Transcript Researching Online

Researching Online
Professor Jen Ball
INDEX TO RESEARCH
SOURCES
• Reference works
• General encyclopedias
• Specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies
• Unabridged dictionaries and special dictionaries on
language
• Biographical reference works
• Atlases and gazetteers
• Almanacs and yearbooks
• General books
• Periodicals
• Pamphlets and government publications
• Your own sources
• Interviews
• Surveys
Research Sources
(continued)
The World Wide Web
Other online sources
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Electronic mail
Discussion lists
Web forums and newsgroups
Synchronous communication
Ways to Refine
Keywords
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Use and or + to narrow the search.
• Includes only sources that use all given words
Use not or – to narrow the search.
• Excludes irrelevant words
Use or to broaden the search.
• Giving alternative keywords
Use parentheses or quotation marks to form search
phrases.
Use near to narrow the search.
• Requires the keywords to be close to each other
Use wild cards to permit difference versions of the same
word.
Spell keywords correctly.
Web Search Engines
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Directories that review sites
– BUBL link: http://bubl.ac.uk.link
– Internet Public Library: http://www.ipl.org/div/subject
– Internet Scout Project: http://scout.wisc.edu./archives
– Librarians’ Index to the Internet: http://lii.org
Most advanced and efficient engines
– AlltheWeb: http://alltheweb.com
– Google: http://www.google.com
Other engines
– AltaVista: http://www.altavista.com
– Ask Jeeves: http://www.ask.com
– Dogpile: http://www.dogpile.com
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Questions for
Evaluating Sources
 Relevance
– Does the source devote some attention to your
subject?
– Is the source appropriately specialized for your
needs?
– Is the source up to date enough for your subject?
 Reliability
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Where does the source come from?
Is the author an expert in the field?
What is the author’s bias?
Is the source fair and reasonable?
Is the source well written?
Online Sources for Researching
• TIP
– CRAAP
• Clarkson
– Internet
– Resources for Humanities
– Research Strategy
QUESTIONS FOR
EVALUATING WEB SITES
– What does the URL lead you to
expect from about the site?
– Who is the author or sponsor?
– What is the purpose of the site?
– What does context tell you?
– What does presentation tell you?
– How worthwhile is the content?
Evaluation of Web documents
How to interpret the basics
1. Accuracy of Web Documents
Who wrote the page and can you contact him or her?
What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced?
Is this person qualified to write this document?
Accuracy
Make sure author provides e-mail or a contact address/phone
number.
Know the distinction between author and Webmaster.
2. Authority of Web Documents
Who published the document and is it separate from the "Webmaster?"
Check the domain of the document, what institution publishes this
document?
Does the publisher list his or her qualifications?
Authority
What credentials are listed for the author(s)?
Where is the document published? Check URL domain.
3. Objectivity of Web Documents
What goals/objectives does this page meet?
How detailed is the information?
What opinions (if any) are expressed by the author?
Objectivity
Determine if page is a mask for advertising; if so information
might be biased.
View any Web page as you would an infommercial on
television. Ask yourself why was this written and for whom?
4. Currency of Web Documents
When was it produced?
When was it updated?
How up-to-date are the links (if any)?
Currency
How many dead links are on the page?
Are the links current or updated regularly?
Is the information on the page outdated?
5. Coverage of the Web Documents
Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the documents
theme?
Is it all images or a balance of text and images?
Is the information presented cited correctly?
Coverage
If page requires special software to view the information, how
much are you missing if you don’t have the software?
Is it free, or is there a fee, to obtain the information?
Is there an option for text only, or frames, or a suggested
browser for better viewing?
QUESTIONS FOR EVALUATING
ONLINE DISCUSSIONS
– Who is the author?
– What is the context of the message?
– How worthwhile is the content?
– How does the message compare with
other sources?
Information for a Working
Bibliography
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Name(s) of author(s)
Title and subtitle
Publication data for books and articles
Date of release, online posting, or latest revision
Medium (online, CD-ROM, etc.)
Format of online source (Web site, Web page, e-mail,
etc.
– Date you consulted the source
– Complete electronic address
– For source obtained through a subscription service
• Name of database, service and address
Tests for Direct Quotations
from Secondary Sources
 The author’s original satisfies one of these requirements:
• The language is unusually bold or inventive.
• The quotation cannot be paraphrased without
distortion or loss of meaning.
• The author’s words are at issue in your interpretation
• The quotation represents a body of opinion or the
view of an important expert.
• The quotation emphatically reinforces your own idea.
• The quotation is a graph, diagram, or table.
 The quotation is as short as possible:
• It includes only material relevant to your point.
• It is edited to eliminate examples and other unneeded
material.
Verbs for Signal Phrases
– Use verbs that convey information about source authors’
attitudes or approaches.
Author is
neutral
Author infers
or suggests
Author
argues
Author is
uneasy or
disparaging
describes
comments
explains
illustrates
notes
observes
points out
records
relates
reports
says
sees
thinks
writes
analyzes
asks
assesses
concludes
finds
predicts
proposes
reveals
shows
speculates
suggests
supposes
claims
contends
defends
disagrees
holds
insists
maintains
belittles
bemoans
complains
condemns
deplores
deprecates
derides
laments
warns
author agrees
admits
agrees
concedes
concurs
grants
Checklist for Avoiding Plagiarism
The Web
– Have you obtained any necessary permission
to use someone else’s material on your Web
site?
Source citations
– Have you acknowledged every use of
someone else’s material in the place where
you use it?
– Does your list of works cited include all the
sources you have used?