Beyond WikipediaBeyond Wikipedia

Research skills for better gradesResearch skills for better grades

Presented by: Courtney Marshall, MLIS Presented by: Courtney Marshall, MLIS Candidate, University of WashingtonCandidate, University of Washington

A Brief Introduction A Brief Introduction or or

Why should you listen to this person in the Why should you listen to this person in the front of the roomfront of the room

- Will be graduating with my Master’s in Library and Will be graduating with my Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington in Information Science from the University of Washington in June.June.

- As a graduate student have written more papers than in As a graduate student have written more papers than in high school and college combined. high school and college combined.

- Actually graduated high school with very little knowledge Actually graduated high school with very little knowledge about how to write a good paper and struggled during about how to write a good paper and struggled during my undergrad. my undergrad.

- Everything I will be teaching today are skills I learned Everything I will be teaching today are skills I learned over years of hard work and thousands of dollars in over years of hard work and thousands of dollars in tuition. tuition.

Step One: Task DefinitionStep One: Task Definition

What are you going to write your paper on??What are you going to write your paper on??

- Start with a very broad topic.Start with a very broad topic.- Write down what you already know. Write down what you already know. - Have a few questions in mind in case you can’t Have a few questions in mind in case you can’t

find enough information on your first one. find enough information on your first one. - Make sure to get clarification NOW on any Make sure to get clarification NOW on any

questions you may have about topic selection or questions you may have about topic selection or the paper format. the paper format.

Step Two: Information Seeking Step Two: Information Seeking StrategiesStrategies

Where will you go to find the Where will you go to find the information you need?information you need?Google?Google?Wikipedia?Wikipedia?The Library?The Library?Visit a museum?Visit a museum?Interview a knowledgeable person?Interview a knowledgeable person?

If you are having a hard time coming up with a list of places to look, don’t forget to ask your teacher or librarian for ideas.

What about databases?What about databases?

Online databases through your school or public Online databases through your school or public library are a fantastic place to do research. They library are a fantastic place to do research. They provide access to newspaper and journal articles provide access to newspaper and journal articles on many subjects. The information is:on many subjects. The information is:

Easy to accessEasy to access Authoritative (comes from experts or Authoritative (comes from experts or

professionals and are generally reviewed)professionals and are generally reviewed) Free: Professional journals are very expensiveFree: Professional journals are very expensive

Hint: Except for some very rare exceptions using Hint: Except for some very rare exceptions using the databases is ALWAYS a good idea.the databases is ALWAYS a good idea.

Books are old news. The web is the Books are old news. The web is the future of research!future of research!

Unless you are required to use Unless you are required to use books there are MUCH better books there are MUCH better ways to do most research. ways to do most research.

Who has time to read a huge Who has time to read a huge stack of books in order to find stack of books in order to find the specific information you the specific information you need?need?

HOWEVER….HOWEVER….

You have to know how to find the You have to know how to find the best, most relevant information best, most relevant information

Most websites have the problem that you Most websites have the problem that you don’t know whether the information on don’t know whether the information on them is correct or not. them is correct or not.

So what should you look for?So what should you look for?

Step 3: Search and EvaluationStep 3: Search and Evaluation

Yeah… I know exactly where you start.

… … and there’s nothing wrong with thatand there’s nothing wrong with that

Google and Wikipedia are fantastic for:

• Getting an idea about what is out there

• Finding information on current events and popular culture

• Discovering new keywords

Drawbacks of GoogleDrawbacks of Google

SO MANY HITS!!SO MANY HITS!!

Google does NOT sort by the quality of Google does NOT sort by the quality of information. information.

What if someone uses a different term than What if someone uses a different term than the one you searched for?the one you searched for?

Drawbacks of WikipediaDrawbacks of Wikipedia

Want to guess what qualifications you Want to guess what qualifications you need to update a Wikipedia entry?need to update a Wikipedia entry?

Drawbacks of WikipediaDrawbacks of Wikipedia

How about nothing?How about nothing?

For many articles you don’t even need to For many articles you don’t even need to create an account. create an account.

Because of this you should take the Because of this you should take the information on Wikipedia with a grain of information on Wikipedia with a grain of salt, even when citations are provided. salt, even when citations are provided.

How to find good information onlineHow to find good information online

Slide design by Cinthya Ippoliti, Maricopa Community College District

.COM

.ORG

.GOV

.EDU

Didn’t I mention databases Didn’t I mention databases earlier…?earlier…?

The library provides FREE access to databases on many topics including:

Biographies History

Genealogy Law

Health Science

There are also Encyclopedias and general purpose databases.

Found on the library database website Found on the library database website under Articles from Magazines and under Articles from Magazines and Journals.Journals.

GREAT go-to database for scholarly works GREAT go-to database for scholarly works and peer-reviewed journals. and peer-reviewed journals.

Student Research Center located on the Student Research Center located on the database homework help site provides database homework help site provides simpler access to the EBSCO databases.simpler access to the EBSCO databases.

Academic Search CompleteAcademic Search Complete

These are PRINT materialsThese are PRINT materials

Pros and Cons of Keyword Pros and Cons of Keyword SearchesSearches

ProsPros

-- Easy to doEasy to do- Will find anything remotely related to your topicWill find anything remotely related to your topic

ConsCons- Will not find materials that don’t use your exact Will not find materials that don’t use your exact

search termssearch terms- Will find EVERYTHING with your word in it (i.e. Will find EVERYTHING with your word in it (i.e.

the Google problem).the Google problem).

Boolean Search TermsBoolean Search Terms

Here are some ways to make your Here are some ways to make your keyword searches a little better.keyword searches a little better.

And : Computers and GamesAnd : Computers and GamesOr: Cats or FelinesOr: Cats or FelinesNot: Mullet not hairNot: Mullet not hair

Quotation marks can be used around Quotation marks can be used around phrases to tweak searches. phrases to tweak searches. “ “ Hunger Games”Hunger Games” I thought your report was

on fish??

Subject HeadingsSubject Headings

Subject headings are assigned terms Subject headings are assigned terms using a controlled vocabulary. using a controlled vocabulary.

Are fantastic for doing extensive research Are fantastic for doing extensive research on a topic. on a topic.

Can use the thesaurus to find related, Can use the thesaurus to find related, broader and narrower terms that you broader and narrower terms that you might not have found on your own. might not have found on your own.

Step four: Using what you findStep four: Using what you find

Start to pull together the information you Start to pull together the information you are finding. are finding.

Copy AND CITE quotes that support your Copy AND CITE quotes that support your thesis. Don’t ignore information that goes thesis. Don’t ignore information that goes against your idea.against your idea.

Plagiarism is BAD BAD BAD!!Plagiarism is BAD BAD BAD!!

……and it’s so easy to avoid!and it’s so easy to avoid!

““According to XXX …”According to XXX …”““As stated in X book by X author…”As stated in X book by X author…”

Academic Search Complete’s citation button.Academic Search Complete’s citation button. Son of Citation MachineSon of Citation Machine APA Style Guide from the Purdue OWLAPA Style Guide from the Purdue OWL

Make sure to ask your instructor what form of citation they want you to use. There are lots of styles out there.

Step five: Pulling it all togetherStep five: Pulling it all together

Once you have your backbone of quotes laid out Once you have your backbone of quotes laid out start tying them together with what you have start tying them together with what you have learned. learned.

You COULD write a paper using only one You COULD write a paper using only one source, but then is it really yours or are you source, but then is it really yours or are you stealing from that author?stealing from that author?

If at any time you are feeling stuck If at any time you are feeling stuck and stressed about your and stressed about your

research…research…

Don’t forget your best source of allDon’t forget your best source of all

Your local librarians are trained in research Your local librarians are trained in research methods and have the experience to help you methods and have the experience to help you find exactly what you need. All for FREE!find exactly what you need. All for FREE!

Sources UsedSources Used

Big Six Eisenberg, Mike, Doug Johnson, and Bob Berkowitz. "Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) Skills Curriculum Based on the Big6 Skills Approach to Information Problem-Solving." Library Media Connection 28.6 (2010): 24-27. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov. 2010.

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