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Understand primary and secondary research methods, including interviews, surveys, and print/electronic sources. Learn how to plan a research strategy, evaluate sources, and document references effectively.
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Chapter Nine Locating Supporting Material
Chapter Nine Table of Contents • Primary Resources: Interviews and Statistics • Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources
Locating Supporting Material Invention:the process of selecting information to illustrate or prove your points.
Locating Supporting Material • Primary research:original or firsthand research conducted by the speaker. • Secondary research: vast body of information gathered by others.
Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys • Any source developed directly by the participants involved Such as interviews and surveys, oral or written histories, diaries, records of meetings
Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys • Before You Begin: Planning a Research Strategy • Interviews • Surveys
Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys:Before You Begin: Planning a Research Strategy • Keep the reason for your search in mind. • Review thesis statement.
Avoid: Vague questions which don’t give the interviewee enough to go on. Leading questions which encourage, if not force, a certain response. Loaded questions which reinforce interviewer’s agenda. Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys:Interviews
Take notes, tape-record, or video-tape Always get permission ahead of time. Allow the interviewee to set the pace and select the time and place Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys:Interviews
Surveys are an effective source of support for topics related to the attitudes, beliefs, and values of people in your immediate environment. Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys:Surveys
Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources • Database: a searchable place or “base” where information is stored, such as books or computers
Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources • Resources to Facilitate Your Search • Books • Newspapers and Periodicals • Government Publications • Reference Works • Critically Evaluating Secondary Sources
Secondary Resources:Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Resources to Facilitate Your Search • Reference librarians: information specialists who are trained to help you. • Card or online catalog: catalog of a library’s holdings • Organized by Library of Congress callnumber or Dewey decimal number
Secondary Resources:Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Books A well-written book provides detail and perspective and can serve as an excellent source of supporting examples.
Secondary Resources:Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Newspapers and Periodicals Periodicals: regularly published magazines or journals. Most libraries have special computerized databases that index past articles.
Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Government Publications • The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) is responsible for publishing and distributing all information collected and produced by federal agencies.
Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Reference Works • Encyclopedias: summarize knowledge found in original form elsewhere. • General encyclopedias: attempt to cover all important subject areas of knowledge.
Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Reference Works • Specialized encyclopedias: delve deeply into one subject area such as religion, art, sports, or engineering. • Electronic encyclopedias: cross-reference topics via hyperlinks (highlighted words that link to related topics).
Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Documenting Your Source Material • Include: • Name of author or editor • Title • Volume or edition • Name of publisher • Place of publication, or Internet address • Date and year of publication • Page numbers
Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Critically Evaluating Secondary Resources • Consider the following when assessing the validity of a source: • What is the author’s background and reputation? • How credible is the publication? • How reliable is the data? • How recent is the reference?
Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources:Critically Evaluating Secondary Resources • Avoid plagiarism by properly citing sources • Avoid fabrication which is making up false information