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Improving research skills
- 1. IMPROVING RESEARCH SKILLS Developing Effective Strategies for Searching the Web Jason Pires March 19, 2018
- 2. SNEAK PEEK How can we improve our research skills: Website Evals – On a scale of 💩 to 🔥 how reliable are the sites we visit? With-it-pedia or Wimpy-pedia? – Is Wikipedia a valid resource to be using? DataBAEses – THE place to be for academic articles and professional resources
- 4. Website Evals ■ In a modern world of “fake news” and “alternative facts”, is important for us to be critical of the information we are pulling from the internet ■ As anyone can make a website and add whatever they want to it, it is good to known how to spot wrong, biased, or hoax-based website ■ Sometimes even a well-supported and reviewed article may be irrelevant or outdated
- 5. CRAP Detection One quick and easy way to evaluate a website is to check for CRAP… 💩 Currency • How recent is the information? • How recently has the website been updated? • Is it current enough for your topic? Reliability • What kind of information is included in the resource? • Is content of the resource primarily opinion? Is it balanced? • Does the creator provide references or sources for data or quotations? Authority • Who is the creator or author? • What are the credentials? • Who is the published or sponsor? • Are they reputable? • What is the publisher’s interest in this information? • Are there ads on the website? Purpose/Point of View • Is this fact or opinion? • Is it biased? • Is the creator/author trying to sell you something? Newman, B. (2010). Crap Detection, A 21st Century Literacy. Libraries and Transliteracy. Retrieved from: https://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/2010/09/16/crap-detection-a-21st-century-literacy/
- 6. The Five Ws of Cyberspace Another quick method for evaluating a website is to ask yourself the Five Ws of journalism and research. WHO is the source of the information? • Do they have available contact information? • Can there identity be identified elsewhere? WHAT are you getting? • Does the site seem complete and well-researched? • Does the site offer alternative viewpoints? WHEN was the site created? • Is this information outdated? • Is it even important that your research is current? WHERE are you? • What is the nature of the site (personal, government, educational, etc.)? • How did you get here? WHY are you here? • Is this relevant to my needs? • Are there better places or forms of media to find this information? MediaSmarts (2015). Deconstructing Web Pages. MediaSmarts. Retrieved from: http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/lesson-plans/lesson_deconstructing_web_pages.pdf
- 7. Website Survey Sometimes the quick and easy questions can only get you so far, and you need to be a little more critical. A survey of the website can really break it down and answer the question of “Is this a good website for me to us?”By breaking the website evaluation down into more detailed chunks, we can begin to answer more detail oriented questions such as: • Is the website easy to navigate? • Is the website sponsored by anyone or feature paid advertisements? • Does the site allow for feedback? • Is the information available in other formats? • How many links does it take to get to something useful? • Are there graphics on the page? Do these images enhance the resource or distract from the content? What quality are they? • What is the target audience? Ask your librarian for a full detailed form! http://www.schrockguide.net/uploads/3/9/2/2/392267/evalhigh.pdf Schrock, K. (2014). Critical Evaluation of a Web Site: Secondary School Level. Kathy Schrock’s guide to Everything. Retrieved from: http://www.schrockguide.net/uploads/3/9/2/2/392267/evalhigh.pdf
- 9. With-it-pedia or Wimpy-pedia? What is Wikipedia? ■ Wikipedia is a web-based, free-content encyclopedia ■ It is the largest and most popular general reference work on the internet ■ It is open to everyone to edit ■ Wikipedia has nearly 6 million articles ■ Wikipedia has articles in nearly 300 languages (2018). Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia
- 10. Why Wiki Worry? ■ Being open to edit means anyone can add any information, at any time ■ Pages can and often are vandalized ■ Pages can be filled with biased or false information ■ Wikipedia is there to preserve information and not to teach; some information may be too technical or advanced and hard to sift through ■ Even Wikipedia itself claims it “is not a reliable source”
- 11. Not So Fast… It’s Not All that Bad! ■ Wikipedia’s own policies dictate that: – articles must present a neutral point of view – the content of articles must be verifiable – original research should not be posted ■ Vandalism is often promptly and swiftly reverted ■ High profile pages are protected and monitored so not anyone can edit them ■ Wikipedia lists all sources and references used within the page ■ Subjects often have dedicated WikiProject teams to enforce best practice guidelines ■ Wikipedia allows users to go back and track the history or a page and all the edits made ■ Articles that are not up to standard are marked as such with banners and message boxes (i.e. “The neutrality of this article is disputed”) and/or ranked Lamb, A. (2013, Jan.). Wicked or Wonderful? Revisiting the World of Wikipedia. Eduscapes. Retrieved from: http://eduscapes.com/sessions/wikipedia/
- 12. Using Wikipedia Wisely ■ An important part of any project is familiarizing one’s self with the subject matter and preliminary readings on the subject in an encyclopedia is a great way to do that ■ Wikipedia is an encyclopedia (and NOT a primary source) ■ Wikipedia is a great place to get an overview of a given topic (but is NOT a primary source) ■ Wikipedia’s reference list is a great place to find primary sources to begin research ■ But remember, Wikipedia is also a user-generated website so evaluate a Wikipedia article just as you would any other website (CRAP Detection, Five Ws)
- 13. DATABAESES
- 14. DataBAEses What is a database? ■ A collection of resources funnelled into one place for ease of searching and access ■ Can include journals, articles, music, newspapers, magazines, government documents, images, videos, and so much more ■ Databases can be free or subscription based If databases can be found for free why use paid subscription services?
- 15. Why Use Paid Subscription Services? ■ Subscription services provide information that is current ■ Subscription resources have been evaluated for quality ■ Subscription resources are reviewed ■ Filters make it easy to find exactly what you want in one place ■ Most databases offer balanced content and multiple points of view ■ Subscription services have already taken the first step in CRAP Detection for you! Valenza, J. (2017). Top Reasons to Use Subscription Databases. Retrieved from: https://create.piktochart.com/output/4021098-top-reasons-to-use-databases
- 16. Why Use Paid Subscription Services? ■ Audio features allow for subscription based resources to borrowed and listened to ■ Abstracts give informative summaries of articles to help determine if the article is write for you or not ■ Subscription databases include proper citation formatting across multiple styles ■ Resources are available in multiple languages ■ Subscription databases are often offered as mobile apps ■ Subscription services allow you to highlight, bookmark, and make notes as you go ■ Subscription services have access to articles and resources not available in free databases Valenza, J. (2017). Top Reasons to Use Subscription Databases. Retrieved from: https://create.piktochart.com/output/4021098-top-reasons-to-use-databases
- 17. DataBAEses (2012, July 12). Library Databases vs. the Internet. Monroe Community College. Retrieved from: http://libguides.monroecc.edu/content.php?pid=134017&sid=1203372
- 18. REWIND Website Evals Be aware of the CRAP out there and check the websites and resources you are using! With-it-pedia or Wimpy-pedia? Wikipedia is a useful place to get started but not t be used as a primary resource! DataBAEses Subscription databases organize all the resources you need into one place, and can be found right here in your library!
- 19. THANK YOU! We hope to see you in the library soon! Jason Pires March 19, 2018
Editor's Notes
- Title card with short description of the lesson. Provide a reference to the school, and the librarian name, just in case it is the student’s first time in the library, and introduce yourself. (In this case, I replaced it with my assignment information.)
- This overview page is essential for giving students a heads-up on where the presentation is headed and what they can expect to learn today. Defining expectations and learning goals is crucial in cementing student learning, and providing an overview allows students to focus instead of trying to figure where the presentation is headed.
- Title card signalling the beginning of a new topic. Title cards act as a natural break in the content and serve a strong reminder for the presenting to allow for questions or comments from the students before continuing.
- Set out a goal for “Website Evaluation”. Students should be met with set learning goals for the upcoming information. Here out goal is to be able to look at a website and be able to spot a biased or factually questionable website with the tools we are about to learn.
- CRAP Detection is a quick way of running down the legitimacy and purpose of any website. The mnemonic will also stand out for high school students and prove to be memorable. The CRAP Detection method is effective and targets important questions such as ‘who?’, ‘why?’ and ‘when?’.
- The Five Ws are a great tool because of their simplicity to remember as well as their applicableness. The Five Ws of Cyberspace build off the Five Ws of journalism that the students would have previously learnt about in school and break the task of evaluating the website into small digestible chunks, while also asking the student to be conscientious not only of the website but of what the assignment is actually asking. While the CRAP method focuses on the validity and strength of the website, the Five Ws reminds you that a strong website might not be helpful if it irrelevant or if there is a more appropriate source out there. It is important to point (or ask the students if they notice) the similarities between CRAP and Five Ws; the students should begin to notice the trend of “Who is providing this information?”, “Why are they providing this information?”, and “Why should I be interested in this information?”.
- It is important to let the students understand that some research and some websites will require a more scrutinous look. Writing out, or filling out a survey form to critique the website can go a long way to figuring out if the website is right for you. It is important to note to that introducing a longform survey to the students would not be fair if you did not provide an example and access to one. Have the surveys available in the library and hand them out to the students after the lesson, in order to encourage the students to be critical and evaluative of the websites they are getting their information from.
- Whether it is a terrible pun, or a straight-to-the-point no-nonsense title, it is important to be consistent with titling each section so as to maintain expectations and not overwhelm the students.
- While Wikipedia is the most popular reference site, not all students may know what it is, or have regular enough access to the internet in order to be overly familiar with it. It is important to lay a foundation of what the resource is, and why it is important to discuss
- Students should understand why there is reason to be cautious about Wikipedia. The should understand how it works and why that inherently should make them pay attention to the information they gain from the site. It should be emphasized that early on in its existence Wikipedia was more of a Wild West and the threats of vandalismor incomplete information were very real, which garnered the site a reputation.
- Wikipedia has a long of stringent guidelines and fact-checking procedures. While anyone can edit the page, students should understand that not every edit will stick. Understanding the practices that go into building Wikipedia will allow students to better understand how Wikipedia works and help them identify what type of information to be skeptical about. It should be made clear that Wikipedia is not a tool to avoid, but it is just that, a tool, and therefore it can be used inappropriately.
- This is an important slide to discuss Jerry Kuntz’ four-step search strategy and make note that Wikipedia is a great place to start preliminary research. Reinforce that Wikipedia is a tertiary source at best, like any other encyclopedia, and is not an authority on any subject and therefore should not be used as such. However, as Wikipedia facts must be verifiable and well-sourced, the list of references at the bottom of a given article is often a good way to find a primary and secondary sources for further research.
- Title page
- Introduction to databases. What are they? What do they offer? Ask the students what they already know about them or for any examples they can think of. Have the students discuss why a paid subscription might be valuable.
- Subscriptions services allow for a concentrated results on particular subjects, with results that have already been screened and approved as relevant and appropriate. This is effectively the work of CRAP Detection and the Five Ws mentioned earlier. This should help streamline the process for students and point them to trustworthy resources even quicker.
- On top of providing quality content, subscription services also offer more conveniences for the user and make the process easier than free databases.
- Subscription databases are not meant to replace the free databases or print resources, but to provide students with another collection of resources from the library and provide it all in one easy place. It is important for students to understand that they are not expected to go out and pay for their own subscription, but that the library has its own services that are already paid for and that the student can access. It is essential that during this part of the presentation, the librarian demonstrated how to access the database, login, and use some of the features. Students should not just know it exists, but how to use it. This is a perfect time to answer questions or clarify aspects of subscription databases.
- The presentation should wrap up with a summary of the materials learned to day. This is to serve as a reminder for what today’s learning goals and outcomes were, and to help solidify the information. On top of the one-sentence summaries of each topic, as the students for something they learned, or for an important take away from each topic.
- Finish the presentation with a thank you, thanking the students for their time and for coming in, and reassuring them that if they have any questions they should not hesitate to ask for help. Have a reminder on the slide of who you are, as well as a list of all the other librarian or librarian technicians in the library, so that the students are aware of the team that is there to help them out.