ENSC 102: form and style in professional genres

1. Library Research Workshop ENSC 102: form and style in professional genres Yolanda Koscielski Engineering, Computing Science and Criminology Librarian, Burnaby campus Spring 2011

2. Getting started with library research… Agenda follows quiz order, and includes: • Where can you find the best places to search for information on your topic? • What library services are available to you as an SFU student?

3. Where to search for information Background information: • Books† • Including reference books (e.g., encyclopedias) • Websites • Newspaper articles (e.g., Canadian Newsstand) • Magazine articles • Etc. Specific information: • Books† • Scholarly articles • Government reports (e.g., Canadian Public Policy collection) • Statistical Information (e.g., Statistics Canada) • Etc. † Note: We have a large collection of electronic books.

4. Where to search for information Background information: • Books† • Including reference books (e.g., encyclopedias) • Websites • Newspaper articles • Magazine articles • Etc. *most frequently required source for academic papers Specific information: • Books • Scholarly articles* • Government reports • Etc. What is the difference?

5. Scholarly publications • Reports on original research (primary research) • Written by academics • Written for academics, researchers • Longer articles • Technical language, jargon • Always cites sources • Little to no advertising • PEER REVIEWED or REFEREED

6. Definition of a Scholarly Article: • Articles in scholarly journals are peer-reviewed* “Peer-reviewed journals are publications that include only those articles that have been reviewed and/or qualified by a selected panel of acknowledged experts in the field of study covered by the journal” --EBSCO • Peer-reviewed articles = Refereed articles • “Academic article” used interchangeably with “scholarly article” *key criterion = peer-reviewed

7. Popular publications • Informs or entertains • Sells products • Aimed at general public • Written by writers (rarely subject experts) • Brief articles • Simple, non-technical language • Rarely cites sources

8. Where to search for information Background information: • Books • Including reference books (e.g., encyclopedias) • Websites • Newspaper articles • Magazine articles • Etc. Specific information: • Books • Scholarly articles • Government reports • Etc.

9. Evaluating websites (5 questions) * 1. AUTHORITY: Who is the author? • What are the author’s academic or professional credentials? • Does this make them qualified? • Do you have a clear understanding of who the author is? 2. ACCURACY: Does the author cite his/her sources? • Can you verify the information elsewhere? • Are there spelling or grammatical mistakes? Source: BCIT Library Guide: Evaluating Web Sites

10. Evaluating websites (5 questions) 3. OBJECTIVITY: What is the purpose of the website? • Who seems to be the website’s intended audience? • How detailed is the information? • Does the author provide broad, opinionated statements without evidence? • Is the web site an advertisement or promotional site? • Can you provide comments or feedback on the website? Source: BCIT’s Library’s Guide: Evaluating Web Sites

11. Evaluating websites (5 questions) 4. CURRENCY: • How well is the site maintained? Links up-to-date? • Does the site tell you when it was last updated? 5. COVERAGE: • How in-depth is the site? • Does the site contribute something unique on the subject? In comparison with other sites on the topic? • Look for content, continuity, scope, uniqueness of links to other sources and quality of writing • Is the site appropriate for the intended audience? Source: BCIT’s Library’s Guide: Evaluating Web Sites

12. Where to search for information Background information: • Books† (1,350,000 print) • Including reference books (e.g., encyclopedias) • Websites • Newspaper articles • Magazine articles • Etc. Specific information: • Books† • Scholarly articles (63,000 ejournal subscriptions) • Government reports • Etc. • (500 databases) † Note: We have a large collection of electronic books (170,000 ebooks).

13. Fast Search • Books • Journal articles • Newspaper and magazine articles • Music, movies, maps, slides, SFU theses/dissertations, government documents, sound recordings, and more

14. Fast Search • Contains 100% of our catalogue • Feature: quantity – wide range of results • Advanced Search feature not recommended (more details = more demands on database) • Few tools for topical refinement – use other sources • May need to use databases mapped to a disciplinary perspective

15. Finding books • Use: • Fast Search – limit by context-specific facet “book” • ebooks included • Catalogue • ebooks included • Key Feature: Subject Headings • Course Reserves Tab, e.g., ENSC 427

16. Finding books – Call numbers • Library Catalogue • Call numbers • TK 301 R2207 2011 • TK 7885 R23 1992 • TK 7885 R5 2008 • TK 9401 R3 C2 2005 • Made up of a combination of meaningful numbers and “dumb” numbers • 1st number is read as a whole number, 2nd alpha-numeric portion is read as a decimal

17. Finding books – Call numbers

18. Background information – encyclopedia entries • Excellent source for preliminary research (e.g., great for elective courses) • A good place to find background information on your topic is in the ‘Background information” tab of the relevant research guide. • Keyword search for encyclopedia + topic in Fast Search or catalogue (Demo) • “Online reference sources” from library home page

19. Databases • Database = “A large, regularly updated file of digitized information consisting of records of uniform format”*; • Google is a giant database • There are many subject-specific databases, subscribed to by the library (about 500) *ODLIS, by Joan M. Reitz

20. Databases A few reasons to use academic databases: • 1. Academic databases better for controlling your search because of subject headings, descriptors • Subject searching vs. keyword searching • 2. Higher data quality • 3. Helpful, reliable search limiters • 4. Mapped to a disciplinary perspective, so topically relevant

21. Journal article citation High quality of bibliographic data

22. Useful limits for targeted searching

23. Google Scholar • Search from the library’s home page to avoid being prompted for payment (demo)

24. What’s New? (March 2011) • Library mobile site • links to finding books and journals • library hours • computer and group study room availability • LibX application • right-click on a title, author, keyword, or phrase and directly search the SFU Library catalogue or Google Scholar; authenticate via publishers’ web sites

25. Write your paper & cite your sources

26. APA guides and plagiarism tutorial APA guides IEEE guides Plagiarism tutorial

27. Writing and avoiding plagiarism • If you don’t know how to correctly cite a document, feel free to ask a librarian for help. • If you want help with writing/structuring your paper or quoting/paraphrasing documents, see the Student Learning Commons. • Workshops • One-to-one appointments • Drop-in consultations

28. Is this plagiarism? Direct quotation:  “When a significant violation of public trust has occurred, lying is a common corollary because the wrongdoing invites concealment” (Fleming & Zyglidopoulos, 2008, p. 838). Student A’s paper: If a serious violation of public trust occurs, lying is often the result because this action invites concealment (Fleming & Zyglidopoulos, 2008).

29. Is this plagiarism? Direct quotation:  “When a significant violation of public trust has occurred, lying is a common corollary because the wrongdoing invites concealment” (Fleming & Zyglidopoulos, 2008, p. 838). Student A’s paper: If a serious violation of public trust occurs, lying is often the result because this action invites concealment (Fleming & Zyglidopoulos, 2008).

30. Is this plagiarism? • Patchwriting = • A form of plagiarism in which a writer relies too heavily on the words and sentence structure of the author’s original text.

31. Is this plagiarism? Direct quotation:  “When a significant violation of public trust has occurred, lying is a common corollary because the wrongdoing invites concealment” (Fleming & Zyglidopoulos, 2008, p. 838). Student B’s paper: Organizations often feel compelled to lie about their actions when they are discovered to have taken advantage of the public (Fleming & Zyglidopoulos, 2008).

32. Avoiding plagiarism • If you include any ideas or sentences in your paper that come from elsewhere (e.g., articles, books, websites), you need to acknowledge those sources. • Citing a document incorrectly is always better than not citing it. • Leave yourself time to cite your sources. • Not always a clear answer available on how to cite idiosyncratic sources; often involves judgment based upon general principles of the style guide

33. Getting help

34. Getting help • Ask anyone at the reference desk in any of the three campus libraries • Use our Ask a Librarianservices (via the Library home page) to contact a librarian by: • phone • IM (AskAway) *extended hours • Email • In person (AskUsDesk)

35. Research Guides • Don’t worry if you don’t know the best places to search for information on your topic. • Guides are available for individual classes, subject areas, information types, research processes, and more • Efficient and effective research is about using resources wisely.

36. Thank you! Yolanda Koscielski, Liaison Librarian for Engineering, Computing Science, and Criminology