This document outlines an instructional library session on conducting research online. It introduces the instructor, Laksamee Putnam, and provides her contact information. It then discusses getting writing help at the library and outlines an agenda for the session, which includes evaluating online resources, developing effective keywords, and analyzing websites using the CRAP test for currency, reliability, authority, and purpose/point of view. Students are instructed to fill out an online worksheet throughout the lesson to document their research topics, keywords, and website evaluations. The document provides tips for advanced search techniques and encourages students to find scholarly sources to use in their papers.

1. ISTC 201
Laksamee Putnam
lputnam@towson.edu
Research & Instruction Librarian
Slides:
http://slidesha.re/1fIhVmL

2. First…
 Laksamee Putnam
 lputnam@towson.edu
 Cook Library Reference:
 410.704.2462.
 IM/email
 Phone: 410.704.3746.
 Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU
 Albert S. Cook facebook profile!
 Slides: http://slidesha.re/1fIhVmL

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
 What are the pros and
cons of so much
information being
online?
 What do you do to be
sure you’re finding
credible resources?
 How do you evaluate
the information you
find while
researching?
 Why is it important to
support your argument
with valid sources?
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

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

7. Through out the lesson:
Fill out this spreadsheet
 http://bit.ly/1946u1w
 Enter your name and research topic

8. Improve Google
internet and bully
 Advanced Google
searching
 Duck 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 topic:
 Which age is childhood obesity in the
United States the highest?
 First, break the question down into
concepts:
 Which age is childhood obesity in the
United States the highest?

11. More on keywords…
 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 obesity United States
adolescent over weight USA
child* obese North America
young BMI

12. Search Tip #1
Boolean “search connectors”
AND OR NOT
For example:
internet AND children
Combining >1 topic
instruct OR teach
Combining synonymous terms

13. Search Tip #2
 Use truncation!
 Educat* finds
 Educate
 Education
 Educating
 Educator
 Etc…

14. Search Tip #3
 Phrase Searching…
 Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase
intact (words will be searched in the
specific order)
 Examples:
 “No Child Left Behind”
 “school reform”

15. 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

16. Create keywords
 Enter your keywords into the online
worksheet

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

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

19. Check for CRAP
 Currency
 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?
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/helloeveryone123/393737
4193/sizes/m/in/photostream/

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

21. Check for CRAP
 Authority
 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
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
http://rantchick.com/a-doctrine-on-respect/

22. Check for CRAP
 Purpose/Point of
View
 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
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/5484085301/sizes
/m/in/photostream/

23. 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!

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

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