Evaluating information
You're being asked to find "academically acceptable" sources for this class. Well....what does that mean? How do you define "academically acceptable"?
Let's practice critically thinking about your sources! Split into four groups and determine who will be the note taker and who will be the reporter. Each group will be given a resource and asked to determine if they would use the source for your assignment. Describe characteristics your group considered when making this decision. Be specific! Use examples from your source to justify your decision.
Sources for your assignment
Library resources to explore:
Internet resources to explore:
- Books, Movies & More --Barber Library & Summit Catalog
- Articles & More --Academic Search Premier
- Articles & More --America's News
- Articles & More --Newspaper Source
- Articles & More --Popular Magazines
- Articles & More --Religion and Philosophy Collection
- Images & Audio --Films on Demand
- Resources by Subject>Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics --Ethics, Law, and Policy
- Resources by Subject>Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics --New Dictionary of the History of Ideas
Internet resources to explore:
Search strategies
Library strategies:
Protip: Think of a library database like Netflix or Hulu (which both happen to also be databases!) You should avoid combining more than four concepts in one search so that you don't get too specific and narrow your results to 0. For example: I want to watch cooking shows? I would only search for the following: cooking
Protip: Think of a library database like Netflix or Hulu (which both happen to also be databases!) You should avoid combining more than four concepts in one search so that you don't get too specific and narrow your results to 0. For example: I want to watch cooking shows? I would only search for the following: cooking
Now we know keywords are HYPER literal, so how do you combine those concepts in a library database? Use advanced search techniques, of course!
Truncation: If you're looking for a word with plurals or various endings, try using the truncation command *
example: cheat* will search for results that contain cheat OR cheats OR cheated OR cheater OR cheaters OR all of the above!
Phrase Searching: If you want your keywords to appear in a specific order, like a phrase, try using quotation marks ""
example: "Off the Rails"
Boolean operators: Limit your results using AND, expand your results using OR, eliminate unnecessary results using NOT
Protip: make sure to use all caps when using Boolean operators.
example: "student athlete*" AND (pay* OR salar*) NOT "high school"
Truncation: If you're looking for a word with plurals or various endings, try using the truncation command *
example: cheat* will search for results that contain cheat OR cheats OR cheated OR cheater OR cheaters OR all of the above!
Phrase Searching: If you want your keywords to appear in a specific order, like a phrase, try using quotation marks ""
example: "Off the Rails"
Boolean operators: Limit your results using AND, expand your results using OR, eliminate unnecessary results using NOT
Protip: make sure to use all caps when using Boolean operators.
example: "student athlete*" AND (pay* OR salar*) NOT "high school"
Internet strategies:
In all of the above options, don't forget to use filters! You know filters already....think of when you search a shopping site like Amazon. |
Getting help
I know that there's a lot to consider when evaluating, selecting, and searching sources, and you might still have questions, even after this session. That's what librarians are for! You can always contact me, but there are also several other options for you to contact any Barber Library librarian.
Just look for this icon for 24/7 support or go to the Help page (the purple box), click Ask a Librarian and you'll find all the ways to connect to the library!
Just look for this icon for 24/7 support or go to the Help page (the purple box), click Ask a Librarian and you'll find all the ways to connect to the library!