Class 10
W231
1. What questions about Project 2 have emerged since Tuesday’s class
and peer reviews?
2. Pass out team project packets. Exchange topic ideas and preliminary
proposal drafts for review. (Use “Peer Review and Preliminary
Proposal Checklist”)
3. Discuss approaches to library research:
1. What will you do before you begin?
2. How do you know where to search?
3. Where are periodical databases found? In IUCAT or on University
Library’s homepage?
4. How do you know HOW to search?
5. Why rely on the library’s periodical databases and indexes rather
than the open Internet (visible Web) to locate articles for a college
assignment?
(scroll down for discussion points)
You don’t have access to the published record on the open Internet;
publishing costs money, and publishers don’t give their published materials
away for free on the Internet.
Here are some other reasons:
When many people say the word Web they mean the Visible Web or Open
Internet. Anyone connected to the Internet can view this part of the Web.
Most search engines only scan the Visible Web.
The part of the Web you might not be familiar with is the Invisible Web.
Since most search engines don't scan all Web pages, you could miss
valuable information found in private databases. If you begin your search at
the University Library's homepage, you can't go wrong. Besides, most
professors expect students to begin searching for scholarly sources by using
library databases on the Invisible Web.
University Library has a large collection of information on a variety of
carefully selected and organized topics. The key idea when using the library
over the web is that you are getting quality over quantity. Print or
electronic library resources are the best sources to use when starting your
research. You'll always find high quality information from a variety of
credible sources in University Library.
Most information on the Web does not go through a review process.
Anyone can publish on the Web without passing the content through an
editor. Pages might be written by an expert on the topic, a journalist, a
disgruntled consumer or even a child.
Some information on the Web is not free.
Many Web pages are free to view, but some commercial sites will charge a
fee to access their information.
Information on the Web is not organized.
Some directory services, like Yahoo, provide links to sites in subject lists.
But there are too many Web pages for any single directory service to
organize.
Most information on the Web is not comprehensive.
Rarely will you be able to use a search engine on the Web to collect
information about your topic from earlier decades and different types of
sources.
Most information on the Web is not permanent.
Some well-maintained sites are updated with very current information, but
other sites may become quickly dated or disappear altogether without much
of a notice.
Library information sources go through a review process.
Librarians select books, magazines, journals, databases, and Web sites. The
library collects sources considered reliable, historically relevant, and
valuable.
Library information sources are free
University Library is able to purchase one copy which can be used by many
students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Library information sources are organized.
Items are organized so you can find all the sources on a topic. For example,
when you search for a book in the IUCAT you will get a call number. The
books shelved near the call number will cover a similar topic.
Library information sources are meant to be kept permanently.
A primary function of a library is to be an organized storehouse of
information published throughout time. So, not only can you find current
information, you can also find books that are no longer published and older
issues of periodicals.
Library information sources come with personal assistance.
University Library has reference staff that are trained to help you. They'll
help you learn to use print and online resources. They'll be happy to answer
any questions that you have about the library or its resources.
6. Where are the periodical databases found?
7. What are you trying to find?
For our W231 team projects, you’ll want to find materials that meet the
following criteria?





They are recently published.
They are found in scholarly or trade journals
They are narrowly focused on the problem you’re investigating.
Their main focus is on strategies and solutions.
They are available in print form (even if you accessed them
electronically).
NOT –
 Their primary focus is to confirm that the problem exists
 They all come from one or two journals as opposed to a variety of
sources.
 They are lengthy articles or books on the broad topic your problem falls
under.
 They were published by your target audience’s organization.
8. What is the difference between popular sources and scholarly
sources?
9. Which of the following should you consider when evaluating the
credibility of a source? Check all that apply. ____author
____
date published
___objectivity (fact/opinion)
____type:
scholarly or popular
10. Websites with which domain name would be most likely to contain
reliable, unbiased information?
____ .com
____ .edu ___.mil
___.org ___ .net
11.
Which of the following can you find in IUCAT?
____ titles of books
12.
____ titles of journal articles ____ titles of journals
Are all of the articles listed in a periodical index or database
available at our library?
Databases quickly scan thousands of periodical article records that
match your search terms. Not all of these articles will be available
in University Library.
13.
What if you can’t get a full text article to print out?
Click on “find it” and view a list of services available for that article.
This may include its online full-text version, among other resources.
Checking holdings in IUCAT is just one of the options.
Using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), write a sample search
statement for your proposed topic: (not the research question; the
statement you would enter into the box when performing a search).
AND – limits by inclusion
NOT— limits by exclusions
OR -- expands
Preliminary proposals are due Sunday evening. Guidelines are under
Tools and in your pink booklet. Teams form Tuesday!