WELCOME

Research

Our Agenda
Information Literacy
The Research Process
Research Resources

Information Literacy
• Is not just a necessity, but
a basic human right that
promotes social inclusion
in all nations.
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO)

Critical Thinking Skills
• the ability to reflect critically upon
and evaluate their own research
strategies,
• the tools used,
• the resources found
• and the context in which the
resources were produced.

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Where do I begin?

Research Process
1. Find and develop a topic
2. Find background information
3. Find books about your topic
4. Find newspaper and journal articles
about your topic
5. Find Websites
6. Evaluate what you find
7. Cite the material you use

Library As Portal

Most topics are way too big!

FIND AND DEVELOP A TOPIC
• Narrow it down
• Break it down to sub-topics
• Remember assignment instructions
• What am I interested in?
• e.g. Global Warming

FIND BACKGROUND INFO
• Learn general terms and context
• Encyclopedia and Dictionaries
• e.g. Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change
GE 149 E443 2002
• Check bibliographies (works cited,
recommended resources, for more ideas)

FINDING BOOKS

FINDING ARTICLES
• Newspapers and Magazines
for popular views and info
• Academic Journal Articles
for the latest research
• Peer Review/ Scholarly Journals

FINDING ARTICLES

EVALUATE WHAT YOU FIND
• Author • Objective
Reasoning
• Date of Publication
• Coverage
• Edition or Revision
• Writing Style
• Publisher
• Evaluative
• Title of Journal Reviews
• Intended Audience • http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/
research/evaluate.html

INTERNET

• EVALUATING WEBSITES
• World Trade
Organization
• Dihydrogen Monoxide
• United Nations

LOOK FOR:
• Accuracy of the web site
• Authority
• Objectivity
• Currency
• Coverage
• http://www.uwindsor.ca/units/leddy/leddy.nsf/SearchTheWeb!OpenForm

Citing Your Sources

Writing Tools
•APA and MLA Styles
•Academic Writing
Centre
•Writing Help Page

Research Process
1. Find and develop a topic
2. Find background information
3. Find books about your topic
4. Find newspaper and journal articles
about your topic
5. Find Websites
6. Evaluate what you find
7. Cite the material you use

Here’s An Example
• Global Warming >
• Alternative Energies >
• Wind, Solar, Tidal, Thermal >
• World > Canada
• Trend: the use of solar energy
in Canada

Library As Portal

Thank you!