A quick introduction to getting the most of internet research for entomology - it is not just about getting information but also about giving back

1. Entomologists and the Internet
Information literacy for entomologists
L. Shyamal
LSHYAMAL @ GMAIL . COM

2. The Internet is a library
but does not replace it yet
Cartoon by Ed Stein

3. Information Literacy
old roots
Knowledge is of two kinds.
We know a subject ourselves, or
we know where we can find information on it...
- Samuel Johnson (1791)

4. Information Literacy
old roots
If I have seen further
it is by standing
on the shoulders of giants
- Isaac Newton, 1676
other forms from the 12th century
In Greek mythology the blind giant Orion
carried his servant Cedalion on his shoulders.
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Library_of_Congress,_Rosenwald_4,_Bl._5r.jpg

5. Information Literacy
•Searching
- finding sources
•Evaluating
- primary/secondary/tertiary sources
- evaluating content
•Using (ethically)
- synthesising, citing, paraphrasing
- copyrights, plagiarism
•Sharing
- publishing
- archiving, licensing for reuse

6. Searching
Search engines index full text
not semantic
incomplete - deep web (>90% of Internet - not indexed)
People are resources
specialist sites, email listservers, other groups
Not all information is in soft format
OCR-ed material often error prone
Published sources
Sometimes inaccessible
Sometimes expensive
Author archives
Find and contact authors
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Oct07/NoMoreCards.ws.html

7. Search engines
Google currently considered the best
Advanced usage
•Site specification
•Filetype specification
•Using Google Scholar
•The Internet Archive

8. Internet resources
Biodiversity Heritage Library
The Internet Archive
Databases
Nomenclator Zoologicus, ITIS … others
Others run by enthusiasts, museums etc.:
Hymis
Diptera.info
FLOW … many others
Email listservers
Taxacom-L …
Social networking
Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+

9. Evaluating
Primary / secondary and tertiary sources
Author credibility
Publisher
Reviews
Citation of others - quality of scholarship
Citations by others
Recognize quality indicators or their lack
Identify plagiarism or copyright violations
Contact and interact with authors

10. Using
Research material, keep notes
Bibliographic tools - Zotero, Mendeley
Cite authors inline
Know the copyright law - rise above it
License openly esp. if you are funded
Avoid plagiarism including closed paraphrasing

11. Sharing
Share bibliographies and reviews
Archive your own publications online
Share your knowledge, media
Interact online with the public
without discrimination
Learning and teaching
indistinguishable
continuous processes Image: http://novatonft.blogspot.com/

12. Questions
L. Shyamal < LSHYAMAL @ GMAIL.COM >
muscicapa.blogspot.com
Wikipedia editor : User:Shyamal