I designed this powerpoint for the Penn State Graduate Writing Center's campus-wide workshop on using Digital Research Tools/New Media Applications for optimizing research and writing.

1. Digital Research Tools
Applications of New Media in Composition
By: A.Lockett, J.Hsu, and S.DiMaggio

2. About the Graduate Writing Center
• Offers 50 minute one-on-one consultations with professional
tutors
• Services any graduate student writer represented all
classifications, fields, and nationalities
• Availability posted on Fridays by 4 p.m.
• We will be closed Next Week for the Thanksgiving Holiday!
To access this presentation, schedule an appointment, or learn more about our
services, visit:
http://pwr.la.psu.edu/resources/graduate-writing-center

3. Discussion
How do you think new media affects your writing/research?

4. How do you Query?
Write down what you are researching and why it is important in no
more than THREE sentences. Feel free to focus on the problem, its
significance, or its methods. (5 Minutes)
How should someone search for your research? Which keywords
identify your project? Write down as many as you can, in as many
combinations as you can. (5 Minutes)
Share your writing with the person next to you, and briefly discuss
each other’s projects. As you talk about your projects, expand the set
of keywords that ‘tag’ your research interest.
(10-15 Minutes)

5. Quering Tips: The Algorithm
Boolean Logic: Broad/Narrow
o
o
o
"search a phrase": Search a phrase
AND: Both terms must appear in the result
OR: Expands searches
Google Logic: Domain Specificity
o
o
o
o
site:.edu=education
site:.gov=government
site:.mil=military
site:.org=organization

6. Getting the Most from Databases
• Consider how you are thinking about your topic
• Explore databases OUTSIDE your disciplines to expand your
associations about the study
• As you browse scholarly articles, pay attention to recurring terms and
try “tagging” the piece when you are done
• Experiment liberally with search query combinations in various
databases to generate innovative ideas about your subject

7. Google Scholar
•Locate sources (can access with PSU log-in)
•Link to sources being cited (useful for Lit Reviews)
•Observe titles of articles and note how your topic is discussed:
o
o
o
Which terms recur
Which authors recur
What story do these titles tell about both your research topic and
research questions
▪
What are the conflicts/events? scenes? characters? resolutions?

8. Query for Trends
The Corpora (BYU/Google Books)
Search for trends in key words featured in books for the past 100
years or so.
Google News: Customizable
Another great way to find trends in current events. Search realtime. Customize by key words. Modify dates.

9. Google It…In many many ways…
Experiment with a host of Google Applications!

10. Getting the Most from Databases
• References
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Gale Virtual Reference Library
• News
• Access News WorldBank
• Data and Statistics
• Research Guide for International Statistics and Data
• Historical Newspapers
• ProQuest
• American Newspapers and Periodicals from the 17th to 20th centuries
• Scientific Research
• Science Direct
• Pub Med
• Multidisciplinary Databases
• JSTOR
• Academic Search Complete
• Open Access Guide

11. Writing in the Cloud
http://drive.google.com
http://draftin.com
Do you have additional recommendations for us?

12. Designing Digital Projects
Dawn Childress is a Digital Humanities Librarian at the Pattee/Paterno
Library
https://digitallab.psu.edu/dhguide/
- For examples of projects
- For meet-up schedule
Also: PSU is FULL of resources!
We have almost 300 centers, institutes, and labs
- Geography Department
- Population Research Institute: http://www.pop.psu.edu/

13. Your Digital Persona
• http://about.me
• http://visualize.me
• http://linkedin.com
• http://academicroom.com
Interdisciplinary Communities
• http://www.hastac.org
• http://www.doaj.org/

14. Need Anonymity?
http://www.duckduckgo.com
https://www.torproject.org/

15. A Wiki of Writing Resources
http://writeresources.pbworks.com
This public wiki links to numerous research and writing
applications. Please feel free to join this workspace to add more
resources!

16. Survey and Questions
Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey!
If time permits, our consultants will be happy to stick around give
you one-on-one assistance!
Please add us on Twitter @gwcpsu or Facebook
Email us: gwc.psu@gmail.com
Thank you for attending our Workshop!!!!!