OPVL Review•November 12, 2009

In th is Re v ie w ...•Go a ls o f OPVL

•Re v ie w o f Co n te n ts

•Co rre c tio n s fo r Co m m o n Mis ta k e s

Go a ls o f OPVL

•Why is O P V L im po rta nt?

•Ho w c a n it h e lp u s d e v e lo p g o o d re s e a rc h s k ills ?

Co n te n ts o f OPVLO rig in

w h o / w h e n / w h e re / w h a t

P urpo s e

w h a t / w h y / fo r w h o m (a u d ie n c e )

L im ita tio ns

is th is a g o o d s o u rc e ?

V a lidity

p rim a ry / o b je c tiv e / p u b lic / d ire c t / o ffic ia l / w itn e s s

Orig in

•Mis ta ke : a na lyzing c urre nt info rm a tio n ra the r tha n the “o rig in”

•“Wh e re ” re fe rs to w h e re w a s it o rig in a lly m a d e ( i.e . in E u ro p e ) a n d /o r w h e re it c o u ld o rig in a lly b e fo u n d ( i.e . in a s p e c ific b o o k )

•If th e s o u rc e is fro m b e fo re 1 9 7 0 , d o n o t s a y a n yth in g a b o u t th e In te rn e t

Orig in

•Mis ta ke : e ve ry s o urc e ha s a n “a utho r”

•Writte n s o u rc e s h a v e “a u th o rs .”

•Bu ild in g s a re d e s ig n e d b y “a rc h ite c ts .”

•Pa in tin g s a re m a d e b y “p a in te rs ,” s c u lp tu re s b y “s c u lp to rs .” A rtis t o r c re a to r w o u ld a ls o b e fin e

Orig in

•Mis ta ke : ig no ring prio r kno w le dg e

•Do n 't s a y “w e d o n 't k n o w ” o r “I c a n 't b e s u re ” ju s t b e c a u s e th e in fo rm a tio n is n 't g iv e n w ith th e s o u rc e ... u s e w h a t w e 'v e le a rn e d in c la s s !

•Ex: yo u c a n in fe r w h e th e r s o m e th in g is a tra n s la tio n b y k n o w in g th e a u th o r's n a tio n a lity

•Ex: yo u c a n in fe r w h e re a s o u rc e w a s m a d e

Pu rp o s e

•Mis ta ke : the purpo s e o f e ve ry s o urc e is “to s ho w ”

•Le t's b ra in s to rm s o m e m o re p o s s ib ilitie s o n th e b o a rd

Pu rp o s e

•Mis ta ke : the a udie nc e o f e ve ry s o urc e is “fo r e ve ryo ne ”

•Alth o u g h e v e ry w rite r h o p e s to re a c h a w id e a u d ie n c e , th e tru e in te n d e d a u d ie n c e is ra re ly “e v e ryo n e ”

Pu rp o s e

•Mis ta ke : the a udie nc e o f e ve ry s o urc e is “fo r e ve ryo ne ”

•Ex: Ne w s p a p e rs . Th e s e a re p u b lic a n d w id e ly a v a ila b le . Th e o w n e rs w o u ld lo v e fo r e v e ryo n e to p a y to re a d th e m . B u t th e e x p e c te d a u d ie n c e is m o re s p e c ific :

•Ed u c a tio n le v e l? Lo c a tio n ? Po litic a l id e o lo g y?

Pu rp o s e

•Mis ta ke : the a udie nc e o f e ve ry s o urc e is “fo r e ve ryo ne ”

•Le t's b ra in s to rm s o m e p o s s ib le “a u d ie n c e s ” o n th e b o a rd

Va lid ity

•Mis ta ke : e x pla na tio ns fo r “prim a ry” ve rs us “w itne s s ”

•Prim a ry s o u rc e s = tim e

•Witn e s s = p la c e

Va lid ity

•Mis ta ke : the m e a ning o f “Dire c t”

•Wh o c a n e xp la in th e c o rre c t in te rp re ta tio n o f w h a t is m e a n t b y “d ire c t” o r “in d ire c t?”

Va lid ity

•Mis ta ke : fo rg e tting o ne o r m o re c rite ria

•Re m e m b e r th a t I lo o k fo r s ix s p e c ific c rite ria

•Wh e n yo u n e e d to m e m o riz e s o m e th in g , m a k e a m n e m o n ic d e v ic e

•“POPDOW”

Lim ita tio n s

•Mis ta ke : tre a ting the lim ita tio ns s e c tio n like a c he c klis t

•Ex. Ch e c k lis t: lis tin g “it c o n ta in s fa c ts , la c k o f in fo rm a tio n , a n d b ia s ” w ith o u t e xp la in in g

•Th e lim ita tio n s s e c tio n is w h e re yo u in te rp re t yo u r fin d in g s fro m th e OPV s e c tio n s . It is lik e a c o n c lu s io n .

•Co n ta in s la c k o f.... = > La c k s

Lim ita tio n s

•Mis ta ke : lim ita tio ns a re n't lo g ic a l in the c o nte x t o f the re s t o f the O P V L

•Ex: Th is s o u rc e is o b je c tiv e . It la c k s fa c ts .

Lim ita tio n s

•Le t's b ra in s to rm p o s s ib le lim ita tio n s o n th e b o a rd ... w h a t typ e s o f th in g s m a k e a s o u rc e m o re o r le s s tru s tw o rth y?

Fo r Ho m e w o rk•Lo o k u p th e d e fin itio n s fo r th e u n k n o w n

te rm s yo u lis te d fo r th e Ca n d id e e xc e rp t

•Ma k e a n OPVL o f th e e xc e rp t

•Tu rn in d e fin itio n s a n d OPVL o n Tu e s d a y