3. Why reference?
• Highlight and back-up relevant points and facts
• Avoid plagiarism
• Give credit to the author/creator
• Reader can locate original source used
• Demonstrate that you have carried out lots of
research
• Achieve a better mark or grade.
Adapted from: https://www.citethemrightonline.com/Basics/what-is-referencing
AO2: Evidence of detailed research
involving the selection and evaluation
of a wide range of relevant resources.
Librarian will need:
Information record sheet W4
Logins
USBs
In this workshop you will:
Discover the importance of recording your search results
Have a go at searching our resources for the information that you need
Learn how you can streamline your search to make it more effective and focussed
Discover other places to look for information such as open access resources on the Internet and public libraries if you need more information.
Why you need to reference the information sources that you use
By the end of the workshop:
You should have a range of information sources that you can use in your EPQ
And be able to reference them correctly
Before they start searching………Why is it important to make a record of what you find?
Discuss.
Summarise……..click to bring up the summary:
Keep track of what you have already found even if you think that you might not use it……you might need it in the future……your EPQ might change direction. Good idea to use a ‘Information record’ sheet (Information Record sheet W4). Copies available here in class. You can find this on our EPQ website. URL on the screen.
Use the ‘Information record’ sheet to assess the value of what you have found i.e. who, what, where, when, why e.g.
What information does it give you? i.e. what it contributes to EPQ.
Why might it be useful? i.e. will it answer my questions.
Who produced the information and why? i.e. authority
Is the author trustworthy? i.e. authority
Is the information reliable? i.e. accuracy/misuse of facts.
Could the information be biased in some way? i.e. written from a particular viewpoint.
Do you have further questions and things that you need to follow up? i.e. what do you still need to know.
With experience you will assess information quickly, but you might find it useful to use the Resource Record sheet.
Recording what you find will be useful for when you write reference list at the end of your EPQ i.e. you have all the information that you need. More about this in a moment.
Assessing the information that you find and recording this on a ‘Information record sheet’ will help you create an annotated bibliography if you are required to do this.
Once you have found information and have used it in your work, we need to think about referencing.
Ask students why they need to reference?
Take their feedback and then click to show the info below:
Using information from books, journals etc in your EPQ enables you to highlight and back-up relevant points and facts that you have made i.e. establish the credibility and authority of your ideas and arguments by quoting, paraphrasing or summarising from the original text.
Therefore you need to reference to avoid plagiarism i.e. This is when you pretend that someone else’s work is your own.
By referencing you are giving credit to the original author/creator of information that you use i.e. Distinguish between your own ideas and opinions and those of others.
You may also be expected to add in text citations when you quote or paraphrase…..so again you need to know where the information came from.
Ultimately the reference list means that the reader can easily see where you got your information from and shows that you have carried out lots of research.
Your reference list is important – it will help you achieve better mark or grade. Think back to AO2: ‘Evidence of detailed research involving the selection and evaluation of a wide range of relevant resources’.
Your school may have its own referencing style or recommend a style of referencing to use. If not then you can find a simple referencing guide at the URL on the screen. This guide also includes guidance on how to include in-text citations in your work.
The important things to remember are (click):
Be accurate. Make sure that you have all the information that you need in your reference to ensure that the reader can find that information themselves if necessary.
Be consistent. Ensure that you use the same style of referencing throughout your reference list.
We have already logged on the computers. If not use the temporary login.
Open a browser and go to the link on the screen if not already available.
These are the things that might be useful:
Library Search: Use to search for information (books, journals etc) on your topic.
Databases: Gives you access to specialist collections of journals and other resources in a particular subject area. You can access most of these through Library Search, but searching a specialist resource such as Global Newsstream to access newspapers (more later), might save you time. We can advise you on this.
Library Guides: Gives you access to our library subject guides. Use these to find what resources are available including websites on a particular subject.
We will start off using Library Search and then move on to the other resources if necessary.
Explain how students can refine their search and see a preview (abstract) of specific items.
Finally point out how they can save search results and email to themselves later……..useful for their reference list.
The other really useful feature is the ability to create a reference using a variety of referencing styles.
Harvard is a common referencing style and what we have used in the referencing guid mentioned earlier.
Explain how they create a reference on Library Search i.e:
Search ‘Library Search’ to find information
Click on ‘speech mark’ icon
A box opens with various options
Choose ‘Harvard’
You can then save the reference in a variety of ways including emailing it to yourself and copying.
Before you start searching, here is a reminder (if they have previously done ‘Workshop 2: Finding information’) of how you can streamline your search using these two search tips.
Broaden search using an asterisk* e.g. riot, riots, rioting, riotous etc.
Refine search using “quotation marks” i.e. search for phrases – words in specific order.
Both work well on Library Search, but can also be used on the Internet.
These and other search tips which can be used on the Internet are available on our EPQ LibGuide which you all have access to…….link on the screen.
In case anyone wants to find newspaper articles this is how to access Global Newsstream which gives you access to nearly 3.5k full-text UK, European and global newspapers.
Library Search includes this resource, but useful to search it directly if you are looking for newspaper articles only.
Now its time to search.
Images show how much more arduous it used to be to search for information back in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
You’ve got x minutes so make the most of it.
Hand out USBs if have been provided by MDX
Next 4 slides to be covered after students have done searching.
This is a reminder only if class have done workshop 1 (Thinking about resources) otherwise treat as new info.
Don’t forget to have a look at the list of references or bibliographies that appear at the end of book chapters, journal articles or other sources of information that you find.
These can provide valuable sources of further information as they will be related to the subject that you are searching.
This is a reminder only if class have done workshop 1 (Thinking about resources) otherwise treat as new info.
Another source of information is your local public library.
If you go to the link on the screen you can discover what online resources are available in the area that you live, work or study.
In most cases you will need to be a member pf the library to access their online resources and more information should be available from their websites.
Public libraries will also provide study spaces which might be useful.
This is Hendon Public Library btw.
This is a reminder only if class have done workshop 1 (Thinking about resources) otherwise treat as new info.
You may use your school library to find information for your EPQ, but you my also need to do some independent research using the Internet.
There are many good quality free resources available.
Have a look at this website. Some of them might be useful for your research.
This is a reminder only if class have done workshop 1 (Thinking about resources) otherwise treat as new info.
One of the free open access resources that you might want to use is Google Scholar.
Enables you to search for academic journal articles, papers, book chapters etc.
Not everything is full text.
Possible to refine your search on the left hand side of the screen.
Have a look.
