160 likes | 285 Views
Doing Effective Research. Using Library & Web Resources. Doing Effective Research. Knowing what kind of information you’re looking for; Knowing where to get that information; Knowing how to evaluation that information; and Knowing how to use that information to support your claims.
E N D
Doing Effective Research Using Library & Web Resources
Doing Effective Research • Knowing what kind of information you’re looking for; • Knowing where to get that information; • Knowing how to evaluation that information; and • Knowing how to use that information to support your claims
What Should I Do? • Follow the Research Heuristics (Good Reasons 264-65) • Document Sources as you find them • Make photocopies of articles from journals and from websites
Where to Find Information • Go to the Library to find • Books • Journal Articles • Atlas • Newspapers • Government Documents
Where to Find Information • Use the Library’s electronic resources to find: • Academic , Trade, & Popular Journal Articles • Newpapers • Websites
Where to Find Information • Use Internet Search Engines & Indexes to find: • Academic , Trade, & Popular Journal Articles • Newspapers • Websites
What kind of information? • Statistics? • Analyses? • Solutions? • Examples? • Interviews?
How Do I Evaluate Sources? • Know the source: • Who printed the book or article? • What organization or individual is responsible for the information found on the website?
How Do I Evaluate Sources? • Know the author • Who wrote the book or article? • What are her qualifications?
How Do I Evaluate Sources? • Know the timeliness of the information: • How current is the source? • Is currency important to your argument?
How Do I Evaluate Sources? • Know the evidence: • How adequate is the evidence used? • Where does the evidence come from? • Does the writer acknowledge other ways the evidence might be interpreted?
How Do I Evaluate Sources? • Know the biases in the argument: • Can you detect a particular biases • Is the writer forthcoming about his or her biases? • How do the writer’s biases effect the interpretation offered?
How Do I Evaluate Sources? • Know the nature of the publication: • Are there any advertisements promoting particular products, activities, viewpoints? • Might these effect what gets published?
How Do I Use Information to Support My Claims? • Direct Quotations • Summaries • Paraphrases
Why Do I Need to Document Sources? • To avoid plagiarism • To participate in the academic tradition • To acknowledge the work of others • To present a strong ethos
How Do I Document My Sources? • Use MLA Documentation see (291-96 in Good Reasons)