LIBRARY RESOURCES

COMM 1130

MELANIE PARLETTE, ENGINEERING & IT LIAISON

LIBRARY RESOURCE CENTRE

TODAY YOU’LL LEARN . . .

• How to identify different types of sources based on distinguishing features.

• How to evaluate information sources using the CRAAP test to determine the quality and whether it is appropriate for your assignment.

• Where you can find tools to assist you with creating IEEE citations.

• That you have a Research Guide on the Library website and that you can access many relevant resources from here.

TYPES OF RESOURCES• ACTIVITY

• Scholarly Journals• Popular Magazines• Trade Journals• Conference Papers• Technical Reports• Blogs• Commercial Websites• Educational Websites• News Websites• Forum Website

… and more!

TYPES OF SOURCESWhat’s the Difference?

Scholarly Journals Popular Magazines Trade Journals Conference Papers Technical Reports

• Scholarly research or projects. 

• Illustrations are usually charts and graphs.

• Authors are authorities in their field. Often professors or researchers.

• Peer review process is in place where the content of an article is reviewed by one or more experts in the field.

Examples:Wireless Networks, IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking

• General interest articles, entertainment, or information aimed at the consumer.  Usually colour photographs and illustrations.

• Articles are usually written by magazine staff, freelance writers, or may be anonymous.

• No peer review or refereeing process.

Examples:Wired, Popular Mechanics

• Industry related information, news and trends.  Some illustrations.

• Authors are industry experts, professionals, or practitioners who are not always identified

• Typically no peer review or refereeing process.

Examples:ComputerWorld, Electronic Engineering Times

• Author is scholar in field, academic or researcher

• Conference papers tend to be more recent than journal articles, but may be considered less authoritative depending on the review and acceptance process

• Peer Review Process may or may not be rigorous

Example:Proceedings of International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems

• Author is often a scholar or a scientist, engineer, government contractor, or technical personnel.

• Published by a corporation or educational institution

• Reputation is everything

• Typically not peer reviewed

Example:ECMA Technical Report TR/75 Standardizing Information and Communication Systems

TYPES OF WEBSITES

• Blogs

• Commercial Websites

• Educational Websites

• News Websites

• Forum Website

• Content Website

Social Networks, Government, Advocacy, Counterfeit . . .

WHAT’S A CREDIBLE SOURCE?

There may be times when you don’t know exactly where your resource fits. This test can help you determine if your information is reliable. Depending on the question you are asking, different part of the criteria might be more important than others.

The CRAAP Test• Currency The timeliness of the information

• Relevance The importance of the information for your needs

• Authority The source of the information

• Accuracy The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information

• Purpose The reason the information exists

PROBLEM

I’m on a committee in the LRC to assist in choosing a new Content Management System for the library’s website.

There are many different types of programs out there so I’ve decided to begin by doing some research to discover what types of systems exist.

I’ve gathered the following information sources (see handouts).

Do you think I should use these when presenting to my colleagues?

CRAAP TEST• Activity• The CRAAP Evaluation Tool

DATABASES

What is an electronic article database?• Online / web-based collection of:

• Magazines• Newspapers• Journals

• Includes professional journal articles

• Databases are usually organized by major subject i.e. nursing, business, science, etc.

• You choose a database based on your topic• Each database contains millions of articles, searchable by keyword

WHAT DO I SEARCH FOR?

Computer Software

Computer Programming Customer

Support

Computer Hardware & Operating Systems

CustomerRelationships

FINDING ARTICLES

TIPS FOR FINDING ARTICLES…

• Brainstorm your keywords• Related Terms• Synonyms• Be specific

• Limiting your search results• Too many results?

• Narrow by date• Add additional keywords using the AND operator• Narrow by publication type i.e. Scholarly / Peer Reviewed

• Too few results?• Check your spelling• Use synonyms • Combine keywords using OR operator• Try another database

IEEE CITATION STYLE

Email Online

Melanie Parlette:mparlette@conestogac.on.ca

LRC Information Desk:lrcinfo@conestogac.on.ca

• IM Chat on the LRC Contact Us Page

• Or in the Computer Programming Research

Guide

In Person By Phone

Visit the LRC• Monday – Thursday 7:30 AM – 9:00 PM• Friday 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM• Saturday 9 AM – 4:00 PM• Sunday Noon – 4:00 PM

Information Desk @ 519-748-5220 x3361

GET HELP AT THE LIBRARY

HOW DID WE DO?

http://svy.mk/March5Alcock