Research Tips For Literature Students

Presented by Ranger College Library

Purpose

This presentation is designed to support you as you use electronic and print resources to:  Identify sources of critical essays  Cite sources for a research paper

Definitions

Research "The purpose of research is not simply to retrieve data, but to participate in a conversation about it (Brent 109).” Research is a social activity intended to create: NEW

Knowledge!

What is Plagiarism?

http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/term_paper/index.htm

Because your purpose is to create

new

knowledge while recognizing those scholars whose existing work has helped you in this pursuit, you are honor bound never to commit the following

academic sins:

 1)

Plagiarism

: Literally "kidnapping," involving the use of someone else's words as if they were your own (Gibaldi 6). To avoid plagiarism you must document direct quotations, paraphrases, and original ideas not your own.

 2)

Recycling

: Rehashing material you already know thoroughly or, without your professor's permission, submitting a paper that you have completed for another course. 

Don ’ t turn in a paper you have already done!

Is it plagiarism?

Take this short quiz to find out!

http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/

Beginning Research

Online vs. Print

Book vs Computer (from Sydney Morning Herald) adamstownsp.catholic.edu.au

Finding Critical Essays Print sources in the library Reference section • • • • CLC – Contemporary Lit. Criticism TCLC- 20 th Century Lit. Criticism Novels for Students • Look for call number PN771 (Library of Congress)

Books to borrow

Circulating Non-Fiction Where is this located? 813, 814 in Dewey Decimal System “P” Library of Congress

Finding critical essays online

 To use Texshare databases: www.rangercollege.edu/library  Search Databases On campus, You will

automatically be logged on.

Off campus, The user ID is: rcc5162 Password: tx76470

Library web page

Click here!

Online Article from Gale (Literature Resource Center)

Literature Resource Center Will be near lower right corner

Literature Resource Center

Basic search type in title of work Click “name of work,” search

Tutorials for more help

Tutorials are on the library’s web page!

Other online sources

 There are many Web pages devoted to individual authors.

 Some are unofficial fan sites and as such may not be appropriate resources for a scholarly paper, but they may contain ideas for topics and provide interesting information about your author.

Credibility of online sources



I. Authority

 Is there an author?  Is the page signed ?

 Is the author qualified? An expert ?

 If the page includes neither a signature nor indicates a sponsor, is there any other way to determine its origin ?

 Look for a header or footer showing affiliation. Look at the URL.

http://www.fbi.gov

Look at the domain. .

edu, .com, .org, .net

Authority

 Anyone can publish anything on the web.

 It is often hard to determine a web page's authorship.

 Even if a page is signed, qualifications are not usually provided.

Accuracy

 II. Accuracy  Is the information reliable and error-free ?

  Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information?

Remember…

 Unlike traditional print resources, web resources rarely have editors or fact-checkers.

 Currently, no web standards exist to ensure accuracy.

Objectivity

 III . Objectivity  Does the information show a minimum of bias ?

Is the page designed to sway opinion ?

Is there any advertising on the page ?



Rationale

 Frequently the goals of the sponsors/authors are not clearly stated.

 Often the Web serves as a virtual “soapbox.”

Currency

 Is the page dated ?

 If so, when was the last update ?

 How current are the links ?

 Have some expired or moved?

Coverage

  What topics are covered ?

What does this page offer that is not found elsewhere ?

  What is How its intrinsic value ?

in-depth is the material ?



Rationale

 Web coverage often differs from print coverage.  Frequently, it's difficult to determine the extent of coverage of a topic from a web page. The page may or may not include links to other web pages or print references.

Sometimes web information is "just for fun", a hoax, someone's personal expression that may be of interest to no one, or even outright silliness. http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html

Citation Help

 MLA Handbook (library reserve shelf & in Reference)  Online Sources: Son of Citation Machine  http://citationmachine.net/index2.php

Also ---KnightCite http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/index.

php On the library web page!

For more help…