Transcript IAT 309WLibrary Research Workshop

IAT 309W
Library Research
Workshop
Shane Plante
SIAT Librarian
[email protected]
The plan
• Finding your topic
• Researching your topic
• Evaluating your sources with
the 3 Rs
• Citing your sources
• Getting help
• Questions (at any time)
finding your
topic
finding a topic
your
research
topic
a clear position on
the issue
a current issue or problem
directly related to Technology,
Design, and/or Media
These two
elements are
the foundation
of your research
topic
writing a research question
1. Are K-pop bands getting too much attention?
Not a possible IAT 309W topic.
Why?
a. It lacks an issue or a problem.
b. Not argument-worthy. Who cares?
c. Not related to work done in SIAT.
2. Should companies be allowed to crowdsource their graphic design?
A possible IAT 309W topic.
Why?
a. It has an issue or a problem. (e.g., designers losing money)
b. Argument-worthy. It’s a question worth asking.
c. Related to work done in SIAT.
finding a topic
general topic  specific topic
background sources
examples:
• encyclopedias
• handbooks
• books
Sample encyclopedia entry:
And a sample book:
finding a topic
something tangible  research topic
kernel
http://www.flickr.com/photos/auxo/5817183192/
Should motion gaming be
incorporated into Physical
Education programs in
Canadian schools?
finding a topic
news sources  research topic
Sweeney, M. S. (2014, September 3). Man arrested for
Hui, S. (2014, August 20). Simon Fraser University
Judd, A. (2014, August 20). Petition asks city of
making counterfeit money at Surrey central bus
poised to embrace bitcoin. Georgia Straight.
Vancouver to re-erect naked Satan statue.
loop. Global BC. Retrieved from http://globalnews.ca
Retrieved from http://www.straight.com
Global BC. Retrieved from http://globalnews.ca
finding a topic
keep your eyes open  research topic
Should universities in BC begin
redesigning classrooms with the
perils of sitting in mind?
Photo taken of improvised stand-up
desk in Fraser Library. Not advised!
finding a topic
try to be Goldilocksian
- not too narrow
- not too general
finding a topic
Tip: In general, you can only cover one
idea per paragraph.
This can help to determine if your topic is
too broad.
finding a topic
Do you think these topics are too broad, too
narrow, or just right for an 8 page research paper?
A. Should unhealthy foods be required to carry a warning
label?
B. Should sodas 16 oz. or more be required to carry a
warning label in Canada?
C. Should stores be banned from selling large sodas?
D. Should 7-Elevens in Surrey be required to include a
warning label on their Big Gulps?
S
M
L
+
researching
your topic
before researching your topic
Spend some time brainstorming the following:
- What information would you like to find?
- What are some good words for searching?
(+ gather new words as you go)
- What are some good places to search?
- Who would be likely to collect and publish the
information you need?
What if you can’t find the
articles and information you
want on your exact topic?
Sample topic: Should sodas 16
oz. or more be required to carry
a warning label in Canada?
One perfect source
(2 min. video)
http://youtu.be/X2
VR5adTjeM
researching your topic
Tips on finding
• good places to search
• great starting place: IAT 309W research guide
anatomy of a database
Search boxes
Sort results
“Add to folder” button allows
you to email articles and APA
citations to yourself
Results
“Where can I get this?” link
finds full-text for articles not
included in the database
Here, you can limit to scholarly journals; refine your
results by date, subject heading, geography, etc.
evaluating your sources
(with the 3Rs)
Identifying scholarly sources
Scholarly journals
Beason’s article
“Ethos and Error”
Bibliography/References
Methodology
19 citations in “Works Cited” list
Author info
“Associate Professor of English at
the University of Southern
Alabama”
Length
Language
32 pages long
Includes “Procedures” and
“Subjects” sections
Understandable, but you need to
concentrate
“Using the questionnaire, subjects first indicated the extent to
which they were bothered by each error, thereby gauging the
error gravity of twenty pre-selected errors” (p. 38).
The 3 Rs: Evaluating your sources
Recency
– Are you including the most recent research about your topic?
– Would an historical perspective be useful?
Relevance
– How closely does it relate to your topic?
• E.g., If you’ve found information that differs in culture/size/etc from your topic,
is it still relevant?
Reliability
– Who is the author
• What is the author’s expertise?
– What is the purpose of the document?
– Type of source? (scholarly, popular, government, etc.)
citing your
sources
• What information don’t you need to cite?
• What information do you need to cite?
Image credits
All icons used were published with CC-BY licenses or are in the public
domain. They all come from The Noun Project: thenounproject.com
In order of appearance:
Tree by Alberto Guerra Quintanilla
Cigarettes by Julia Soderberg
Lungs by chris dawson
Poison by Robert Leonardo
Brain Machine Interface by HYPERMORGEN
Glasses by Cor Tiemens
Light Bulb by Olivier Guin
Gymnast by James Keuning
Curious by Stephen Borengasser
Scalpel by Danny Sturgess
Korea by Gira Park
Okay by Stephanie Wauters
Hand by Dmitry Baranovskiy
Bear is in the public domain
Map by Alessandro Suraci
Bucket by Anton Gajdosik
Soda by Christopher Anderson
Warning by Stefan Parnarov
Network by Mister Pixel
Signpost by Juan Pablo Bravo
Thinking by Timothy Dilich
getting help
How can the library help?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Helping you to find background sources?Yes!
Helping you to find articles? Yes!
Helping you to evaluate sources? Yes!
Helping you to find APA style examples? Yes!
Helping you with structuring, paraphrasing,
and becoming a better writer? Yes!*
*see the Student Learning Commons
research consultations
I’m happy to meet with you in a one-to-one appointment or you
can visit one of our reference desks (Surrey, Burnaby, Vancouver)
If you want to meet with me, please:
- Arrive prepared:
- bring topic(s)
- bring questions
- Plan ahead:
- please contact me (at least) a few days before you’d like to meet
- there are 80 of you + only 1 of me
ask a librarian
Or contact me directly:
Shane Plante ([email protected])
SIAT Librarian