Library Skills

History 110

“Information literacy is a survival skill in the

Information Age” (ALA, 1989).

Roën JanykWeb Services Librarian

Introduction to Information LiteracyResearch SkillsUsing Library ResourcesEvaluating Academic & Popular Sources

Outline

Definition:

Information Literacy is the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information (ACRL, 2012).

“Ultimately, information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning, because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand” (ACRL, 2000).

Information Literacy

Step 1: Defining a topic and planning for researchStep 2: Information seeking strategiesStep 3: Critical evaluation of information sourcesStep 4: Reading, examining, taking notes on sourcesStep 5: Citing sources & constructing reference list

Information Literacy: Steps to Successful Research

Step 1: Defining a topic and planning for research

Interpret the research question/assignment, define the information need Look for command words

Directing words that tell you what to do. i.e. Evaluate, discuss, comment, critique, analyze, compare

Identify the assignment topic Area of discussion for the assignment. Take the command

word and ask “what?” after it. I.e. Evaluate “what”? Compare & contrast “what”?

Develop a focus (select a specific topic) Area of the topic/assignment you will concentrate on. In other words, evaluate what, in relation to “what”?

Take your focus and develop a thesis statement

Research Skills

Example: What led to the fall of the Roman Empire?

Step 1: Defining a topic and planning for researchStep 2: Information seeking strategiesStep 3: Critical evaluation of information sourcesStep 4: Reading, examining, taking notes on sourcesStep 5: Citing sources & constructing reference list

Information Literacy: Steps to Successful Research

“More than 31% of all respondents use Internet search engines to find answers to their questions. However, people who use

Internet search engines express frustration because they estimate that half of their

searches are unsuccessful” (OCLC, 2002).

Finding Resources

Step 2: Information seeking strategiesDesign your search strategy

Develop a question (brainstorming, concept-mapping) Identify central concepts

Identify key words and synonyms Identify investigative tools (research guides,

other libraries)Locate and gather relevant resources

Identify key databases, catalogue, reference works, etc. Coverage, disciplines, time periods, publication

types, etc. Search expressions & Boolean operators (AND, OR,

NOT) Broaden or narrow your research question

Research Skills

Example: The fall of the Roman Empire was largely due to political, economic, and social

causes

Library CatalogueFind books, e-books, reserves, videos/DVDs,

request items from other campuses, place items on hold, mobile friendly.

OCtopus (library search engine) One-stop shopping

Research Databases & E-ResourcesOrganized by subject, search databases for journal

articles, e-books, & more. Also find reference works.

Using Library Resources

Research & Course GuidesCreated by librarians for students in specific

classes or working in certain subject areas

Electronic Journals ListingSearch for specific journal and search within

the title

Reference sourcesDictionaries, encyclopedias, directories found

online or in campus reference collections

Print Journals (Level 3)

Using Library Resources (cont.)

Keyword searching: typically retrieve more information with less precision

Good for broad or unknown topic areasField searching: typically retrieves less

information with more precisionGood when looking for few results or source son

specific topics ; Includes subject searches, title searches, author searches, etc.

Too much information?Examine irrelevant records in search resultsWhere did your search term match in search results?

(Subject, title, etc.)Use limiters (Boolean, field searching, database

limiters)Too little information?

SpellingEliminate long phrases or natural languageUse alternate terms, try broadening your terms

Searching

Function

Search Strategy Definition

Narrow AND Retrieves only records that contain both words

NOT Eliminates material you don't want. Careful to not lose valuable info.

Broaden OR Retrieves matches for either term, more records. Use with terms with the same meaning.

Wildcard Colo?r Global (w5) Warming

To search variations of a word. Use 1 or more symbols within a word to replace 1 or more letters

Truncation Using opera* to search

for operations = opera, operant, operable, etc.

Use a symbol at the end of a word to replace any number of letters

Combine Nesting NO: media AND politics OR election

retrieves records that match "media that also match politics" OR retrieves records that match "election.“

YES: media AND (politics OR election) retrieves records that match media that also match either politics OR election

Combine AND and OR in a single search. Divide your terms into units like an equation.

Creating a Search: Boolean Operators

(University of Idaho, 2012)

TruncationNesting

AND OR NOT

Reference list and article citations, bibliographies

Examine the reference lists of resources identified as being useful, and find other similar resources.

Subject headings in databases & catalogue

Terms used to describe resources, controlled vocabulary, assigned by indexers

Known authors Search for other items by same author(s)

Books or resources on similar topicsIn-person or virtual ‘shelf browsing’

Searching journals directlyMore direct and focused than databases

More Ways to Find Articles

Library Catalogue (Home page link, “books, media...”)

“Find Articles” HistoryKeyword Reference

“Find” Reference Sources (link on home page)Online e-resources listing, “Narrow Your Search” Choose content type Reference (Remove subject to expand results)

OCtopus (box on home page)Research & Course Guides: History (a.k.a.

“Guides by Course & Subject”, “LibGuides”)

Key Places to Find Information for Your Assignment

Great starting point! Use subject headings, call number

browsing, author searches Limit by location (Kelowna, Online) Request items from other campuses Renew items and place holds

Library Catalogue

JSTOR Project Muse Historical Abstracts Ebrary (eBooks) Academic Search Premier Oxford University Press Journals OCtopus Humanities Abstracts

Library Databases: History

Oxford English Dictionary (Online & Print) Encyclopedias (print & online)

Choose reference as a limiter in e-resources listing

Examples: Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace & Conflict, Encyclopedia of Sociology, Encyclopedia of World Cultures

Search library catalogueGale Virtual Reference LibraryChicago Manual of Style: Online!

Reference Sources

Library CatalogueReference SourcesOCtopus

Example Search

Library Reference DesksHours vary, phone, email, or in-

personCitation assistance, research help

AskAwayOnline, live chat reference serviceOpen longer hours than library ;

Manned by librarians from post-secondary institutions across BC

Chat boxes on website & within databases

E-mailResponse received within 24 hours

Sept – April

Using Library Resources: Get Help

Step 1: Defining a topic and planning for research Step 2: Information seeking strategiesStep 3: Critical evaluation of information sourcesStep 4: Reading, examining, taking notes on sourcesStep 5: Citing sources & constructing reference list

Information Literacy: Steps to Successful Research

Academic sources: Pass through peer review process. Authoritative and sourced. Objective and written for academics. Carry more ‘weight’.

Popular sources are often related to general interest and do not require writers to provide research to support their stories.

Sources: Do they Matter?

YES

Wikipedia is considered an academic source.

Sources: True or False?

False

False

A book found in an academic library (i.e. college, university) is an academic source.

Step 3: Critical evaluation of information sources

Critically evaluate information Criteria and methods of evaluating

information resources Comprehensiveness, relevance, author,

purpose and audience, accuracy and currency, objectivity

Research Skills

In academia we are looking for sources that are reliable, accurate, objective, and up-

to-date.

Academic Sources

Academic JournalsPeriodicals

Academic BooksEdited BooksAnthologiesConference ProceedingsEncyclopedias/Dictionaries

Published Reports

Newspaper ArticlesMagazine ArticlesTrade MagazinesOrganizational ProfilesMedia ReportsReports from Other OrganizationsWebsites (usually)Grey Literature

Institutional ReportsBrochuresPress Releases

Examples of Sources

Popular Sources

Journal

Academic, professional, technical audience

May use jargon In-depth articles Thorough reference

list Minimal advertising Peer-reviewed

General audience Easy reading Many advertisements Broad coverage, not

usually in-depth Rarely peer-reviewed

Periodicals

Magazine

Who wrote it? What are the authors’ qualifications? Academic authors are likely to come from a university or

institute. Is there a sponsor, owner, funding agency?

*important for online sources* Are sources listed?

Reference list, bibliography, citations Has the item or writing been peer-reviewed?

Editorial board or committee list, or provided instructions Who is the targeted audience?

Style of writing, advertising, jargon Is the writing objective?

Free from bias, blatantly one-sided Who is the publisher?

Academic writing is often published by a university press.

What is the appearance? Glossy pages, advertisements, graphs, images, photos.

Academic Source Characteristics

EXAMPLE

Evaluating: Reputable sources

Print sources Online Sources

Reliable: Sources that check their facts: footnotes, list of references, other evidence of research

Reliable: Sources that check their facts: Footnotes, references, other research evidence

Accurate & Objective: Quality control, editor, editorial board, peer review

Accurate & Objective: Quality Control, Evidence of peer review, author identifiedLook for: Extravagant claims, URL (.com vs. .org), funding agencies

Up-to-date sources: What could have changed about this topic since publication

Up-to-date sources: Copyright date or indication when page was last updated

In academia we are looking for sources that are reliable, accurate, objective, and up-

to-date.

Primary Sources Original & direct

evidence First hand

experience Historical

documents, interviews, raw experiment data

Draw from primary sources

Use evidence from primary sources

May comment on primary sources

Use primary sources to construct argument

Books or articles that provide analysis, critique, or a synthesis from a range of sources

Primary & Secondary SourcesSecondary sources

Cage, K. (2011). Identifying academic sources. Massey University. Retrieved July 9, 2012 from

http://owll.massey.ac.nz/academic-writing/identifying-academic-sources.php

T E R T I A R Y S O U R C E S Compile, index, or organize Sources may have analyzed

or digest secondary sources Abstracts, bibliographies,

handbooks. Encyclopedias, indexes, catalogues.

Step 1: Defining a topic and planning for research Step 2: Information seeking strategies Step 3: Critical evaluation of information sourcesStep 4: Reading, examining, taking notes on sourcesStep 5: Citing sources & constructing reference list

Information Literacy: Steps to Successful Research

Step 4: Reading, examining, taking notes on sources Interpret and synthesize information

Examine information source, identify source type Look at context, methods, results, discussion, etc.

Think critically: ask questions, examine the context (who did the research, what are the research questions), research methods used, results, conclusions

Verify accuracy Use and communicate information Write objectively (supported by findings, free from

influence), concise, formal (formatting according to style)

Research Skills

Step 1: Defining a topic and planning for research Step 2: Information seeking strategies Step 3: Critical evaluation of information sources Step 4: Reading, examining, taking notes on sourcesStep 5: Citing sources & constructing reference list

Information Literacy: Steps to Successful Research

“Scholarly communication is the entire set of activities that ensure that research and new knowledge can be made known” (DeFelice, 2009).

Why Do we Cite?

Citations demonstrate how you developed your argument and ideas from the ideas of others

Citations give credit where credit is due

Citations give the reader of your work a path to the sources you used, so they can investigate those sources if interested

(Mohanty et al., 2009)

AcademicLibrary

Publisher

Editor

Peer Reviewers

CreationManuscript & IP

DisseminationPublication (Registration and Certification)

Reformulation

Direct quotes Paraphrases Words or terminology specific to or unique to the

author’s research, theories, or ideas Use of an author's argument or line of thinking Historical, statistical, or scientific facts Graphs, drawings, etc. Articles or studies you refer to in your work

(Mohanty et al., 2009)

What Do We Cite?

Step 5: Citing Sources & Reference Lists Identify elements of citation you will need for each

item Cite your sources as you go!

Try a numerical system for in-text citations Write key author names with notes

Compile list of database citations as a working document throughout research process

Formatting rules provided style guides Reference list, works cited list, versus bibliography Do not trust MS Word or auto-formatting

Research Skills

American Library Association. (1989). Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report. Retrieved July 9, 2012 from http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2009). ACRL scholarly communication 101: Starting with the basics [PowerPoint]. Retrieved from http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/scholcomm/docs/SC%20101%20Introduction.ppt

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2012). Introduction to Information Literacy. http://www.ala.org/acrl/issues/infolit/overview/intro

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency

American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: Author.

Cage, K. (2012). Reference list vs. bibliography. Retrieved July 9, 2012 from http://owll.massey.ac.nz/referencing/reference-list-vs-bibliography.php

Jefferson Community College, 2012). Information literacy tutorial. Retrieved July 9, 2012 from http://sunyjefferson.libguides.com/content.php?pid=127609&sid=1095964

Mohanty , S., Orphanides, A., Rumble, J., Roberts, D., Norberg, L., Vassiliadis, K. (2009). University libraries' citing information tutorial. Retrieved from http://www.lib.unc.edu /instruct/citations/introduction/

OCLC. (2002). How Academic Librarians Can Influence Students’ Web-Based Information Choices. OCLC White Paper on the Information Habits of College Students. Retrieved from http://www5.oclc.org.ezproxy.okanagan.bc.ca/downloads/community/informationhabits.pdf

Okanagan College. (2010). Academic offenses. Retrieved from http://webapps1.okanagan.bc.ca/ok/calendar /Calendar.aspx?page=AcademicOffenses

University of Alberta. Information literacy at the University of Alberta. Retrieved July 9, 2012 from http://www.psych.ualberta.ca/~ITL/InfoLit%20v.2.0/index.html

University of Idaho. (2012). Information Literacy Portal: Module 3. Retrieved July 9, 2012 from http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/modules/module3/3_6.htm

References