answer provided:
I am fairly satisfied with the answer I provided to the patron. I feel as though I
referred the patron to reliable sources that would provide her with the answer that she
was looking for.
What I would do differently:
However, if given additional time to answer this question, I would have looked
for more specific information about the meaning of each military rank. Infopleas has this
information but I did not specifically direct the patron to the information. The patron
only asked for the military ranks but a full and complete answer should have anticipated
the patron’s next question and provided a resource to serve them.
Question #4
Patron Question:
Question: What is the Endosymbiotic Theory? How did the Endosymbiotic Theory come
into play? How was the Theory formed? What evidence is there to support it? Is there any
evidience that may contridict the theory?
Name: Don Mcguirl
From: hock3yplaya35@yahoo.com
Confirm: hock3yplaya35@yahoo.com
Location: Warwick,Rhode Island/USA
Area: Science
Reason: I need some good resources to write a research paper for AP Biology
School: Yes
Sources_Consulted: http://www.biology.iupui.edu/biocourses/n100/2k2endosymb.html
Question claimed: May 11, 2010, 10:18 a.m.
Question answered: May 11, 2010, 8: 20 p.m.
Time spent answering question:
My Answer:
Hello from the ipl2,
Thank you for your question about endosymbiotic theory. I found a few sources that I
hope will answer your question.
Sources
1. A website maintained by University of California Berkeley entitled “Understanding
Evolution” provides a comprehensive resource for information about evolution, including
cell biology. Specifically, there is an article, “It Takes Teamwork: How Endosymbiosis
Changed Life on Earth” that I think contains useful information for your purpose. You
can view that article at this link:
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/_0_0/endosymbiosis_01
This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortened version for your
convenience.
http://tinyurl.com/2g7xhhl
UC Berkley is a well-respected educational institution. Its publications can be relied
upon as a credible reference source.
2. A website maintained by The University of Utah entitled “Learn. Genetics: Genetic
Science Learning Center” provides educational resources about topics in genetics,
bioscience and health. Specifically, an article “The Evolution of the Cell” contains
information relevant to your research. You can view that article at this link:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/organelles/
This website is a reliable source. It is published by a reputable educational institution.
3. I also located an article written by Frederic Bushman and published in The Scientist.
This article is titled “Evolutionary Teamwork: Constructing eukaryotes through
endosymbiosis.” You can view that article at this link:
http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/14665/
The Scientist is a publication dedicated to the latest developments in the life sciences. Its
articles, including this article, include bibliographies.
My Search
1. I located my first and second sources by searching Google at the following link:
http://www.google.com
I used the search terms “Endosymbiotic Theory” and the UC Berkley publication,
“Understanding Evolution” was among the search results as well as the University of
Utah publication “Learn.Genetics: Genetic Science Learning Center.”
2. I located the second source through the ipl2’s collection of reference materials. From
ipl2’s homepage I selected “Resources by Subject” then “Reference” then
“Encyclopedias.” The list of Encyclopedia resources is located at the following link:
http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=13&cid=1&tid=7099&parent=6996
This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortened version for your
convenience.
http://tinyurl.com/ygnwr64
From this list I selected Encyclopedia.com. The homepage for Encylopedia.com is here:
http://www.encyclopedia.com
I searched this site using the search term “endosymbiosis” and found the following
results:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/searchresults.aspx?q=Endosymbiosis
This list of resources contains entries for encyclopedias, dictionaries and magazine
articles. Many of which may be useful to you in your research. The article from The
Scientist was among the search results on Encyclopedia.com. After previewing the
article on Encyclopedia.com, I searched for the full article at The-Scientist.com at the
following link:
http://www.The-Scientist.com
I hope this response has fully answered your question. If you still need more
information, please write back. Thanks for visiting the ipl2!
Sources consulted and strategies used:
This question was the most difficult of the seven that I answered. I struggled
determine what sources were age appropriate for a high school student.
My first search strategy was to use the Google search engine. I thought that the
patron was looking for information about such a specific scientific question that the
results would be on target. The first several sources were disappointing and I did not
think they were reliable enough to refer the patron to them. Some were blog entries,
some seemed to be commercial sites for which I was unable to determine who was
responsible for the content. For example, http://www.fossilmuseum.net presented what I
thought was age appropriate material for the patron but I was unable to determine who
published fossilmuseum.net and the site provided no bibliography of the sources of their
scientific information. The site was not affiliated with any educational institute or any
scientific publication, so I excluded it from the list of sources I provided to the patron.
However, I did find two reputable sources among the search results retrieved by
the Google search engine. Both the materials from UC Berkeley and the University of
Utah appeared to be presented for educational purposes rather than for scientific research
publication, making it age appropriate and accessible to a high school student. These
sources provided comprehensive information about the biological process in question as
well as information about the theory itself (its origins and its validity) which were part of
the patron’s multi-faceted question.
Next, I changed my search strategy and turned to the ipl2’s resources. I hoped
to find an encyclopedia entry on endosymbiotic theory. I chose encyclopedia.com from
the list of encyclopedias from the reference section and searched for both “endosybiotic
theory” and “endosybiosis.” The results only gave me a short definition of the biological
process. However, I was pleased to discover that encyclopedia.com provides not only
dictionary definitions and encyclopedia entries but also links to various articles on the
subject, which led me to the article published in The Scientist. I thought the article was a
comprehensive view of the biological process the patron was researching without being
overly technical. I thought it was more advanced than the other two sources I had already
found but appropriate considering that the patron is an advanced science student.
Encyclopedia.com only provided a preview of the article, but I was able to retrieve the
entire article from The-Scientist.com.
Critique that indicates level of satisfaction with the answer provided:
I am very satisfied with the answer I provided to the patron. I searched diligently
for age appropriate sources and I believe that I located two such comprehensive sources
plus one additional more advanced source considering that the patron is an advanced
science student.
What I would do differently:
If given the opportunity, I would spend more time looking for academic articles
that might be useful to the patron. I might have spent additional time searching Google
Scholar. I also should have searched the catalogs of the patron’s local libraries, to see
what print resources might have been available.
Question #5
Patron Question:
Question: On Anna Maria Eberhardt's (my gx2 grandmother's) death certificate it says
that she was born in New York (abt 1850) and married James Barnes there in about 1872.
They had three children born in New York, most likely Brooklyn, before the whole
family emigrated to Australia in 1878 on the 'Ivanhoe". According to her death record,
Anna's father was a stovemaker. His name may have been Francis Eberhard(t). All my
efforts in finding any records at all for any of these events has been fruitless and I'd be
most appreciative of any suggestion you can make as to where I might look. James
Barnes was born in Sandy, Bedfordshire in 1848 & he emigrated to the United States in
the 1860s. The rest of his family arrived in dribs & drabs and they eventually settled in
New Haven, Ct. Anna & James had three sons born in New York: William Francis in
1873, Harold Ebsworth in 1875, and Frederick W in 1877. With kind regards, Jenny
Grant
Name: Jenny Grant
From: donjen33@gmail.com
Confirm: donjen33@gmail.com
Location: Burradoo, NSW, Australia
Area: Other
Reason: Genealogical/family history
School: No
Sources Consulted: 1. Ancestry database. 2. 30 Apr 2009: NYC Department of Records
and Information Services Municipal Archives for a Marriage record between James
Barnes & Anna Eberhardt. Years searched: 1869-1872. Item Nos: 111111 #7559,
DOR127 x 3 Boroughs: Manhattan & Brooklyn. Result: NOT FOUND 3. 21 July 2008.
NYC Department of Records and Information Services Municipal Archives for Birth
record of James & Anna's firstborn son, William Francis Barnes, born in 1873. Borough:
Brooklyn Result: NOT FOUND 4. Records of other family members.
Question claimed: May 19, 2010, 10:04 a.m.
Question answered: May 19, 2010 1:11 p.m.
Time spent answering question: approximately 3 hours
Thank you received: May 19, 2010, 8: 19 p.m.
My Answer:
Hello from the ipl2,
Thank you for your question about genealogy and specifically your ancestors in New
York. I found a few sources that I hope will help you in your research.
Sources
1.
FamilySearch.org is a website maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. Although it is affiliated with a religious institution it is free for public
use and contains genealogical information for individuals nationwide. You may be able
to search here for marriage records, birth records and death records either in New York or
in Connecticut for the Barnes and Eberhardt families. The homepage for FamilySearch
is located here:
http://www.familysearch.org
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is well-known for its genealogical
research. For example, they partnered with Ellis Island to create an online archive of its
documents. Its online database can be trusted as a reliable source for genealogical data.
2.
CastleGarden.org is a website that contains online records of immigrants
arriving in New York from 1820 to 1892, the year Ellis Island opened. It is a project of
The Battery Conservancy which is a non-profit dedicated to rebuild and revitalize the
Battery Park area of Manhattan including major landmarks like Castle Garden, the first
immigration center in the US. Access to this site is free and may be helpful for you to
learn more details about the arrival of James Barnes and his family or the Eberhardt
family. The homepage for Castle Garden is as follows:
http://www.castlegarden.org
I have personally used the records at CastleGarden.org and EllisIsland.org (see below) to
find information regarding my family’s arrival in the US. From my personal experience,
I have found it to be a very useful and reliable source for information about immigration
and ancestry.
3.
Although the online archives of immigrant arrivals through Ellis Island are only
available for the years 1892 to 1924, their website is extremely helpful for tips on
conducting genealogical research. The section of their website “Genealogy Learning
Center” contains a list of valuable resources for your search including links to
government sites and various genealogical societies. The link to the Genealogy Learning
Center is as follow:
http://www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/genealogy_sites.asp
EllisIsland.org also provides free charts and forms to keep your search organized.
Although it sounds like you are well into your genealogical research, these might still be
helpful. I know this site to contain useful and reliable information from my personal
experience and its reputation as a source for genealogical data.
4.
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society has a wealth of
information about the people of New York and has many resources available for those
researching their ancestry. Although a membership is required to view most of their
publications, a section of their website titled “Research Aids” may be helpful to you in
your search. In particular, it contains articles about “Church Records.” If you know what
religion your ancestors practiced it may be possible to find marriage, birth/christening
records or death records through church archives. The homepage to the New York
Genealogical and Biographical Society is as follows:
http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/index.php
You may also consider contacting the Society directly to see what services they may have
to assist you. Their contact information can be found at the following link:
http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=
116
This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortened version for your
convenience.
http://tinyurl.com/2g76hcc
The New York Genealogical and Bibliographical Society is a non-profit organization
dedicated to ancestry of New Yorkers. It has been in existence since 1869. Information
from this Society is very reliable.
5.
There are also many genealogical resources located at Rootsweb.com, such as
Social Security birth records and Social Security death records. It is an affiliate of
Ancestry.com that permits free searches of many genealogical databases and hosts
several non-profit genealogical projects. Their homepage is as follows:
http://www.rootsweb.com
Your search would be helped greatly by viewing U.S. Census records, particularly for the
years 1840 through 1880. U.S. Census records can be viewed online at Ancestry.com.
Although this is a commercial website that requires a subscription, a 14 day free trial is
available. If you do not wish to be charged for the subscription, be sure to cancel your
membership before the 14 day free trial expires. The U.S. Census records would likely
be able to tell you more detailed information about your family including where they
were living, who was living in the household, their ages at the time of the census and
their occupations. The homepage for Ancestry.com is as follows:
http://www.ancestry.com
Ancestry.com and its affiliate Rootsweb.com are well-known sources for genealogical
research and contain reliable information. I have personally used this site for researching
my family history and have found it to be very useful. You can find out quite a bit of
information during the 14-day trial.
My Search
I located the above sources by searching Google.com with the following search terms:
“Genealogy,” “data,” “historical,” “New York,” and “US Census” in varying
combinations. The homepage for Google is as follows:
http://www.google.com
I hope this response has provided you with helpful sources for your genealogical
research. Genealogical is a fascinating topic that I enjoyed researching. If you still need
more information, please write back. Thanks for visiting the ipl2!
Sources consulted and strategies used:
I enjoyed researching this question the most of the seven I answered for this
project. I am personally fascinated with genealogical research and I was excited to see
this question from a patron. I have conducted quite a bit of research on my own family
tree (not always easy with the last name Miller) and thought that I would be able to
provide this patron with reliable sources for her own research.
For this question, many of the sources I consulted, including four of the five I
sent to the patron, I have personally used. I located them either by going directly to the
site or by using Google to find a direct link to the homepage. I chose sites that have been
useful to me in my own search and that I know to provide reliable information. In
particular, CastleGarden.org and EllisIsland.org are excellent resources to find
information about where ancestors came from and when they arrived in the U.S. The
records also sometimes contain names of other family members.
Because the patron’s family seemed to live exclusively in New York before
relocating to Australia, I used the Google search engine to specifically find genealogical
resources in New York. It was from this search that I found the New York Genealogical
and Bibliographical Society.
From the Google search results, I also consulted http://www.accessgenealogy.com,
http://www.newyorkgenealogy.org, and http://www.genealogybranches.com/nework.html. However,
these sources mostly contained links to other sites, like Ancestry.com, that require a
subscription, or to the New York government vital records, which I knew that the patron I
had already consulted.
I spent the most time researching this question of all of the questions I answered
for this project. However, most of the time I spent was not searching for additional
sources, but navigating the specific sites I had chosen. I did not want to refer the patron
to a site that would be a dead end in her research. I took the time to, at the very least,
search for the surnames of her ancestors to make sure that there was some information
available for her to explore further.
Critique that indicates level of satisfaction with the answer provided:
The greatest challenge in answering this question was finding sources that the
patron had not already consulted. The patron clearly demonstrated that she had
conducted extensive research into her family history already, including searches for vital
records in New York.
It was also a challenge to find free online resources. Sources like the census that
would provide the patron with the most useful information are only partially available
online for free, available online by subscription from a site like Ancestry.com or
available in print which was not an option for this patron living in Australia.
However, I am very satisfied with the answer I provided to the patron. I worked
diligently to provide reliable sources. I believe the patron was satisfied with the answer.
I received a response thanking me for the information I provided and the patron was
enthusiastic to continue her research. In particular, she was pleased with some of the
information from the New York Genealogy and Bibliographical Society and was eager to
research church records.
What I would do differently:
I would have like to spend more time searching for non-commercial sources for
the patron. Although I advised the patron that the she would have to cancel her
subscription to Ancestry.com before the two week trial ended to avoid being charged, I
was uncomfortable referring her to a commercial website.
Question #6
Patron Question:
Question: What is the largest breed of dog? In size and muscle.
Name: sheldon
From: silvernineninja@gmail.com
Confirm: silvernineninja@gmail.com
Location: vacaville, ca
Area: Science
Reason: Personal use
School: No
Question claimed: May 19, 2010, 3:26 p.m.
Question answered: May 20, 2010, 11:01 a.m.
Time spent answering question: approximately 45 minutes
My Answer:
Hello from ipl2,
Thank you for your question about dog breeds. I was pleased to search for the answer to
your question about which breed of dog is the largest.
Answer
The answer to your question is that the mastiff is the largest breed of dog. The Mastiff
can weigh as much as 200 pounds and stand at least 30 inches high to their shoulder.
Sources
1. A full article on mastiffs, including information about their size, can be found at
dogtime.com. The link to the site’s profile on mastiffs is here:
http://dogtime.com/mastiff.html
I selected this source because it is dedicated to educating dog owners and future dog
owners about dog breeds and pet care. I have personally used this source for information
regarding my own dog (a much much smaller dog!). The information provided on this
site is reliable.
2. You can verify this information and learn more about mastiffs using the website of the
American Kennel Club. The AKC’s profile of Mastiff’s is here:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/mastiff/
The AKC is a very well-known organization dedicated purebred dogs. The AKC
advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advancing canine health and wellbeing, working to protect the rights of all dog owners and to promote responsible dog
ownership. Given the organizations excellent reputation and expertise in dog breeds, the
information on its site is trustworthy.
My Search
I located the first source by going directly to dogtime.com. I have previous experience
with this website and was confident that they would have the information you were
looking for. The homepage for this site is as follows:
http://dogtime.com
From the homepage I used the search feature to search using the terms “largest” and
“breed.” The description of the mastiff breed was among the search results. The article
names the mastiff as the largest breed of dog in the "overview" section.
I located the second source through the ipl2’s collection of materials. From the ipl2’s
homepage I searched for “Dog Breeds.” The website for the AKC was the first search
result. The homepage for the AKC is as follows:
http://www.akc.org
To locate information on mastiffs I selected “Breeds” from the links on the left hand side
of the site. Then selected “Breeds By Name” and then “Breeds H-R.” The AKC’s entry
on mastiffs is accessed by clicking on the photo of the mastiff in the alphabetical list.
I hope this response has fully answered your question. If you still need more
information, please write back. Thanks for visiting the ipl2!
Sources consulted and strategies used:
As a dog lover, I saw this question from a patron and knew that I would enjoy
researching it. I went directly to dogtime.com because I have recently used this site in
my own research for selecting a dog breed for adoption. I used the search feature of this
site and found the description of the mastiff, which was named as the largest dog breed
by weight and muscle. I had suspected that the mastiff was the largest breed and was
pleased to have this confirmed. I also selected dogtime.com as a source for the patron
because it is a comprehensive site about dog breeds, adoption, care and training. I
thought that this source, in particular, would be useful to address any follow up questions
that the patron might have after reading about the mastiff breed.
After confirming that the mastiff breed was the largest, I changed my search
strategy to find more authoritative information about that specific breed. I turned to ipl2
to find a source and used the search feature to search “Dog Breeds.” The website for the
AKC was the first result listed.
Critique that indicates level of satisfaction with the answer provided:
I am fairly satisfied with the answer I provided to the patron. In particular, the
information from the American Kennel Club is very reliable and the description of the
breed is very thorough.
What I would do differently:
A more thorough answer would have provided the patron with more information
about other large breeds, by comparison. I did find that although the Mastiff is the largest
in weight and muscle, which was what I understood to be the patron’s question, another
breed is the largest in height. If given the opportunity, I would have corresponded with
the patron to be absolutely clear about their question.
Question #7
Patron Question:
Question: Where does the line "can't sleep clowns will eat me" come from?
Name: Stacy Jones
From: ladyjolieve@gmail.com
Confirm: ladyjolieve@gmail.com
Location: United States
Area: Other
Reason: General Knowledge. Curious.
School: No
Sources_Consulted: None
Question claimed: May 20, 2010, 8:38 p.m.
Question answered: May 20, 2010 9:32 p.m.
Time spent answering question: approximately 40 minutes
My Answer:
Hello from ipl2,
Thank you for your question about the quote “Can’t sleep, clowns will eat me”. I was
pleased to search for the answer to your question about this quote.
Answer The quote “Can’t sleep, clowns will eat me” comes from an Alice Cooper song
titled “Clowns Will Eat Me.” This song was released on the special edition of Alice
Cooper’s Dragontown album.
Sources
1. The website sing365.com is a comprehensive database of song lyrics. The line “Can’t
sleep, clowns will eat me” appears in the refrain of the song. The full lyrics to Alice
Cooper’s “Clowns Will Eat Me” is here:
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Can%27t-Sleep-Clowns-Will-Eat-Me-lyricsAlice-Cooper/57E9C816BFDC61AA48256DC600119CA0
This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortened version for your
convenience.
http://tinyurl.com/25u879b
I selected sing365.com as a source because of the comprehensive nature of the site.
Sing365 has music lyrics from thousands of songs in every genre of music.
2. At Amazon.com you can view the entire track list for Alice Cooper’s Dragontown,
Special Edition. The song “Clowns Will Eat Me” is found on the bonus disc.
Amazon.com also provides a link by which you can listen to a sample from the track.
You can view the track list and listen to a sample of “Clowns Will Eat Me” at the
following link.
http://www.amazon.com/Dragontown-Special-AliceCooper/dp/B00006J40D/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274403393&sr=1-2
This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortened version for your
convenience.
http://tinyurl.com/2e8m7a9
Amazon.com is a well-known music seller with a comprehensive selection of materials
for sale, both CD’s and digital download. Their representation of the track list from
Alice Cooper’s album and the sample can be trusted as accurate.
My Search
I located my first source, sing365.com, by using Google. I entered “Can’t sleep clowns
will eat me” into the search box and sing365.com was among the first search results. The
homepage for Google is as follows:
http://www.Google.com
The homepage for sing365.com is as follow:
http://www.sing365.com
I located the second source, Amazon.com, by going directly to the homepage at:
http://www.Amazon.com
In the search box at the top of the page, I entered the song title “Clowns will eat me.”
Alice Cooper’s album, “Dragontown” was among the search results.
I hope this response has fully answered your question. If you still need more
information, please write back. Thanks for visiting the ipl2!
Sources consulted and strategies used:
This was the simplest question of those I answered for this project. A search of
the phrase the patron was looking for in the Google search engine revealed immediately
that it was a song lyric by Alice Cooper.
After viewing the song lyrics on the first website, sing365.com, I used the
Google search engine to locate Alice Cooper’s official website, in hopes that it would
also contain the lyrics. I would consider his official site the most authoritative for song
lyrics.
I compared the lyrics on sing365.com to other websites featuring song lyrics,
such as http://www.metrolyrics.com, and found them to be consistent.
Once I confirmed that the phrase the patron was researching was a song lyric
from Alice Cooper, I thought that finding a sample of the song would provide the patron
with the best answer to her question. I first thought that iTunes would provide that
sample, but quickly realized that that would require the patron to download the iTunes
software. After eliminating iTunes as a possibility, I went to amazon.com knowing that
the site also offered music downloads.
Critique that indicates level of satisfaction with the answer provided:
I am satisfied with the answer that I provided to the patron. In particular, I am
pleased that I located a sample of the track at Amazon.com so that the patron could hear
the lyric in the song.
However, I was disappointed that the lyrics were not featured on Alice Cooper’s
website. Alice Cooper’s official website features lyrics for presumably his entire
discography but this particular song was not there. I could only determine that it was not
listed because it was released on a bonus disc of a special edition album.
What I would do differently:
Next time, I would provide the client with additional information about Alice
Cooper in general. If the patron is a fan of this particular song it is likely that she is a fan
of Alice Cooper’s music and would be interested in further information about his
discography.
Conclusion
Overall, I very much enjoyed this project. I liked researching a wide variety of
topics. I was lucky to have begun the project early enough that I was able to select
questions that suited my interests. I learned the most about search strategies and how to
conduct an effective search by narrowing the search further and further until arriving at
the specific information the patron is seeking.
I hope to continue as a volunteer with the ipl.