Transcript Illustration © Loet van Moll 2009

Information Literacy for MOS
ECS-65100
When are you information literate?
 Define the information you need
 Understand the variety of information sources
 Search efficiently
fast, comprehensive and accurate
 Search effectively
get the information that suits your request
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Evaluate and select the appropriate information
Manage the selected information (e.g. EndNote)
Use the selected information and avoid plagiarism
Influence of climatic change on food security
Scopus
Web of Science
Retrieved
% Rel.
Retrieved
64
15
38
9
89
31
16
45
13
7
% Rel.
CAB-Abstracts
Retrieved
% Rel.
110
80
81
536
30
9
20
70
41
230
70
31
75
190
90
32
81
170
30
148
47
2
100
112
90
7
90
40
88
26
80
13
60
54
60
36
80
55
30
9
70
Influence of climatic change on food security
What are the opportunities and possibilities
for farmers in developing countries to adapt
their farming systems to climate change?
Influence of climatic change on food security
What are the opportunities and
possibilities for farmers in developing
countries to adapt their farming systems
to climate change?
To ensure food security
Example search 1: concepts
Main concepts
Climate change
Relevant search terms
Climate change, global environmental change
Global warming, global climate change, climatic change
food security
Food insecurity, food security, food deprivation, food
availability, food sovereignty
agriculture
Agriculture, agricultural production, farming, farmer,
food system
adaptation
Adaptation, challenges, opportunities, possibilities,
alternatives, choice
Synonyms: acclimatization, modification
Developing
countries
Synonyms: least developed countries, Developing
countries, developing world
Narrow terms: Africa, South East Asia,
Example search 1: Search in Scopus
("food *security" or "food deprivation" or "food *sufficiency" or
"food sovereignty") and
("agriculture" or "agricultural production" or "food system" or
farming or farmer) and (adaptation or opportunities or
possibilities) and ("developing countries" or "less developed
countries" or "south east asia" or "developing world" or
africa) and ("climat* change" OR "global environmental
change" OR "global warming" OR "global climate change")
AND SUBJAREA(MULT OR AGRI OR BIOC OR IMMU OR
NEUR OR PHAR OR MULT OR ARTS OR BUSI OR DECI
OR ECON OR PSYC OR SOCI))
Number of records: 32 (all: 53); % of relevance = 81%
Search history in Scopus
Search results in Scopus
Example search 1: Learn from results
Cooper, P. J. M., J. Dimes, K. P. C. Rao, B. Shapiro, B.
Shiferaw, and S. Twomlow. 2008. Coping better with current
climatic variability in the rain-fed farming systems of subSaharan Africa: An essential first step in adapting to future
climate change? Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
126:24-35
Records which cite this relevant article gave new
search terms: use these to adapt your search.
Example search 1: Adapted search in Scopus
("food *security" or "food deprivation" or "food *sufficiency" or
"food sovereignty" or livelihood) and
("agriculture" or "agricultural production" or "food system" or
farming or farmer or "dryland agriculture" ) and (adapt* or
opportunities or possibilities or "coping strategies") and
("developing countries" or "less developed countries" or
"south east asia" or "developing world" or africa or "semi arid
tropics" or "semi arid west Africa") and ("climat* change" OR
"global environmental change" OR "global warming" OR
"global climate change“ OR "climate effect " OR "climate
variability" )
Number of records: 101
Example Search 2 in Scopus
(“climate change” OR “global warming” OR affect*
OR influence) AND
(“food security” OR “agricultural produc*” OR crop
OR farm* OR yield OR agriculture*) AND
(rural OR develop* OR “developing countr*” OR
“developing world” OR “third-world” OR “rural
households” OR agri*)
AND (adaptation)
Number of records: 9; % of relevance = 89%
Example Search 2 in Scopus
(“climate change” OR “global warming” OR affect*
OR influence) AND
(“food security” OR “agricultural produc*” OR crop
OR farm* OR yield OR agriculture*) AND
(rural OR develop* OR “developing countr*” OR
“developing world” OR “third-world” OR “rural
households” OR agri*)
AND (adaptation)
Number of records: 9 or 62,359???
Choice of subject specific database
Choice of students
 CAB-Abstracts
11
 AGRIS
3
 FSTA
1
 Biological Abstracts
1
 Portals – Env. Science 1
 Scirus
1
Choice of subject specific databases
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Use the Portals, Resources by subject, on the
Library site

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Choose a bibliography by checking the content (or do a
metasearch in the databases)
Use Metasearch (not preferred)
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Do a simple search and compare the results
Note: Scopus is not searched well by Metasearch
Example search 3 in CAB
(exp climate change) AND (food supply OR exp
food production OR exp food security OR exp food
shortages) AND (exp developing countries)
Number of records: 230 % of relevance = 69.6%
Use of thesaurus
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Find out the right search terms
Include narrower terms with explode
Search specific in keywords field
Not in all databases available

How to search: some pitfalls -1
Not the right term
stormwater (5,251) “storm water” (6,571) OR: 9,626(Scopus)
woodfuels (48)
“fuel wood” (921)
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Not the right operator
(''Climate change'' And ''drought'' And ''farmers'') And
(developing countries)"
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Incorrect use of quotes
“nature conservation” can be wise (7157 versus 16.917,
Sopus)
“dog behaviour” will miss too much (70 versus 1980 in Scopus)

Not the right field
farmer (topic)
farmer (author)
How to search: some pitfalls - 2
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Not a useful concept
effects, trends, possibilities
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No use of parentheses
cats OR dogs AND behaviour
259 (Catalogue)
(cats OR dogs) AND behaviour
107
Wrong use of wildcards
cat*
caterpillars, catastrophe
cat?
(cat OR cats)
1 character (Scopus)/ 0 or 1 (OVID)
Evaluating search results
Determining relevance and
quality
Illustration © Loet van Moll 2009
Judging bibliographic records
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Is the content of this document
appropriate for my research topic?
Is it worth the effort of getting the full text
and reading it?
Criteria:
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type of document
subject and scope – abstract information
primary or secondary research
audience
date of publication
author details
Judging bibliographic records
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Type of document
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Books
Research reports
Theses
Conference proceedings
Government/policy documents
Journal articles
Journal articles
Scientific journals
Research
Peer reviewed
Professional journals
Practical
Non-peer reviewed
A standard procedure in scholarly publishing, whereby a
prospective publisher submits the manuscript of an article
to experts in the research field for their critical scrutiny,
under conditions of anonymity, with the aim of assuring
quality and reliability of findings.
© American Chemical Society 2009
Peer review
Judging bibliographic records
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Primary research presents original research
methods or findings for the first time. Examples
include:
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A journal article or research report that presents new
findings and new theories
A poster presented at a conference
Secondary research provides a compilation or
evaluation of previously presented material.
Examples include:
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A review article summarizing research or data
A textbook
Judging bibliographic records
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Intended audience
Is the publication aimed at
scientists, professionals,
policy makers, students or a
general audience?
Illustration © Loet van Moll 2009
Evaluating internet resources
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Anyone can publish
Advertising can be disguised as
facts.
Quality criteria:
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Accuracy
Objectivity
Authority (of author and publisher)
Currency
Example and feedback in exercise
herbalife
Illustration © Peter Steiner 1993
Reference management
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Selecting references
Print, download, e-mail
Export to reference management software
 EndNote (short demo)
© Thomson Reuters 1988-2010
Publishing
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Publishing: why
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contribution to the record of science
part of research process (requirement)
reflection
evaluation (publish or perish)
Publishing: where
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Type of document
Journal selection, impact factors
Open access journals: BioMed Central, PLoS Biology
Plagiarism
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Definition: Taking someone's
words or ideas as if they were
your own.
(also known as) Copy and paste
Plagiarism is a serious academic
offence
Wageningen University uses
Turnitin to check student reports.
Avoid unintentional plagiarism by
citing correctly
Illustration © Loet van Moll 2009
Plagiarism exercise 1
Original text
“This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the
diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and
bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. “
Text from Mr. Smith
The study of Tanner and Gange (2005) has shown that golf
courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups
(birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent
pasture farmland.
Tanner R. A. and A. C. Gange, 2005. Effects of golf courses on local
biodiversity. Landscape and urban planning, Vol. 71, 2-4, 137-146
Plagiarism exercise 2
Original text
“This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the
diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and
bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. “
Text from Mr. Smith
The study of Tanner and Gange (2005) has shown that “golf
courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups
(birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent
pasture farmland.” (p.....)
Direct quotations must be quoted!!
Plagiarism exercise 3
Original text
“This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the
diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and
bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. “
Text from Mrs. Brown
According to Tanner and Gange (2005) the diversity of birds
and some insect groups can be higher on golf courses than
on adjacent farmland.
Tanner R. A. and A. C. Gange, 2005. Effects of golf courses on local
biodiversity. Landscape and urban planning, Vol. 71, 2-4, 137-146
Plagiarism exercise 3: Secondary source
Is it okay when you cite Mr. Smith for this information
originating from Tanner and gange?
Preferable not.
But in case you cannot get the original publication, it
is allowed. You have to indicate that this is a
secondary source, e.g. (Tanner and Gange, 2005,
as cited in Smith, 2010). In your reference list you
should provide the details of the secondary source
(the source you read). Whether you have to give the
details of the primary source or not, depends on the
citation style.
Referring, citing, quoting
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To allow readers to find and check your
information sources
To give authors of these sources credit for
their work
Methods
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In-text citations and quotes
Reference lists
• Many different styles
• Bibliographic details differ per document type
Examples of styles
Kotir, J. H. (2011). "Climate change and variability in SubSaharan Africa: A review of current and future trends and
impacts on agriculture and food security." Environment,
Development and Sustainability 13(3): 587-605.
1.
Kotir, J.H., Climate change and variability in SubSaharan Africa: A review of current and future trends and
impacts on agriculture and food security. Environment,
Development and Sustainability, 2011. 13(3): p. 587-605.
Choice of style
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Ask your supervisor
Citation guides
Journal style: About this journal, Author
guidelines

Journal of Hydrology
Wrong style:
Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change
(http://www.springerlink.com/content/u2j72l0244j1m77q/)
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:MITI.0000004663.31074.64
Evaluation
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Assignment
Exam
Re-exam
See also
Upload in BB
26 October 14 – 15.30 h, PC602/606
22 August 2012
- course information
- example exam
Contact:
[email protected]