The document provides an overview of library resources for a COMM 1130 class. It discusses: 1) How to identify different types of sources and evaluate them using the CRAAP test. 2) Where to find tools to create IEEE citations and that a research guide is available on the library website with relevant resources. 3) The different types of resources like scholarly journals, popular magazines, and trade journals; and how to determine their credibility using the CRAAP test.

1. LIBRARY
RESOURCES
COMM 1130
MELANIE PARLETTE, ENGINEERING & IT LIAISON
LIBRARY RESOURCE CENTRE

2. TODAY YOU’LL LEARN . . .
• How to identify different types of sources based on
distinguishing features.
• How to evaluate information sources using the CRAAP test to
determine the quality and whether it is appropriate for your
assignment.
• Where you can find tools to assist you with creating IEEE
citations.
• That you have a Research Guide on the Library website and
that you can access many relevant resources from here.

3. TYPES OF RESOURCES
• ACTIVITY
• Scholarly Journals
• Popular Magazines
• Trade Journals
• Conference Papers
• Technical Reports
• Blogs
• Commercial Websites
• Educational Websites
• News Websites
• Forum Website
… and more!

4. TYPES OF SOURCES
What’s the Difference?
Scholarly Journals Popular Magazines Trade Journals Conference Papers Technical Reports
• Scholarly research or • General interest • Industry related • Author is scholar in • Author is often a
projects. articles, information, news field, academic or scholar or a scientist,
• Illustrations are entertainment, or and trends. Some researcher engineer,
usually charts and information aimed at illustrations. • Conference papers government
graphs. the • Authors are industry tend to be more contractor, or
• Authors are consumer. Usually experts, recent than journal technical personnel.
authorities in their colour photographs professionals, or articles, but may be • Published by a
field. Often and illustrations. practitioners who are considered less corporation or
professors or • Articles are usually not always identified authoritative educational
researchers. written by magazine • Typically no peer depending on the institution
• Peer review process staff, freelance review or refereeing review and • Reputation is
is in place where the writers, or may be process. acceptance process everything
content of an article anonymous. • Peer Review Process • Typically not peer
is reviewed by one or • No peer review or Examples: may or may not be reviewed
more experts in the refereeing process. ComputerWorld, rigorous Example:
field. Electronic ECMA Technical
Examples: Engineering Times Example: Report TR/75
Examples: Wired, Popular Proceedings of Standardizing
Wireless Networks, Mechanics International Information and
IEEE/ACM Conference on Communication
Transactions on Autonomous Agents Systems
Networking and Multiagent
Systems

5. TYPES OF WEBSITES
•Blogs
•Commercial Websites
•Educational Websites
•News Websites
•Forum Website
•Content Website
Social Networks, Government, Advocacy, Counterfeit . . .

6. WHAT’S A CREDIBLE SOURCE?
There may be times when you don’t know exactly where your resource fits.
This test can help you determine if your information is reliable. Depending on
the question you are asking, different part of the criteria might be more
important than others.
The CRAAP Test
• Currency The timeliness of the information
• Relevance The importance of the information for your needs
• Authority The source of the information
• Accuracy The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information
• Purpose The reason the information exists

7. PROBLEM
I’m on a committee in the LRC to assist in choosing a new
Content Management System for the library’s website.
There are many different types of programs out there so I’ve
decided to begin by doing some research to discover what
types of systems exist.
I’ve gathered the following information sources (see handouts).
Do you think I should use these when presenting to
my colleagues?

8. CRAAP TEST
• Activity
• The CRAAP Evaluation Tool

9. DATABASES
What is an electronic article database?
• Online / web-based collection of:
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Journals
• Includes professional journal articles
• Databases are usually organized by major subject i.e.
nursing, business, science, etc.
• You choose a database based on your topic
• Each database contains millions of articles, searchable by keyword

10. WHAT DO I SEARCH FOR?
Customer Computer
Relationships Hardware
&
Computer
Operating
Software
Systems
Computer
Programming Customer
Support

11. FINDING ARTICLES

12. TIPS FOR FINDING ARTICLES…
• Brainstorm your keywords
• Related Terms
• Synonyms
• Be specific
• Limiting your search results
• Too many results?
• Narrow by date
• Add additional keywords using the AND operator
• Narrow by publication type i.e. Scholarly / Peer Reviewed
• Too few results?
•Check your spelling
• Use synonyms
• Combine keywords using OR operator
• Try another database

13. IEEE CITATION STYLE

14. GET HELP AT THE LIBRARY
Email Online
Melanie Parlette:
• IM Chat on the LRC Contact Us
mparlette@conestogac.on.ca
Page
LRC Information Desk: • Or in the Computer Programming
lrcinfo@conestogac.on.ca Research Guide
In Person By Phone
Visit the LRC
• Monday – Thursday
7:30 AM – 9:00 PM Information Desk @
• Friday 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM 519-748-5220 x3361
• Saturday 9 AM – 4:00 PM
• Sunday Noon – 4:00 PM

15. HOW DID WE DO?
http://svy.mk/March5Alcock