Responsive and Responsible Use of Digital Resources for Research

1. Responsive and Responsible Use of
Digital Resources for Research
Marianita D. Dablio
Lecturer
MSU CSSH

2. John Naisbitt reminds us:
• “We are drowning in
information
but starved for
Knowledge.”

3. Overview
• Can you share your stories of research ?
• How do we understand the research context?
• What have changed in the research process?
• What has not changed in the research process?
• A suggestion
• Responsive and Responsible Use of
Digital Resources for Research

4. Can you share your research
experiences ?
• Where can I find
information
sources for my
research?
• Where do I start?

5. Information deluge!
• Too much
information?
• No Information?
• Chaotic?

6. Are you in this stage?

7. Tapos na ang defense!

8. How do we understand the research
context?
• What has changed in the research process?
• What has not changed in the research
process?
• Research imperative?

9. What has changed in the
research process?

10. Change 1: Digital technology as an
indispensable tool in the research
process
• Diverse tools
• Varied resources

11. Change 2: Information sources and formats
for research have substantially changed.
• Print?
• Transition to digital
content

12. Change 3: The research tools
are changing.
• Changing research
vocabulary
• URL
• Search Engines
• World Wide Web

13. Change 3:The modes of
disseminating research…
• Within the institution
• With other institutions

14. What has not changed in the
research process?

15. What research is…
• Research is a journey…
• It requires planning…
• What is your purpose in doing
research?
• A thesis that replicates other works?
• In compliance with degree requirement?
• A work that will “contribute” to the
field?

16. Research constants…
• Research is
cyclical.
• Research is
resource- and
time-intensive.
• Research is
cumulative.

17. Some research “pre-requisites”
• Researchers learn other topics and how
other researchers think.
• Researchers learn from different time
periods and how theories have changed
over time.
• Researchers critically evaluate sources
and know discipline-related resources.
• Researchers are expected to use the
literature as a basis for creating new
knowledge and for making unique
discoveries.

18. The research imperative
• Quality outputs
• Ethically grounded
• Premium on academic integrity
• Standards, protocols , conventions
• Reminder: There are no shortcuts for
research

19. November – 2011 – Cofrin Library News - Cofrin Library ...blog.uwgb.edu - 300 167

20. What can be done to address this
requirement?

21. A suggestion…
• Responsive and responsible use of digital
resources for research
• In the digital age, researchers will have three
major responsibilities:
• Choosing appropriate resources for research
• Evaluating the resources properly
• Citing the sources
• What are the strategies?

22. Strategy 1
Choosing the appropriate resources for
research
• Books and monographs
• Reference sources
• Journal articles
• Theses
• Databases

23. Can I use Wikipedia for research?

24. Some tips…
• Wikipedia is a free online resource that can be
created, deleted, added or modified.
• Concerns about reliability and credibility
• Wikipedia will be useful on three counts:
• Background information
• Latest terminologies
• Bibliographies
• But may not be the best source for research
• http://www.library.illinois.edu/ugl/howdoi/use_wikiped
ia.html

25. Strategy 2
Reading for results…
• How does this article/item contribute to my
overall project?
• What are its flaws, weaknesses, gaps?
• What are its strengths, values, and contributions
to the field?
• What evidence did the author use?
• What are the main themes?
• What are the connections between the themes?
• How do your sources connect to each other?
Where do they overlap or contradict each other?

26. Strategy 3
Evaluating your sources
• Relevance to your topic
• Intended audience
• Currency of the information
• Coverage of the topic that the information provides
• Accuracy of the information
• Authority of the author or information source
• Level of objectivity of the author

27. Strategy 4
Cite the sources properly
• Being ethical means citing your sources
properly
• Paraphrasing
• Direct quotes
• Citation guides

28. Why cite?
• Avoids plagiarism and places one
research within ethical boundaries.
• Provides evidence for your arguments.
• Adds credibility to your work.
• Connects you to people working in a
research area.

29. Principles of referencing and citation
• The principle of intellectual property
• The principle of access
• The principle of economy
• The principle of standardization
• The principle of transparency

30. Neville reminds:
• The ‘Golden Rule’ of referencing is to give
the reader enough information to help them
easily and quickly find the source you have
cited. If they wanted to look at your source
and check it for themselves, could they find
it easily with the information you have

31. Paraphrasing

32. Direct quotes

33. There is no need to cite
• What is common knowledge?
• It is not necessary to provide a reference when you
write about something that is common knowledge.
• Common knowledge is a fact which is generally
well known in your field of study or the wider
world.
• Opinions can sometimes differ on whether a piece
of information is common knowledge and so if in
doubt you should always provide a reference.

34. American Psychological Association

35. Modern Language Association

37. Recommendations
• Research handbook
• Code of Academic Integrity
• Citation Guide for each department
• Turnitin an electronic detection software

38. Continuing conversation!
• Seminar on writing
• Other suggestions
• marinadab2002@yahoo.com
• Facebook

39. A way forward!
• An information literate, responsive and
responsible CSSH studentry!

40. A continuing reminder from
Charles Darwin:
• “It is not the strongest of the species
that survive, nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to
change”.

41. Sources cited:
• APA Style Guide http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-
1.amazonaws.com/docs/1956/843574/APA_Style_Guide_082113mo.pdf
• MLA Style Guide http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-
1.amazonaws.com/docs/1956/843575/MLA_Style_Guide_082113mo.pdf
• Neville, Colin. The complete guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism
Open University Press 2007
• Examples of using direct quotes, paraphrasing and summarizing
www.laspositascollege.edu/.../LPCplagiarism_example
• Sample Turabian style and formatting
• Your guide to Harvard Style Referencing
• Presented during the Seminar on Research Ethics, CSSH
Office of Research Services March 4, 2014