This document provides an overview of a library instruction session on conducting online research. It includes slides and an agenda that cover evaluating online information sources using the CRAP test, developing effective search strategies using keywords and Boolean operators, and finding scholarly sources. Students are instructed to take notes on the session in an online worksheet to document their research topics, keywords, and evaluation of websites using the CRAP criteria. The librarian emphasizes skills for distinguishing reliable sources and encourages students to ask for research help.

1. ISTC 201
Laksamee Putnam
lputnam@towson.edu
Research & Instruction Librarian
Slides:
http://bit.ly/istc2014splutherslides1

2. First…
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Laksamee Putnam
lputnam@towson.edu
Cook Library Reference:
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410.704.2462.
IM/email
Phone: 410.704.3746.
Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU
Albert S. Cook facebook profile!
Slides: http://bit.ly/istc2014splutherslides1

3. A quick plug…
 Get
Writing Help at
Cook!
 Appointments:
Monday – Thursday
6-9; Sunday 3-9
 Walk-ins: Monday –
Thursday 7-8;
Sunday 5:30-6:30
Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs/6812988187/

4. Agenda
 Video
Discussion
 Background reading/Internet searching
 Keywords
 Evaluating Resources

5. Wikipedia Woes and Google Gaffs
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What are the pros and
cons of so much
information being
online?
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What do you do to be
sure you’re finding
credible resources?
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Google Analytics (2012) Google analytics in
real life – Site search.
http://youtu.be/cbtf1oyNg-8
DuckDuckGo (2012). There are no “regular
results” on Google anymore.
http://vimeo.com/duckduckgo/bubble
New York Times (2013) If a Story Is Viral, Truth
May Be Taking a Beating
http://nyti.ms/1d7MUUB
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How do you evaluate
the information you
find while
researching?
Why is it important to
support your argument
with valid sources?

6. Web “Pre-Searching”
 Why
start your search online?
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Find background information
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Help solidify research topic
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Find new terminology to use as keywords
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Find links and/or citations to other sources

7. Through out the lesson:
Fill out this spreadsheet
 http://bit.ly/istc2014splutherc1
 Enter
your name and research topic

8. Improve Google
internet and bully
 Advanced
searching
 Duck
Google
Duck Go
body image and girls
 Cook
Library’s
Guide to the Web

9. Find some websites!
 Enter
your websites into the online
worksheet

10. Keywords are critical!
 Sample
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topic:
Which age is childhood obesity in the
United States the highest?
 First,
break the question down into
concepts:
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Which age is childhood obesity in the
United States the highest?

11. More on keywords…
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Expand your list to include synonyms then add to it
once you have done some background reading.
 Which age is childhood obesity in the United States the
highest?
childhood
adolescent
child*
young
obesity
United States
over weight USA
obese
North America
BMI

12. Create keywords
 Enter
your keywords into the online
worksheet
 Enter synonyms

13. Search Tip #1
Boolean “search connectors”
AND OR NOT
internet AND children
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Combining >1 topic
instruct OR teach
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Combining
synonymous terms
Which is better?

14. Search Tip #2
 Use
truncation!
 Educat*
finds
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Educate
Education
Educating
Educator
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Etc…
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15. Search Tip #3
 Phrase
Searching…
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Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase
intact (words will be searched in the
specific order)
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Examples:
 “No
Child Left Behind”
 “school reform”

16. Putting it all together…
 Which age is childhood obesity in the United States
the highest?
childhood
child*
adolescent
young
obesity
over weight
BMI
United States
USA
North America
child* OR adolescent OR young
AND
obesity OR overweight OR BMI
AND
United States OR USA OR North America

17. Go back to your keywords
 Insert
AND, OR, NOT
 Can you truncate any of your words?
 Can you use phrase searching?

18. Evaluate what you find
 Go
to one of the websites below and
analyze it
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http://bit.ly/cosmicweb3
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb4
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb5
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb6
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb7

19. Check for CRAP
Currency
Reliability
Authority
Purpose/Point
of View

20. Check for CRAP
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Currency
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How recent is the
information?
Can you locate a
date when the
resource was
written/created/upda
ted?
Based on your topic,
is this current
enough?
Why might the date
matter for your topic?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/helloeveryone123/393737
4193/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library

21. Check for CRAP
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Reliability
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What kind of
information is
included in the
resource?
Does the author
provide citations &
references for
quotations & data
Where am I
accessing this
information?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnappi/5930145952/sizes/l/in/photostrea
m/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library

22. Check for CRAP
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Authority
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Can you determine who
the author/creator is?
What are their
credentials (education,
affiliation, experience,
etc.)?
Who is the publisher or
sponsor of the work/site?
Is this publisher/sponsor
reputable
http://rantchick.com/a-doctrine-on-respect/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library

23. Check for CRAP
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Purpose/Point of
View
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Is the content
primarily opinion?
Is the information
balanced or
biased?
What is the purpose
of the information? Is
it to inform, teach,
sell, entertain or
persuade
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/5484085301/sizes
/m/in/photostream/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library

24. Analyze your Website
 Enter
your CRAP analysis on the online
worksheet
 You
need 3 scholarly web resources for
your paper. Take this time to try to find at
least one website you can use!

25. Thanks for listening!
 Next
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class:
Watch 2 more video and prepare for
discussion
Use your keywords to find books/articles

26. Questions?
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Feel free to contact me:
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Laksamee Putnam
lputnam@towson.edu
410.704.3746.
Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU
Or any reference librarian:
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

Visit Cook Library Reference Desk
410.704.2462.
IM – tucookchat