Transcript Criteria for Evaluating an Informational Resource in Print and Electronic Formats (ppt)

Review of Concepts
• What is a keyword?
• How are keywords different from subjects?
• Name the three Boolean Operators. How do
they work?
• The Boolean Operator ‘OR’ connects what type
of keywords?
• How do keyword phrases work?
• What are the two functions of wildcards?
• Name the three most useful database limiters.
UP THE RESEARCH LADDER…
Search for Articles (Database)
Search for Books (Catalog)
Develop a Search Strategy
Brainstorm for Keywords
Select Research Topic
Periodicals List
• Does the library have accessibility to this
article?
• YES or NO?
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
SCHOLARLY AND POPULAR
PERIODICALS
POPULAR MAGAZINES
SCHOLARLY JOURNALS
COME IN MANY FORMATS, BUT
USUALLY SOMEWHAT SLICK AND
ATTRACTIVE IN APPEARANCE
RARELY CITE SOURCES. INFO. IS
USUALLY REPORTED FROM
SOURCE, SUMMARIZED
ARTICLES SHORT, WRITTEN IN
SIMPLE LANGUAGE AND FOR A
MINIMAL EDUCATION LEVEL
USUALLY LOT OF ADVERTISING AND
PICTURES
PAGINATION RESTARTS IN EVERY
ISSUE
HAVE A SOBER, SERIOUS LOOK
ALWAYS CITE THEIR SOURCES IN
FOOTNOTES/BIBLIOGRAPHIES
ARTICLES WRITTEN BY A SCHOLAR
OR RESEARCHER “HORSE’S
MOUTH”
PEER-REVIEWED BY SCHOLARS
LANGUAGE OF JOURNAL ASSUMES
SOME SCHOLARLY BACKGROUND
ON THE PART OF READER
ADVERTISING IS SPECIFIC TO THAT
DISCIPLINE
PAGINATION IS CUMULATIVE
Keyword vs. Subject
• Flexible
• Less accurate
• Affected by
punctuation
• Works with truncation
and Boolean
Operators
• Rigid
• Very precise
• Not affected by
punctuation
• Doesn’t work with
truncation and
Boolean Operators
Keyword Phrase
• (to be or not to be)
– to be or not to be
– (find nothing)
• “weapons of mass destruction”
– weapons and mass and destruction
– (find info on WMDs and a bunch of junk like
hand guns, knives, scientific measurement,
physics, natural disaster, house fire, etc.)
AND vs. OR
• Narrows
• Works with any
keyword or keyword
phrase
• Expands
• Works especially well
with related terms and
synonyms
NOT
• Excludes
• Can work for you and against you!