4. 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 more
than “information junk
food”?
Appelbaum, Y. (2012). How the professor who
How do you evaluate
fooled Wikipedia got caught by Reddit. The the information you find
Atlantic. May 15. while researching?
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archi
ve/2012/05/how-the-professor-who-fooled-
wikipedia-got-caught-by-reddit/257134/# Why is it important to
support your argument
Prater, E. (2011) Beware online filter bubbles.
TED: Ideas worth spreading.
with valid sources?
http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_
online_filter_bubbles.html
5. The Research Process
Interpreting the
Selecting a Assignment
Topic
Reading Identifying &
Background Listing
Refining a Information Vocabulary
Topic
Using Online
Databases
& Indexes
Evaluating Citing
Sources Gathering Sources
Sources
Drafting Paper or
Presentation
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. Improve Google
internet and bully body image and girls
Advanced Google CookLibrary’s
searching Guide to the Web
Power searching
Duck Duck Go
8. Try new features to help build
your keyword list and search
strategy.
Keywords come from the search question
UseBoolean “search connectors” to
combine keywords in ways that capture
the results you need
9. Search Tip #1
Boolean “search connectors”
AND OR NOT
For example:
internet AND children
Combining >1 topic
instruct OR teach
Combining synonymous terms
10. Search Tip #2
Use truncation!
Educat* finds
Educate
Education
Educating
Educator
Etc…
11. 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”
12. Keywords are critical!
Sample topic:
What are some ways elementary teachers
can assess whether a certain technology
solution is effective?
First,
break the question down into
keywords:
What are some ways elementary teachers
can assess whether a certain technology
solution is effective?
13. More on keywords…
Expand your list to include synonyms then add to it
once you have done some background reading.
What are some ways elementary teachers can assess
whether a certain technology solution is effective?
teach* assess* technolog*
learn evaluat* comput*
strateg* test* [software name]
method gauge
instruct*
14. Putting it all together…
What are some ways elementary teachers can assess
whether a certain technology solution is effective?
teach* assess* technolog*
instruct* evaluate* comput*
method* test* [software name]
learn*
teach* OR instruct* OR method* OR learn*
AND
assess* OR evaluate* OR test*
AND
technolog* OR comput* OR kidspiration
15. Evaluate what you find
Goto one of the websites below and
analyze it
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb1
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb2
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb3
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb4
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb5
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb6
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb7
17. 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?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/helloeveryone123/393737
4193/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
18. 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?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnappi/5930145952/sizes/l/in/photostrea
m/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
19. 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
http://rantchick.com/a-doctrine-on-respect/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
20. 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
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/5484085301/sizes
/m/in/photostream/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
21. Begin your own research
Fill out this worksheet
http://bit.ly/TSEM102mcarthurWS112
Next class:
“Read” and prepare for discussion
Use your keywords to find books/articles
22. 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
