Information Literacy
ECS-65100
Programme Teachers:
Introduction lecture Practicals Feedback lecture Blackboard modules
Marja Duizendstraal
Marc Loman
Hans Fransen
Marco van Veller
Corrie van Zeist
Definition
Information Literacy is defined as the ability when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.
Why should you be information literate?
Now during your study Courses Thesis
Later as a professional Basis for research Input for decisions
Why a course on Information Literacy?
(Scientific) information overloadearlier….
De Sola Price, D.J. (1961). Science since Babylon. Yale University Press. New Haven.
Subject index: Example
Why a course on Information Literacy?
(Scientific) information overloadearlier….more recently
http://arxiv.org/show_monthly_submissions
Why a course on IL? Assessment
Self evaluation State of the art
Which skills do you need?
Define your need Search effectively Evaluate results Manage results Use and cite correctly Keep informed Communicate, publish
Loet van Moll
Skills 1: Define your need
Purposeget the book Cato, M.S., 2009. Green economics. look up fulltext Wang, R.,2010. Shaping urban transport policies in China: Will copying foreign policies work? Transport policy 17(3) 147-152. orientation tsunamiin-depth search
Skills 1: Define your need
Purposelook up fulltext, orientation, in-depth search
Level scientific, professional, news
Scientific – professional journals
Scientific journalsResearchPeer reviewed
Professional journalsPracticalNon-peer reviewed
Skills 1: Define your need
Purposelook up fulltext, orientation, in-depth search
Level scientific, professional, news Type
data, news, books, research article, laws, company information, government information
Use of research resourcesThree Resources Identified as Most Important by Researchers Research Resources % Ranking in Top 3Journal articles 71.1%Monographs 32.0%Chapters in books with many authors 21.8%Expertise of individuals 19.4%Organization.s web sites 15.3%Original text sources, e.g. newspapers, historical records 12.5%Conference proceedings 11.6%Datasets . published or unpublished 8.1%Other sources (specified by interviewee) 6.8%Preprints 5.1%Non-text sources, e.g. images, audio, artifacts 2.9%
Researchers and discovery services. Behaviour, perceptions and needs.A study commisioned by the Researcg Information Network, 2006.
Resources and finding aidsResourcesJournal articles scientific
professional
Monographs books
reports dissertations proceedings
EncyclopediasWebsitesBlogsDatasetsNews
Finding aidsBibliographiesLibrary cataloguesInternet search enginesGateways/ portals
Skills 1: Define your need
Purposelook up fulltext, orientation, in-depth search
Level scientific, professional, news Type
data, news, books, research article, laws, company information, government information
Topicresearch question
Examples in Blackboard
Skills 2: Search effectively
WHERE??Use the right finding aid(s) for your need
HOW??Do the right search
Bibliographies - bibliographic databases
Bibliographic databases
Structured references with abstract, keywords, link to full-textin some also: cited by, related records
Mainly scientific articles, some also other types
Good search facilities (better than Google) Different search platforms
Google Scholar?
The optimal bibliography
contains all relevant publications links to the full text, if WUR has a
subscription is updated frequently has good search facilities can be searched from anywhere ………………………………
Does the optimal bibliography exist?
Bibliographic databases: one or more?
All disciplines• Scopus• Web of Science• Google Scholar
Specific topics• CAB-Abstracts• Biological Abstracts• FSTA• Medline/ PubMed• ……………..
Overlap Additional
Use several databases
Example search
Sensitivity of models on leaching of pesticides to groundwater
WoS Scopus CAB SciFinder
144 157 115 145
After deduplication
73 48 59
WoS
Scopus
CAB
SocIndex
ASFA
LSW
Biological Abstracts
PsycInfoPsycInfo
Google Scholar
Portals
Choice of bibliographic databases
MetaSearch
Books
Journals
Maps
Reports, theses, etc.
WoS
Scopus
CAB
SocIndex
ASFA
LBW
Biological Abstracts
PsycInfoPsycInfo
Google Scholar
Getting the articles
CatalogusOnly when logged in!
Know how to use the Wageningen UR library Physical library (Forum)
Virtual library (Digital Library)
Skills 2: Search effectively
WHERE??Use the right finding aid(s) for your need
HOW??Do the right search
Search effectively: how
Finding the focus Identifying key concepts Finding search terms (keywords) Combine with Boolean operators Limitation: period, language, region
Example search
Effect of windmills on the marine environment
http://www.duurzameenergiethuis.nl
Finding the focus
Effect of windmills on the marine environment
Questions: Which effects?How can wind energy be collected?What does the marine environment
exist of?
Background: Encyclopedia, books, reviews
Limitation
years of publication geographic region language additional concept(s)
Identifying key concepts
Effect of windmills on marine environment
Selected articles
Importance of using multiple sampling methodologies for estimating changes of fish community composition in offshore wind power construction areas of the Baltic Sea
Spatial planning of offshore wind farms: A windfall to marine environmental protection? abstract: … no-take zones for fish, with possible
spill-over effects… Underwater noise from three types of offshore wind
turbines: Estimation of impact zones for harbor porpoises and harbor seals keywords: … seal; oceans; seas; power plants …
Finding search terms
Windmills OR wind power OR wind energy OR windfarm
marine OR sea OR oceanEnvironment OR fishes OR fauna OR
macrobenthos OR seals OR …….Effect OR impact OR influence OR
disturbance OR ……..
What will you learn?
Windmills
marine
environment
Finding search terms
Windmills OR wind power OR wind energy OR windfarm OR wind farm
marine OR sea OR oceanEnvironment OR fishes OR fauna OR
benthos OR seals OR …….Effect OR impact OR influence OR
disturbance OR ……..
Search history
Blackboard modules https://edu2.web.wur.nl/
Before practicals: Modules 1, 2, 3, 4.a.1 and 4.a.2Exercises Visit a real libraryAssignment exercise 1 Subject, exercise 2.1 Databases
individually or with 2
During practicalsDiscussion subject and database selectionGoing on with modules 4.a.3, 4b, 5, 7 and 8
Quizzes, Extra materials
Other skills
Know how to evaluate Bibliographic references Internet resources
Know how to apply search results Referring, citing, quoting
• Literature lists• Plagiarism
Reference management• EndNote
Publishing
Feedback
Skills Example search EndNote Exam Questions