Transcript about Information Literacy. - Baptist Missionary Association

Information Literacy
The Key to Cutting Edge
Research and Writing
What is Information Literacy?
“Information Literacy is the set of skills needed
to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information.”
– Association of College & Research Libraries
(ACRL).
Information Literacy is:
• Knowing how to decide what information you
are looking for.
• Knowing how to locate information sources.
• Knowing how to retrieve information.
• Knowing how to think critically about
information.
• Knowing how to use information.
What is Research?
“The systematic investigation into and study of
materials and sources in order to establish facts
and reach new conclusions” – Oxford
Dictionaries Online.
Do you have a Research System?
One popular system for research is to enter the
library with the intended purpose of spending as
little time there as possible, grabbing enough
citations to throw a paper together shortly
before it is due.
Research is not a frantic search for
Citations to use in a Bibliography!
Research is a systematic
search for information in
order to grow in knowledge.
Theological Information Literacy
At BMATs we want to help you become
information literate, but we especially want you
to have a high level of theological information
literacy so that you can enjoy a lifetime of
theological learning and discovery.
The Practical Benefits
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Papers that Write themselves
Higher grades
Confidence
Critical thinking skills
Knowledge that lasts
Excellence in ministry
Three Lessons
• Identifying Your Information Need
• Finding Information
• Retrieving Information
Identifying your Information Need
Skills:
• Selecting a topic for research
• Defining an assigned topic
• Investigating a topic
• Narrowing/Broadening a topic
• Developing a Research Question
What do you need to know?
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An expository sermon series on 1 Peter
How to counsel people in the midst of a crisis
A topic for a Research Paper
Up-to-the minute weather information
The meaning of the root “MSH” in Old South
Arabic
What is your Information Need?
• Your information need is what you need to
know in order to accomplish what you intend
to do.
• You can discover your information need for a
research paper by analyzing your assignment,
conferring with your professor, or by asking
your colleagues.
Selecting a Topic
• Analyze your assignment
– Limits: Time period? Books of the Bible? Subject
area?
– Product: What kind of paper? Presentation? How
many pages? What elements are specified?
• Consider your experience
– Personal Interest: Pick a topic that interests you,
not the one that appears to be easy.
– Academic history: It is unwise to submit papers for
topics you have already researched.
Defining an Assigned Topic
If your Professor gives you a topic, you still need
to define it.
• Analyze the assignment as before.
• Talk to your professor about the extent of the
topic.
• Consider the goals and learning outcomes of
your class.
• Investigate the topic
Investigating your Topic
• Preliminary searches for information about your topic
– Text book
– General Reference Resources –Dictionaries, encyclopedias.
– Brief Online Search: A search for words and general
information about your topic. The best use for Wikipedia
• Gaining a clearer understanding of what your Topic
entails
• Narrowing/Broadening a Topic
• Building a Vocabulary of Search terms
Evaluate these topics
Assignment:
“The student is required to
write a 10-12 page research
paper on a topic of his or
her choice. The student’s
choice is limited to the
intertestamental period,
background information on
Jewish society in the first
century, the four Gospels,
and Acts….”
• The Messiah
– Too Broad! You could study
this topic in Old Testament
too!
– “Jesus’ fulfillment of
Messianic Prophecies
according to the Gospel of
Matthew.”
• Syrophoenecian women of
the Gospels
– Too Narrow! I only know of
one.
– “Jesus’ treatment of Gentiles
in the Gospels.”
How to:
Narrow your topic
• Ask questions regarding
what you would like to
know about a topic.
• Specify the context:
– In a specific book.
– During a specific time period.
– To/for/by a specific person or
group.
– Specify an event.
Broaden your topic
• Replace specifics with more
general words.
– SyroPhoenician  Gentiles
– Haggai  Minor Prophets
• Trade specific issues for
their larger context.
– Decisional regeneration
Revivalism
• Avoid unnecessary jargon
– “Once-saved-always-saved”
Develop a Research Question
Topic
• The Divinity of Christ in
the Gospel of John
• Jesus’ treatment of
Gentiles in the Gospels
• How does the Gospel of
John present Jesus
Christ as Divine?
• How does Jesus relate
to Gentiles throughout
the Gospels?
The Short answer to your Research Question will
serve as your Thesis statement!
Finding Information
Skills:
• Understanding the difference between
popular and scholarly information.
• Understanding the difference between
primary, secondary, and tertiary sources
• Understanding where to find scholarly
theological information
• Building a Searchable Vocabulary
Popular Vs. Scholarly
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Most Magazines
Most Internet Sites
Newspapers
Christian Living Books
– Max Lucado
• Books with a
credentialed Author
– Look for References
• Reference Works
• Websites from
reputable colleges and
Universities
• Peer-Reviewed
Scholarly Journals (Print
and Electronic)
Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
• Primary Sources are original sources of information, or information
sources that one is studying directly.
– Letters, Speeches, memoirs, ancient writings, manuscripts, raw film
footage, interviews, The Bible, etc.
• Secondary Sources are sources which interpret and cite primary
sources.
– A commentary on the book of Judges, a Systematic Theology text, A
history of the Middle Ages.
• Tertiary Sources are sources that gather and annotate secondary
sources.
– John Glyn’s Commentary and Reference Survey, Periodical Index,
Electronic Database.
Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Sources
Continued
• A source can be primary or secondary, depending
on the topic one is researching.
– Charles Spurgeon’s Commentary on Matthew could be
a secondary source to the Gospel of Matthew, but a
primary source in a study of Charles Spurgeon.
– Benny Hinn’s books are primary sources if one is
studying his theology.
• A secondary source might serve as a tertiary
source if it includes a substantial bibliography for
further study of a subject.
Why is this Important?
Bibliography or
Database
Commentary or
Journal Article
RESEARCH SYSTEM
Primary Source: The
Focus of your Research
Where can you Find Scholarly
Theological Information?
• Your Seminary Library
• Other Seminary Libraries via Inter-library Loan
• Online Databases
– ATLA Religion Database via EBSCO
– RIM: Research in Ministry
• Theological information tends to favor
monographs over periodical literature,
meaning that you will use more books, but
don’t neglect journal articles!
Retrieving Information
Skills:
• Understanding Information Retrieval
• Building a Searchable Vocabulary
• Using a Controlled Vocabulary
Information Retrieval Systems
• Index
• Google
• Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) – The
Library Catalogue.
• Online Database such as EBSCO
Build a Searchable Vocabulary!
Topic
The Divinity of Christ in
the Gospel of John
• Use what you have
learned from your
investigation of the
topic to build your
searchable vocabulary.
• Break your topic into
facets.
– Divinity
– Christ
– Gospel of John
Build a Searchable Vocabulary!
FACET 1: Jesus
Christ
Keywords
Related terms
FACET 2:
Divinity
FACET 3: Gospel
of John
Build a Searchable Vocabulary!
FACET 1: Jesus
Christ
Keywords
FACET 2:
Divinity
Jesus, Christ, Jesus Divinity, divine,
Christ
God, Father,
Heavenly Father,
deity
Related terms Incarnation, Son of Hypostatic Union,
God, Lord
homoiousios,
homoousios ,
Kenosis
FACET 3: Gospel
of John
John, Gospel of
John, Johannine
Gospel, Fourth
Gospel, John 1:1,
John Chapter 1,
John 8:58
“I AM,” Egoo eimi,
The Word
What is a Controlled Vocabulary?
• Your vocabulary is a list
of words that you
selected to stand for
ideas that you are
searching for.
• Example: “Christian
History” or “Church
History”
• A controlled vocabulary
is a list of words chosen
for a database.
• Example: “Church
History” is the only
term that will work.
Subject Terms
Subject Terms
Three Lessons
• Identifying Your Information Need
• Finding Information
• Retrieving Information