This document provides an overview of a library instruction session on conducting online research. It includes slides and an agenda that cover evaluating online information sources using the CRAP test, developing effective search strategies using keywords and Boolean operators, and finding scholarly sources. Students are instructed to take notes on the session in an online worksheet to document their research topics, keywords, and evaluation of websites using the CRAP criteria. The librarian emphasizes skills for distinguishing reliable sources and encourages students to ask for research help.
5. Wikipedia Woes and Google Gaffs
What are the pros and
cons of so much
information being
online?
What do you do to be
sure you’re finding
credible resources?
Google Analytics (2012) Google analytics in
real life – Site search.
http://youtu.be/cbtf1oyNg-8
DuckDuckGo (2012). There are no “regular
results” on Google anymore.
http://vimeo.com/duckduckgo/bubble
New York Times (2013) If a Story Is Viral, Truth
May Be Taking a Beating
http://nyti.ms/1d7MUUB
How do you evaluate
the information you
find while
researching?
Why is it important to
support your argument
with valid sources?
6. Web “Pre-Searching”
Why
start your search online?
Find background information
Help solidify research topic
Find new terminology to use as keywords
Find links and/or citations to other sources
7. Through out the lesson:
Fill out this spreadsheet
http://bit.ly/istc2014splutherc1
Enter
your name and research topic
8. Improve Google
internet and bully
Advanced
searching
Duck
Google
Duck Go
body image and girls
Cook
Library’s
Guide to the Web
10. Keywords are critical!
Sample
topic:
Which age is childhood obesity in the
United States the highest?
First,
break the question down into
concepts:
Which age is childhood obesity in the
United States the highest?
11. More on keywords…
Expand your list to include synonyms then add to it
once you have done some background reading.
Which age is childhood obesity in the United States the
highest?
childhood
adolescent
child*
young
obesity
United States
over weight USA
obese
North America
BMI
13. Search Tip #1
Boolean “search connectors”
AND OR NOT
internet AND children
Combining >1 topic
instruct OR teach
Combining
synonymous terms
Which is better?
14. Search Tip #2
Use
truncation!
Educat*
finds
Educate
Education
Educating
Educator
Etc…
15. Search Tip #3
Phrase
Searching…
Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase
intact (words will be searched in the
specific order)
Examples:
“No
Child Left Behind”
“school reform”
16. Putting it all together…
Which age is childhood obesity in the United States
the highest?
childhood
child*
adolescent
young
obesity
over weight
BMI
United States
USA
North America
child* OR adolescent OR young
AND
obesity OR overweight OR BMI
AND
United States OR USA OR North America
17. Go back to your keywords
Insert
AND, OR, NOT
Can you truncate any of your words?
Can you use phrase searching?
18. Evaluate what you find
Go
to one of the websites below and
analyze it
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb3
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb4
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb5
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb6
http://bit.ly/cosmicweb7
20. Check for CRAP
Currency
How recent is the
information?
Can you locate a
date when the
resource was
written/created/upda
ted?
Based on your topic,
is this current
enough?
Why might the date
matter for your topic?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/helloeveryone123/393737
4193/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
21. Check for CRAP
Reliability
What kind of
information is
included in the
resource?
Does the author
provide citations &
references for
quotations & data
Where am I
accessing this
information?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnappi/5930145952/sizes/l/in/photostrea
m/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
22. Check for CRAP
Authority
Can you determine who
the author/creator is?
What are their
credentials (education,
affiliation, experience,
etc.)?
Who is the publisher or
sponsor of the work/site?
Is this publisher/sponsor
reputable
http://rantchick.com/a-doctrine-on-respect/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
23. Check for CRAP
Purpose/Point of
View
Is the content
primarily opinion?
Is the information
balanced or
biased?
What is the purpose
of the information? Is
it to inform, teach,
sell, entertain or
persuade
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/5484085301/sizes
/m/in/photostream/
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
24. Analyze your Website
Enter
your CRAP analysis on the online
worksheet
You
need 3 scholarly web resources for
your paper. Take this time to try to find at
least one website you can use!
25. Thanks for listening!
Next
class:
Watch 2 more video and prepare for
discussion
Use your keywords to find books/articles
26. Questions?
Feel free to contact me:
Laksamee Putnam
lputnam@towson.edu
410.704.3746.
Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU
Or any reference librarian:
Visit Cook Library Reference Desk
410.704.2462.
IM – tucookchat
Notas del editor
Aka it’s a good starting pointYou can read the wikipedia article… just don’t cite it