Information Overload versus Information Literacy
Information overload occurs when one is overwhelmed by the volume of information being
presented to him/her and is, therefore, unable to effectively extract relevant information. To
succeed in the Information Age you must become Information Literate. An information literate
person is able to recognise when information is needed and has the skills to locate, evaluate and
use information effectively.
http://www.cilip.org.uk/policyadvocacy/learning/informationliteracy/definition/definition.htm
[accessed 7/11/2009]
Starting your Literature Review
• A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars
and researchers. There are some excellent websites that explain the process of conducting a
literature review. A good place to start is Mike Hart's site, which will help you with practical
sources of advice to successfully write your projects, dissertation or thesis. http://final-yearprojects.com/index.htm and http://uw-tutor.co.uk/ess_help/
Starting your Research
Define what your topic and focus will be. Compile a list of keywords and synonyms. Use
dictionaries, thesauri, and encyclopaedias to aid you. Check www.wikipedia.org and Oxford
Reference (from our database pages)
• List the resources you will use for your review – Internet, books, journals etc
• Evaluate results -are they reliable, accurate
• Structure and write review
Types of Sources
Libraries, including UCC Library, are repositories of information sources. Information sources are
generally defined as either print or electronic.
Print: Reference material, general textbooks, academic journals, popular journals, newspapers,
annual reports, theses and inter-library loans.
Electronic: Databases, electronic journals and books, and the Internet.
Common Examples of Sources
• BOOKS
There can be a wealth of useful information for your research contained in books. To locate books on your
topic you could use the Library Catalogue, look at online vendors such as Amazon, or search Google Print
• The Library Catalogue http://library.ucc.ie/screens/opacmenu.html
Libraries use catalogues to record their contents. In the past, card catalogues were used. Details of library
books were written on cards, which were then, arranged in alphabetical order by author/ subject etc.
• Google Books
http://books.google.com/
A very useful resource for finding out what is inside a book. Often when you look for a book on Amazon or
on our library catalogue you are searching by the title of the book. Your research may be Ring Tailed Lemurs
but there may be few books called this. Google Books allows you to search within the book so you may find
books with good chapters on your topic.
Common Examples of Sources
• The Internet
• Google www.google.ie
Google is a very versatile search engine. It covers a variety of topics, and includes options for basic and
advanced searches. It is a good starting point for anyone undertaking research. Its content is not,
however, definitive. Therefore you must learn to evaluate the results. There is an excellent tutorial,
Internet Detective at http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/index.html
In order to zone in more accurately on your required results always use the “Advanced Search” option
in Google. This will allow you to broaden or narrow your search with ease. Also take a look at the
“Advanced Search Tips”
Common Examples of Sources
• Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.com/
Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers,
theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar
to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and
universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web.
• Scirus http://www.scirus.com/
Search engines are all different in the Web sites they cover, and the way they classify these Web sites. Scirus,
the search engine for science, focuses only on Web pages containing scientific content. Searching more than
200 million science-related pages, Scirus helps you quickly locate scientific information on the Web: Filters
out non-scientific sites. For example, if you search on REM, Google finds the rock group - Scirus finds
information on sleep, among other things
Writing
The three ways of incorporating other writers' work into your own writing differ according to the closeness
of your writing to the source writing.
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Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match
the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author. Short quotes should
be enclosed in "quotation marks". Longer quotes should be separated from your text and indented from
the left hand margin. In this case you do not need to use double quotation marks.
Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must
also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original
passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.
Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s).
Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are
significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material. When you use
your own words to draw out the key points or main arguments of the original text, significantly
reducing its length.
(From “The Plagiarism Handbook” by Robert A. Harris (Pyrczak Publishing, 2001)
(From “The Plagiarism Handbook” by Robert A. Harris (Pyrczak Publishing, 2001)
Why Use?
Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve many purposes. You might use them to:
• Provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing
• Refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing
• Give examples of several points of view on a subject
• Call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with
• Highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting the original
• Distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers that the words
are not your own
• Expand the breadth or depth of your writing
Writing
• Paraphrasing is one way to use a text in your own writing without directly
quoting source material. Anytime you are taking information from a source
that is not your own, you need to specify where you got that information.
Writing
A paraphrase is...
Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...
• Your own rendition of essential information
• It is better than quoting information from an
and ideas expressed by someone else,
presented in a new form.
• One legitimate way (when accompanied by
accurate documentation) to borrow from a
source.
•A
more detailed restatement than a
summary, which focuses concisely on a
single main idea.
undistinguished passage.
• It helps you control the temptation to quote
too much.
• The mental process required for successful
paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full
meaning of the original.
Writing
6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
• Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
• Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
• Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision
using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate
the subject of your paraphrase.
• Check
your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately
expresses all the essential information in a new form.
• Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed
exactly from the source.
• Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily
if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.
Examples
Example Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation from the Essay:
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Example summary: Roger Sipher makes his case for getting rid of
compulsory-attendance laws in primary and secondary schools with six
arguments. These fall into three groups—first that education is for
those who want to learn and by including those that don't want to
learn, everyone suffers. Second, that grades would be reflective of
effort and elementary school teachers wouldn't feel compelled to pass
failing students. Third, that schools would both save money and save
face with the elimination of compulsory-attendance laws.
Example paraphrase of the essay's conclusion: Roger Sipher concludes
his essay by insisting that schools have failed to fulfill their
primary duty of education because they try to fill multiple social
functions (para. 17).
Example quotation: According to Roger Sipher, a solution to the
perceived crisis of American education is to "Abolish compulsoryattendance laws and allow only those who are committed to getting an
education to attend" (para. 3).
Citations
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Always cite and document other people's words, ideas, and other intellectual property that you
use in your papers and that influence your ideas.
Plagiarism is taking other people's words and/or ideas and presenting them as your own.
Always use quotation marks when using exact words of an author. It is not enough to give the
source.
When paraphrasing, do not copy author's style or wording. Even if you have a citation, such
borrowing is considered plagiarism. When you paraphrase using your own words, credit must still
be given to the original author for the idea.
There are many citation styles - always ask which style your professor prefers.
Always make sure you are clear on what would be considered
acceptable group work.
When in doubt, ask your professor.
Why cite?
It may seem like citing your sources is tedious, but it's important and there are many
reasons to do it. Attributing and documenting your sources:
• Helps you avoid plagiarizing.
• Allows the reader to find your research sources. Think of citations as footprints leading
the reader through some of the steps you took to reach your conclusions.
• Provides
evidence for your arguments and adds credibility to your work by
demonstrating that you have sought out and considered a variety of viewpoints on a
given topic.
• Is
standard practice for scholars and students engaged in written academic
conversations. By citing your sources, you demonstrate that you are responding to this
person, agreeing with that person, adding something to what so-and-so said and so
forth.
What to cite?
Always cite other people's words, ideas and other intellectual property that you use in your papers
or that influence your ideas. This includes but isn't limited to:
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direct quotations
paraphrasing of passages
indebtedness to another person for an idea
use of another student's work
use of your own previous work
If you got an idea or information from another source, you need to cite it no matter its format-books, articles, web pages, e-mails, etc.-- or how it was presented -- in print, in person (interviews,
lectures, etc.), or through media (television, radio, podcast, etc.).
You don't need to cite what would be considered common knowledge, such as facts, events,
concepts, etc. that are widely known and can be confirmed in a general encyclopedia.
How to cite?
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Two techniques of citing and documenting sources that are usually required in academic writing are:
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providing a list of citations at the end of the paper
citing within the text of the paper.
These two techniques are used together.
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Cite at the End
The final page of your paper is usually a list of the complete citations for the resources you cited or
consulted. Depending on the style you're using, this list could be called "Works Cited," "References,"
"Bibliography," or "Works Consulted."
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Cite as You Write
Citing within the text of your paper helps your reader quickly distinguish between your thoughts and
words and those of someone else. Whenever you refer to the work of another person, you must indicate
within the text where you got the information. Depending on the citation style you use, this indication
within the text may take the form of a superscript number 1 for a footnote or endnote or a notation within
parentheses such as (Walker 21) or (Smith, 2008). The in-text citation is a marker that points the reader to
the complete reference for the source at the end of your paper.
American Psychological Association (APA) Format
Books
Basic Format for Books
Last name, First Initial. (Year). Book title: Subtitle. (Edition) [if other than the 1st]. Place: Publisher.
One Author
Brader, T. (2006). Campaigning for hearts and minds: How emotional appeals in political ads work. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press.
Two Authors
Elder, L. & Paul, R. (2006).The miniature guide to the art of asking essential questions. Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for
Critical Thinking.
Three Authors
Miller, T. E., Bender, B. E., & Schuh, J. H. (2005). Promoting reasonable expectations: Aligning student and institutional
views of the college experience. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apa-citation-styleguide/#Books%20-%20Basic
American Psychological Association (APA) Format
Book, Corporate Author
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th
ed., text revision). Washington, DC: Author.
eBook from NetLibrary (accessed via the Landmark College Library Catalog)
Moshman, D. (2005). Adolescent psychological development: Rationality, morality, and identity (2nd
ed.) [NetLibrary Online Reader version]. Retrieved from http://www.netlibrary.com
- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citationguides/apa-citation-style-guide/#Books%20-%20Basic
American Psychological Association (APA) Format
Encyclopedia Entry
Basic Format
Author’s Last name, First Initial. (Year). Article Title. In Encyclopedia title. (Vol. #, pp.# - #). Place: Publisher.
(If no author is given for the entry, place the title in the author position.)
(You do not need to include an edition statement if the encyclopedia is a first edition.)
Example
Perez, Jr., L. (2005). Cuba. In The world book encyclopedia. (Vol. 4, pp. 1168-1179). Chicago: World Book.
- See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apa-citation-style-guide/#Books%20%20Basic
American Psychological Association (APA) Format
Basic Format for Periodical Articles
Last name, First Initial. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Magazine/Journal/Newspaper Title. Volume number(Issue number*), Page numbers, inclusive
(the page numbers of the entire article).
*You only need the issue number for journals in which each issue is paged separately.
Magazine Article, Monthly
White, C. (2006, April). The spirit of disobedience. Atlantic, 312(1871), 31-40.
Magazine Article, Weekly
Tumulty, K. (2006, April 10). Should they stay or should they go? Time, 167(15), 3-40.
Anonymous Author (Magazine or Journal)
Class distinctions. (2006, April). Psychology Today, 39(2), 21.
See more at: http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apa-citation-style-guide/#Books%20-%20Basic
SOURCE WEBSITES
• http://www.landmark.edu/library/citation-guides/landmark-college-citation-guides/apacitation-style-guide/#Books%20-%20Basic
• http://web.williams.edu/wp-etc/acad-resources/survival_guide/CitingDoc/APA1.php
• http://www.aquinas.edu/library/pdf/ParaphrasingQuotingSummarizing.pdf
• https://ilrb.cf.ac.uk/plagiarism/paraphrasing/page02.html