Professor French's Gateway: Beatlemania

Librarian Contact Info

Why are you here?

As a direct result of this instructional session, you should notice some or all of the following side effects:
   
    1) The development of faster, more effective search strategies leading to increased free time.

    2) The ability to develop your topic and related search terms.

    3) Alertness when you turn in this assignment because you weren't up half the night completeing your bibliography.

Background Information

Wikipedia OR WIKIALITY?

Credo Reference

• 290 online reference sources to help you verify the facts

Developing Your Topic

Your topic:

Brainstorm and Develop Search Terms

List several things you already know about your topic:

List keywords related to what you already know: alternate words, synonyms, related terms:

Re-write your topic.  Choose the most important words and/or phrases (3-5) that describe your topic�s main concepts:

Thesis Formulation

Fill in the following to begin building a framework for your assignment:

Starting with Books

There are 3 places to get books:

IWU (the green one)

• Find information about due dates and fines in "My Account"
• Print course reserves are listed here

I-Share (the purple one)

• Searches across the state of Illinois
• Delivery in 1-2 days
• You'll receive an email when your item is available for pick-up

ILLiad (InterLibrary Loan)

• Searches across the glob
• Free to use
• Can request articles and books
•  Articles arrive within 4 business days on average
  
  You can get to ILLiad any time from the library home page quick links.

Next Stop: Journals via Databases

All of these databases are available from the library's homepage.
A-Z Database List Bread Crumbs: Library homepage > Databases A-Z in the far right column

General Databases

• Coverage: 1985-
• Provides full-text to over 4,600 journals
• Can sort to limit to academic titles
• "Get This"

• Coverage: More than 100 years back, doesn't include current issues
• Searches 773 publications
• Full-text coverage of the Arts, Sciences, Health, Business, & Music
• Note that the word you searched for is highlighted and the page number is listed

LexisNexis

• Coverage: Varies
• Searches news and current affairs information
• Includes academic and popular publications
• Note what years you are limiting your search to in the �Specify Date� field.

What to do when you're stuck

1. Look up books or articles included in the bibliography of an item your already have.

2. Search the online catalog or an article database to see if an author has written other relevant material. *Remember to check the IWU and I-Share online catalogs.

3. Browse the shelves that come just before or after a book that you like.

4. Look at the subjects listed for a relevant book or article and search one or more of those terms. *Note that many of them are hyper linked for easy access.

5. If your search is still too broad, try limiting it to academic and/or peer reviewed articles or items published during a certain time period.

6. Identify organizations related to your topic and look for recent news items, "about" information, and publications on their web site.

The CRAAP Test

When you search for information, you're going to find a lots of it. . . but is it accurate and reliable? You will have to determine this for yourself, and the CRAAP Test can help.The CRAAP Test is a list of questions to determine if the information you have is reliable. Please keep in mind that the following list is not static or complete. Different criteria will be more or less important depending on your situation or need. So, what are you waiting for? Is your web site credible and useful, or is it a bunch of . . .?!

Key: * indicates criteria is for Web only

Currency: The timeliness of the information.

• When was the information published or posted?
• Has the information been revised or updated?
• Is the information current or out-of date for your topic?
• Are the links functional? *

Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
• Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
• Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?

Authority: The source of the information.

• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
• Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
• What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
• What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
• Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
       examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net *

Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.

• Where does the information come from?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose: The reason the information exists.

• What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

Adapted from Kristin Johnson, California State University -Chico

Primary v. Secondary Sources

Keep an eye out for both kinds, it makes your more interesting for those reading it!

Primary Sources

• Are original materials or data
• Is an original creation by an individual or a group
• May include novels, paintings, an autobiography, letters, a film, television show, performance, posters, a sculpture, accounts of a historical event by firsthand witnesses, official memoranda, short stories, plays, poems, photographs, court cases, journal articles, newspapers accounts of an event, and speeches.

Secondary Sources

• Analyze, interpret, or comment on the primary source
• Says something about the primary source or sources
• May include journal articles, books, encyclpodias, dictionaries, reviews, critical essays,  and newspaper articles.
  

-Please note that portions of this presentation were in large part borrowed from a session taught by Sarah George in 2006.