1. STARTING ON OUR RESEARCH
PROJECT
What you really need to know to get started.
2.
1. Research is a PROCESS, like a journey.
Keep your end goal in mind and keep moving
towards it.
2. Every good journey requires planning.
3. There’s no shame in asking for directions
when you get lost.
3. TODAY, WE’LL BE COVERING…
How
to find and evaluate sources.
An overview of next steps in the
research process so you know what
to expect.
7. WHAT KINDS OF SOURCES AM I LOOKING
FOR?
How are databases different from articles and
encyclopedia entries that you might find on the internet?
8. WHAT KINDS OF SOURCES AM I LOOKING
FOR?
Especially with web content, scrutinize and evaluate your
sources thoroughly to make sure you are getting high quality,
reliable info.
9. OH GOSH, WHERE DO I START
LOOKING FOR ALL OF THESE SOURCES?
http://alidavies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Confused.jpg
10. LIBRARY.HAWKEN.EDU
I’m full of sources!
The databases gateway organizes all the databases
that you have access to in one spot.
TIP: Keep your Hawken library card handy!
12. LOCATING BOOKS ON THE SHELF
The Cleveland Public Library uses the LC (Library
of Congress) system to classify and shelve books.
Once you understand how it works, you can find
things on the shelf, and also locate similar materials
which will be shelved nearby.
LESS specific (more general) materials are toward
the LEFT, and they get more specific as you move
to the right.
13. An LC call number has three (okay, sometimes four) parts.
DS 35.53 .O96
Subject Division
Main Code
Subject Sub(21 Letters)
Division Code
(optional)
Cutter Number
(Coded representation of
Subject Area
(Sorted numerically inthe author)
A: General Works
B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
Ascending
C: Auxiliary Sciences of History
D: World History and Histories of Africa, Asia, Europe, etc.
E: History of the Americas
F: History of the Americas
G: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H: Social Sciences
J: Political Science
K: Law
L: Education
M: Music
N: Fine Arts
P: Language and Literature
Q: Science
R: Medicine
S: Agriculture
T: Technology
U: Military Science
V: Naval Science
Z: Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources
order)
WHAT LC CALL NUMBERS MEAN
15. OKAY, I FOUND SOME SOURCES. NOW
WHAT?
You need to evaluate them to ensure high
quality of scholarship, accuracy, usefulness
for your research, and to detect any biases.
16.
Author Authority
Who created the item? What is his or her affiliation? What is his or her
relationship to the information contained in the source?
Audience and Purpose
Who is the intended audience? Why was the item created?
Accuracy and Completeness
Is the evidence reliable and up to date? Are the important points
covered? How does the source compare to other similar
sources? What may have been left out?
Footnotes and Documentation
Are the author's sources in secondary and reference literature clearly
identified with complete citations to allow you to find the original source
yourself?
Perspective and Bias
How do the author's bias and perspective inform the arguments and
evidence presented?
SECONDARY SOURCE EVALUATION
Presnell, Jenny L. The Information-Literate Historian . New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
17.
T = Timeliness: The information is up to date.
A = Authority: Author is qualified and has listed credentials.
C = Coverage: Topic is deeply covered and cited.
O = Objectivity: Document based on fact and not opinion.
R = Reliability: Can the information be backed by other sources?
E = Evidence: Do they explain and cite their evidence?
A = Authority: Who wrote the article?
D = Date: When was the website last updated?
S = See if the author(s) have authority.
M = Many sites give outdated information.
A = A specific audience may be targeted.
R = Reliability helps determine accuracy.
T = Try to determine if information is unbiased.
SOME EVALUATION
ACRONYMS
Lincoln, Margaret. "Information Evaluation & Online Coursework." Knowledge Quest Jan.-Feb. 2010: 28-31. Print.
18. NEXT STEP: SET UP NOODLETOOLS
• Create your bibliography with templates based on your
source.
• Annotate each source entry and generate your
Annotated Bibliography.
• Virtual notecards can link directly to your sources for
easy citations.
• You can drag and drop your notecards into piles, or into
an outline, and keep track of tasks and deadlines
associated with your research.
19. WHAT COMES NEXT?
You will find and evaluate your sources.
We will ask you to use the catalog to make a list of
sources that you will look for when we visit CPL.
You will create citations using NoodleTools in
Chicago style, and do an annotated bibliography.
You will take notes on your sources on information
that is helpful and relevant to your project.
