ENG 024

1. ENG 024 Finding Information Martin J. Crabtree MCCC Library

2. Agenda • The College’s Card Catalog • Electronic Searching • Keywords & Boolean Searching • Electronic Databases at Mercer • Databases available through Mercer Library • Accessing the databases • Giving credit to your information sources • A few things to consider when using the web

3. Finding books in the libraryThe online card catalog • The catalog is available online. Used to find books, videos and other material both in the MCCC collection and the Mercer County Public (MCL) libraries. • You can have materials from MCL brought to the college. Deliveries arrive Tuesday and Friday afternoons. (DVD’s not available from MCL) • You will need to have your student ID card to borrow books or use the computer lab

4. Finding things in the libraryLibrary of Congress system • Unlike school and public libraries, the MCCC uses the Library of Congress (LC) system. • The LC is an alphanumeric system • For example: PN 1991.2 .W65 • You can search for materials by: • Title • Author (last name first) • Subject • Keyword

5. Link to the catalog is on the library’s web pages.

6. Searching Electronic Databases …and the web too

7. Starting An Electronic SearchKeywords • Keywords are used when searching electronic databases and web search engines • First step - Generate a list of words (keywords) often nouns that describes or is commonly used when discussing your topic. For example: • Ozone • Layer • Depletion • Atmosphere • Hole

8. Starting An Electronic SearchBoolean Searching/Logic • Boolean searching - Connecting keywords with the terms • and • not • or • For example • eagles NOT football • (car or automobile) and exhaust • More Terms = Fewer “Hits”

9. Searching More Than Just KeywordsPhrases & Truncations • To search for a phrase, use quotation marks • “weapons of mass destruction” • Truncations allow for searching related words all at once • The * is usually used. For example: • “child*” would include: child, children, childhood, childproof, etc.

10. Let’s take a quick look at how Boolean searching can help

11. Electronic Databases at the Mercer Library

12. Electronic Databases at MCCCIn General • Over 60 databases available • Many contain periodical articles • Some are useful for searching specific subjects like business, art, or criminal justice. • Others are also useful tools like the Encyclopedia Britannica and the Oxford Dictionary

13. Electronic DatabasesIn General • Accessible at any computer on the MCCC/JKC campus network • Most are available off campus, need to request a password. • Can print/e-mail/download articles

14. Broad/General Coverage Databases • Academic Search Premier - EBSCOhost • Broadest of the databases covering everything from science to history • Not every article full text • Academic Universe (Lexis-Nexis) - News • Large collection of newspaper information from around the US, nearly all full text • Issues & Controversies from Facts on File • Contains information on controversial subjects in the news

15. Let’s take a look a the databases…

16. Using the information you find ...and giving credit where credit is due.

17. Using the Information You Find • Always give credit to the author or creator of the information that you use. • This includes not only the actual facts, conclusions, and ideas that an author presents but also the words that he/she has used.

18. Plagiarism can take many forms • Plagiarism, the presenting of someone else’s intellectual work as your own. • It may be done deliberately, but it may also be done without your realizing it. • The copying, word for word, from a book or an article is the most blatant form of plagiarism. • Changing a few words is still plagiarism!

19. Using the World Wide Web

20. Using the internet/world wide web • Before using the web for most college research, try using databases first: • You will have fewer hits to go through • You’ll likely find some good information quickly • The information is always high quality • The internet & web are not the same thing

21. Some things to consider when searching the web • Everything is NOT on the web and may never be • No search engine covers the entire web • The “invisible web” is huge! • Though there has yet to be consensus, estimates put the size of the invisible web between 2 and 500 times bigger than the “visible” (or surface) web.

22. Searching the World Wide Web Search Strategy • Searching the Web is much like database searching: • Put together a list of keywords describing the information you desire • Use Boolean logic (and, not, or) to better define your search, use double quotes for phrases, etc. • When searching the web, also: • Consider which search engines/sites may best suit your search needs. Different search engines yield different results. • Use the search engine’s “advanced search” to select limiting parameters (language, date, domain, etc.)

23. Let’s pause for a bit for some TV

24. Evaluating Web Sites Is this stuff any good?

25. Evaluating Web Sites • Quality varies greatly from site to site • YOU are the sole evaluator of the quality of information a site provides

26. Five Web Info Evaluation Criteria • Accuracy - is it reliable? • Authority - is author qualified on subject? • Objectivity - is the information biased? • Currency - is the information “new” enough? • Coverage - does the info completely cover the topic?

27. The Bottom Line… Buyer Beware • The web contains a vast amount of information…but not everything • Anyone can put information on the web, hence the quality of web information varies greatly • YOU will often be the only person to decide if the quality of the info you find on the web is good

28. The Bottom Line… Buyer Beware • The web contains a vast amount of information…but not everything • Anyone can put information on the web, hence the quality of web information varies greatly • YOU will often be the only person to decide if the quality of the info you find on the web is good

29. Now let’s visit a sitego to: www.malepregnacy.com