CoSMiC Scholars : Utilizing library resources

Laksamee PutnamResearch & Instruction Librarian

lputnam@towson.edu

Laksamee Putnam lputnam@towson.edu Cook Library Reference:

410.704.2462. IM/email

Phone: 410.704.3746. Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU Albert S. Cook facebook profile!

First…

What is the purpose of the library? Discussion. Research skills. Discussion. General search strategy In our library Practice

Follow along with my slides here: http://slidesha.re/cosmicslides

Agenda

Type in this URL and respond to the question above:

http://bit.ly/cosmicpollpurpose

View other responses: http://bit.ly/cosmicpoll1

What is the purpose of the library?

Besides storage for books Besides a place to study late Besides the largest place on campus with

computers

The purpose of the library mirrors the purpose of this academic institution as a whole

What is the purpose of the library?

To help make you an informed consumer

To hone your research skills

What is the purpose of the library?

Research Skills

Images from Flickr Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leeadlaf/2030250742/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/45205149@N04/5992673335/

Research Skills

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

“Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer.”

Interpreting the Assignment

Reading Background Information

Using Online

Databases& Indexes

Gathering Sources

Drafting Paper or Presentation

Identifying & Listing

Vocabulary

Citing Sources

Refining a Topic

Evaluating Sources

The Research Process

Selecting a Topic

research skills ≠ needle in the haystack

Keywords are critical!

Sample topic: How successful is breast cancer treatment?

First, break the question down into keywords: How successful is breast cancer treatment?

More on keywords…

Expand your list to include synonyms then add to it once you have done some background reading.

How successful is breast cancer treatment?

successful breast cancer treatmenteffective breast neoplasm therapyremission breast carcinoma [specific name]

Putting it all together…

successfuleffectiveremission

breast cancerbreast

neoplasmbreast

carcinoma

treatmenttherapy

tamoxifen

successful OR effective OR remission

AND

“breast cancer” OR “breast neoplasm” OR “breast carcinoma”

AND

treatment OR therapy OR tamoxifen

Now what?

Where do you go first?

Ok you’ve got keywords

Why or why not start your search online? Type in this URL and respond to the question:

http://bit.ly/cosmicpollweb

View other responses: http://bit.ly/cosmicpoll2

Web “Pre-searching”

Why not start your search online? The Invisible Web

http://goshen.libguides.com/beyond_googling

Can you trust this information?

TED video: Online filter bubble – Eli Pariser http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_f

ilter_bubbles.html

Web “Pre-searching”

Why start your search online?

Find background information

Help solidify research topic

Find new terminology to use as keywords

Find links and/or citations to other sources

Web “Pre-searching”

Go to one of the websites below and analyze it http://bit.ly/cosmicweb1 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb2 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb3 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb4 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb5 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb6 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb7

Try these websites out

Currency Reliability Authority Purpose/Point of View

Check for CRAP

Currency How recent is the information? Can you locate a date when the resource was

written/created/updated? Based on your topic, is this current enough? Why might the date matter for your topic?

Check for CRAP

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Reliability What kind of information is included in the

resource? Does the author provide citations & references

for quotations & data Is the author qualified to write on the topic?

Check for CRAP

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Authority Can you determine who the author/creator is? What are their credentials (education,

affiliation, experience, etc.)? Who is the publisher or sponsor of the

work/site? Is this publisher/sponsor reputable

Check for CRAP

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Purpose/Point of View Is the content primarily opinion? Is the information balanced or biased? What is the purpose of the information? Is it to

inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade

Check for CRAP

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Catalog Search for books

Databases Subject gateways Search for articles

Citation help Make sure your own paper passes CRAP

In our library

Try to find some resources for your current classes!

Try to find a book!

Try to find a website!

Try to find an article!

Practice!

Laksamee Putnam lputnam@towson.edu Cook Library Reference:

410.704.2462. IM/email

Phone: 410.704.3746.

Questions?