Professor Rettich Gateway: Pick Your Poison
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.
Developing Your Topic
Fill in the following to begin 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:
Choose synonyms or related terms for each of your concepts:
| Concept 1 | Concept 2 | Concept 3 |
| 1. | 2. | 3. |
| Other Terms | Other Terms | Other Terms |
| a. | a. | a. |
| b. | b. | b. |
| c. | c. |
c. |
Starting with Books
Using the library catalog to find research materials from the library homepage.
There are 3 places to get books:
IWU (the green one)
- What does the Library of Congress have to do with me?
I-Share (the purple one)
- Searches across the state of Illinois
- Delivery in 1-2 days
ILLiad (InterLibrary Loan)
- Searches across the globe
-
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.
Pick Your Poison Resources for Success
Core
Resources
Merck Index
Call
Number: RS51 .M4 2001 (reference section)
CRC Handbook of
Chemistry and Physics
Call Number: QD
65.H3 (reference section)
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com
Note on MSDS:
1. The website will probably ask for your country; enter United States.
2. You will next be given the option to make this your permanent choice (either yes or no should work).
3. The next page will have a product name or number search box in the upper right corner. Fill in the name of your substance and click “go”.
4. Next, one or more pages of products that include the name of your substance will appear. Move through these pages until you find a folder that includes just the substance you want, then click on it.
5. The next page will probably indicate several forms of the substance (e.g., powder, sheet, foil, rod, crystal, etc.) and/or different grades of purity. Any of these should be selected, though note the form and grade you select.
6. The next page will have some information on that specific substance, and on the right hand column, at or near the top, a table of related information, the first of which is “MSDS”. Clicking on that should produce a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet, which you should print, read, and attach to your report.
Encyclopedias:
Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia 9th
Edition Edited by Glenn D. Considine
Call Number: Q 121
.V3 2002 (reference section)
Access Science Online version of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.
Additional Resources:
Hazardous Chemical Desk Reference, 5th Edition,
by Richard J. Lewis, John Wiley and Sons
Call Number:
T55.3.H3 L49 2002 (reference section)
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry
Wikipedia Beware of Wikiality !
Writing your Bibliography
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 oganizational 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 borrowed Sarah George.