ENG103 Week 4: research and information literacy

1. Research and Information
Literacy

2. Learning Outcome
1. Identify strategies for academic research and
approaches to online search for information

3. Primary & Secondary Research
Primary research
Materials that originate from the time
and place of the events being
investigated.
• TV, film and video footage from the
time
• recordings of radio broadcasts
• remaining body parts, DNA,
fingerprints, footprints
• artifacts such as tools, pottery,
furniture
• testimonies of witnesses
• the raw data from experiments
• autobiographies
• individual responses to surveys
Secondary research
Materials written or produced about
the event, usually some time later.
• books, articles, web pages,
documentaries about an event,
person or item
• interviews with people reporting
what they heard from witnesses
• biographies
• magazine articles
• papers and reports using the
results of surveys, questionnaires
and experiments

4. Academic vs. Popular
(Commercial) Sources
Academic Sources
• Authoritative: academic sources identify the qualifications and expertise of the writer.
• Sourced: academic writing is careful to credit the origins of information and ideas,
usually by means of a reference list or bibliography.
• Peer-reviewed: other academics have read the source and checked it for accuracy.
• Objective: academic sources aim to examine a topic fairly. This does not mean that
they never take a side, but that the source does not ignore alternative positions on the
topic.
• Written for academics: academic sources target university lecturers, students, and
professionals interested in the theoretical side of a topic.
Popular (Commercial) Sources
• Are often written by journalists or professional writers for a general audience
• Use language easily understood by general readers
• Articles not evaluated by experts in the field but by editors on the staff
• Rarely give full citations for sources
• Shorter articles giving a broader overview of topics

5. Academic vs. Popular (Commercial)
Sources
Academic Sources
Popular (Commercial) Sources

6. Academic & Professional Sources
Business
• The Wall Street Journal
• The Economist
• International Journal of Management and Business Studies
• Journal of International Business Studies
Design
• International Journal of Design
• The International Journal of Art, Culture and Design Technologies
• Design Issues
• Design Studies
Psychology
• British Psychological Society
• simplypsychology.org
• American Psychological Association
• plosone.org

7. Use of General Topic Sources
General topic sources are, in general, less reputable than sources
dedicated to specific topics. It is important that your research comes
from sources which specialize in the topic your are writing about.

8. Using Google
Using google.com will provide more popular or commercial
results.

9. Using Google.com

10. Using Google Scholar
Using scholar.google.com will provide more academic and scientific
results.

11. Using Google Scholar

12. ERIC: Education Resources
Information Center
www.eric.ed.gov

13. ERIC: Education Resources
Information Center

14. JSTOR
www.jstor.org

15. JSTOR

16. Journal abstract: example
An abstract of a journal article summarizes
• the main argument.
• research methods.
• findings and conclusions.

17. .net
Network
Site
Clues on URL

18. Use key concepts with the
addition of synonyms that you
have identified as your keywords
and search terms
Combining your search terms using
Boolean operators
Develop your online search plan:

19. Identifying Keywords
Word Order and Word Choice Matter
search text search result
grass snake a kind of snake
snake grass a kind of grass
snake in the grass
Most pages contain this expression; also finds
pages with grass snake and a few with snake
grass and snakes in the grass
snake + in + the +
grass
Eliminates pages not containing ‘in’ and ‘the’
somewhere
“snake in the grass”
Most specific and precise. Requires exact phrase
in all pages

20. Online search examples
Topic popular methods of losing weight
Keywords popular methods losing weight
Synonyms/
Related terms
common ways lose fat
Synonyms/
Related terms
favorite techniques reducing dieting
Topic effect of illegal immigration on the U.S. economy
Keywords illegal immigration U.S. economy
Synonyms/
Related terms
illegal aliens United States economics
Synonyms/
Related terms
undocumented workers America

21. Online search information
Too much information
• Review your keywords/concepts
• (be more specific)
• Narrowing your search
• (only in title)
• Use limiter
• (specific time period, type of
publication)
Too little information
• Broaden your search term
• (e.g. China to Asia)
• Look for alternative terms
• (use synonyms and related
terms)

22. Common search features
search features
truncation hero* teen*
example
hero, heroic, heroes,
heroine, heroin
teen, teens, teenager,
teenagers
wildcards wom#n behavio#r
example woman and women behaviour or behavior
phrases searching “public speaking”
limiting searches by date, language, format, etc.
Boolean Operator and, or, not

23.  Enclose two or more words with quotations.
 The computer will search your words in that exact order.
example
“public speaking” = exact phrase
Phrase Searching (narrowing your search)

24.  AND retrieves only those records that contain all of the search terms.
example
...finds records containing both global and warming
Boolean Operator: AND (narrowing your
search)

25. Boolean Operator: OR
(expanding your search)
 OR retrieves records that contain any of the search terms.
example
...finds records with either college or university or both in them.

26. Boolean Operator: NOT
(specifying your search)
 NOT (-) eliminates a search term or group of search terms
example
...finds records for high school but not elementary.

27. Question your sources
• Question the source of
the informationWho?
• Question the content of
the informationWhat?
• Question the location of
the informationWhere?
• Question the time of the
informationWhen?
• Question the use of the
informationWhy?
Use of information
Remember
• The resources are the
intellectual property of the
creators of the resources.

28. Reputable sources
When deciding
whether a text is
worth reading,
consider:
Has it been recommended by a source you trust, such as
your tutor or a reputable journal or review in a quality
newspaper?
Is there a clear line or reasoning, with supporting evidence?
Does it include a detailed list of references, or a bibliography,
indicating thorough research?
Does it provide clear references to its sources of information,
so that other people could check these? If not, this may not
be a suitable text for use in academic contexts.
Does it use source materials that look reputable, such as
journals and relevant books rather than the popular press?