27. Google vs Library Search
• Easy to use
• Information bubble
• Search results sponsored
• Any source
• Pay for access
• Easy to use
• Finds information
• Search results by relevance
• Quality sources
• Free access
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennuiislife/3450743002/
You have all already got full library access and your library card number is on the back of your ID pass
Make sure when you access the library you go through My Uni Hub then go to My Study then My Library
Always do this so you get full access to all the online resources for free.
You can access library search and your library account from here too
In this workshop we will look at the range of information resources you will be expected to understand and use for your assignments
The range of resources we provide in the library
Develop an effective search strategy by Identifying keywords, widening and narrowing your search
How to find and access books, journals and information for your projects using Library Search, and other resources
Evaluating the information for quality and relevance
Information leads to Knowledge leads to Empowerment
Information is incredibly important. You use it and acquire it all the time without thinking about it. Many of you will have come to university from school or college and you will have been used to being given your information. At university you will have to find your own information and make decisions about what to use and how to use it. This is why we run these sessions to give you the confidence to search for information, decide what to use ie evaluate it and use it correctly in your work.
Using library resources can enhance project marks.
Marking criteria are designed to help students know what is expected of them.
By showing good information search skills, referencing and some critical evaluation you can easily pick up useful marks for your piece of work
This slide is taken from the PSY1020 Module Handbook 2020
It is the essay assessment criteria
The criteria describe a typical essay in each class of marks awarded on the 20-point scale: 1-4 being first class 17-20 a fail. The chart goes from left to right so the highest marks will be awarded to people who have achieved the boxes on the left
Today we are going to look at some key basic library resources
Card Game
We’re going to start off by:
Exploring the range of resources available.
Consider the value of different information sources.
Think about which sources are going to help you find the information that you need.
Its important to use a wide range of relevant resources in your work.
This gives a balance and diversity to your work.
Hand out exercise Thinking about resources. Card game
Groups
10 mins
Feedback (see next slides)
5 Yellow cards = different resources
5 Green cards = What are they match the definition to the resource
5 Pink cards = Not so good for….
5 Purple cards = Good for…
Good for:
broad/general overview of a subject and background information
Edited for quality and accuracy
Not so good for:
May not be specific enough
Can be out of date, check the edition and publication date
Good for:
Up-to-date
Specialist/focussed
Present latest research
Edited for accuracy/quality (peer reviewed)
Lots of references
Not so good for:
Can be hard to locate/access
Expensive
May be too specific
May be at wrong level
Good for:
Latest information
Current events
Concise info
Product news
Often available online with RSS/Twitter etc
Not so good for:
Detail
Objective information ie. can be bias, adverts, preferential products etc
Often hard to find old issues
Back issues/archive
Good for:
Up-to-date
Edited
Readily available (latest copies especially)
Not so good for:
Can be bias
Can be unbalanced
Can be sensationalist
Hard to get hold of/access (back issues)
Broadsheet v tabloid – have they heard these terms
There are loads of different types of information available on the internet, anything from social media and crowd sourced resources such as Wikipedia to organisational or academic sources.
You need to be really critical of information that you find on the Internet and consider the provenance of the information i.e. who created it, when and why?
Good for:
Easy to use/search
All subjects covered
Can be very up-to-date
Mobile
Not so good for:
No editorial control
Unreliable sources
Can be created by anyone
Material can lack provenance
Can be out-of-date
Not everyone has access
Don’t forget to have a look at the list of references that appear at the end of book chapters, journal articles or other sources of information that you find.
These can provide valuable sources of further information as they will be related to the subject that you are searching.
Keywords are words or phrases that describe content you are searching for
Can do in groups writing down keywords and after 5-10 mins sharing back to the group OR from the front of the class with flip chart and volunteer to write the keywords as they are called out by the class and discussed
What can you see in the picture…fruit
If type ‘fruit’ into database will get millions of hits, how can you break it down ie. search for something more specific to get more manageable results
Can you be more specific ie.
Type of fruit: apples, oranges, bananas etc
Location: Stall, market, outdoor market, fruit market, Britain
Detail: boxes, signs, astroturf, prices, colour of fruit, lights, pound £ signs, special offer etc
People in background: old, young, male, female > stall holder, customers, browsers etc
Think of related subjects eg.
retail, commercial, financial, point-of-sale
Shopping, shops, fish/meat/clothes market, shopping centres, high street
Town, city, centre, British town
Nutrition: vitamins and minerals
Also: Words with more than one meaning
Orange or Blackberry: fruit NOT telephone
Apple: fruit NOT computer
Thinking beyond the obvious, looking for the detail that might make a difference.
Google
Do you agree with Grumpy Cat? Why?
Accessing resources
Click on MyStudy.
You can access library resources from MyLibrary box……detail on next page.
Sign in using your university email address
Mention refining options – resource type, date, author, subject
Pin, “”, Refworks?
Have a go looking for items on library search
Example of APA reference from Library Search
Say how good APA is – 1 version, have a blog and will even email replies to really difficult referencing questions!
If all the copies of a book are on loan click on request to make a reservation
Help available in the library guide on using Library search.
Lots of presentations on all aspects of finding information
Google
Familiar and easy to use but can find too much information of varying quality
Search results can be manipulated….information bubble…..search engines like Google start to learn what you are not interested in, so stop showing you some search results
Search results sponsored…no accident that Wikipedia, Amazon etc at top of search results
Searches for info from any source
Pay for academic information
Library Search
Easy to use and will finds lots of academic info
Designed to find you information: up-to-date, focussed/specific
Search results by relevance
Searches quality resources eg. Peer reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings , research etc
Free access to full text ie. Information not freely available elsewhere
What is Google Scholar?
Google Scholar is an online, freely accessible search engine that lets users look for both physical and digital copies of articles.
Find journal articles, dissertations, books, and more, from academic publishers, professional societies, universities and other web sites.
Search across many subject areas
Features of Google Scholar
Search all scholarly literature from one convenient place
Explore related works, citations, authors, and publications
Locate the complete document through your library or on the web
Keep up with recent developments in any area of research
Check who's citing your publications, create a public author profile
Locate the full-text document through your library or on the web: Change settings etc to link to MDX resources. You only need to do this once on your own laptop/device, but need to be logged on to MyUniHub.
Keep up with recent developments in any area of research, save items in a personal library
The difference between Google and Google Scholar is that Google Scholar focuses on the scholarly literature available on the Internet. ... Google, on the other hand, has a broader scope, and retrieves resources regardless of where online they come from.
Suggest the students try out Library Search or Google Scholar – 5-10 mins ??
Find your reading lists here
Type in your Module Code
You can also find it in MyStudy – MyLearning in UniHub
All your modules will have a reading list
For each module you study you will receive a personal e-textbook or Kortext
These Personal eTextbooks (Kortext) can be accessed from the module area in myUniHub
You will also be emailed with your account details for the Kortext App which you can download on up to 5 devices
Check they have all accessed their Kortexts
Each subject at Middlesex has a library guide written by the subject librarian for that topic
Lots on information on resources, studying, referencing etc
There are library guides for all subjects and some general ones. You can look at any of them for information
Also found via My Library
This is the psychology library guide
What do you think about this quote by Abraham Lincoln?
Is there anything wrong with it?
Now you have found some information you need to decide what you should use in your assignment
Now you need to reference what you have used in your assignment
Demonstrate that you have read widely on the subject and considered and evaluated the writings of others
Show your tutor the evidence of your research and thereby appreciate your contribution to the topic
Establish the credibility and authority of your ideas and arguments
Enable the reader to locate the original material you used
Give credit to the original author/creator
Enable the reader to form their own views on the value of your sources and how you have interpreted them
Distinguish between your own ideas and opinions and those of others
Highlight and back-up relevant points by quoting, paraphrasing or summarising from the original text
Achieve a better mark or grade
Avoid plagiarism.
Citations are in text references to other pieces of information you have used
They are then listed at the end of the piece of work in the Reference List
A "citation" is the way you tell your tutor that certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your tutor the information necessary to find that source again, including: information about the author. the title of the work.
Quoting:
Use when the original wording conveys the idea perfectly
Use author’s exact words
Put “quotation marks” around the author’s words
Refer to the author in text and include book/journal in reference list
Paraphrasing:
Present the author’s ideas in your own words
Still need to refer to the author….the words are yours, but the idea is theirs
Reference
Put a full reference in the alphabetical reference list at the end of your piece of work
It's very important to reference your work correctly.
Cite Them Right will help you to reference just about any source using the APA referencing style.
There are different referencing styles but you will be asked to use the APA – American Psychological Association style
Don’t forget you can get references from library search too
Essay mills, essay writing services aka contract cheating are unethical business
Not illegal under UK law but against university regulations (see later)
Normally they claim only to be providing examples and in small print say must not be handed in as own work, but offer 1st class work at a higher price and will write entire dissertations, so hardly examples.
Often high charges but no way to tell if the work is actually any good unless submitted. Claim it will pass Turnitin as original, but how do you know what you have paid for? (just as if you buy a fake pair of trainers which fall apart in a week)
Normally have a small print get out clause saying money back if not satisfied but not applicable if the essay is submitted as course work.
Hard sell techniques via internet, social media, email, flyers handed out in the street or left in rooms (even the library)
This causes distress to honest students but also plays on fears of students who may be finding university challenging. The University has rules on cheating to protect you from these companies.
Middlesex University has strict rules which ban the use of purchased essays
There are risks associated with buying coursework such as essays, dissertations and projects from essay writing services such as the one on the screen.
It’s cheating and against University Rules and there are serious consequences:
We will stop students using it to get an unfair advantage
You may waste your money paying for poor quality work which gets you worse results
You may find yourself open to blackmail by the essay writing company: They know you have paid for their services and may then ask for more money or threaten to tell the University what you have done.
You could be suspended or lose your place at University because of your academic misconduct. This is very serious and…….
……..could mean your degree is cancelled later in life
……..could have a negative impact on your future career prospects, as your employer might then fire you.
Report it: If you are approached by a company or person who wants to sell you coursework or essays; or you find flyers on campus regards these services, then report it to your module leader.
Stop and think: If you are tempted to buy coursework or essays, then stop and think carefully about the consequences of doing so. You will be found out and you could damage your future prospects as a result.
Get help: If you are tempted to buy coursework because you are struggling with your academic work or there are other problems in your personal life, then get help:
Academic Writing drop-in 12:00-15:00 Monday to Friday in StudyHub
Ask a Librarian 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday in StudyHub
You can also make a 1-1 appointment with our librarians and academic writing experts.
Ask at UniHelp regards help and support available for issues regarding progression, finance, housing etc
You can drop-in to see a counsellor at Sunny Hill House/Farmside if you are struggling emotionally.
Speak to your personal tutor if you are having problems with your programme.
More information about the range of resources available on the Library Subject Guide plus lots of useful online guides eg. how to search for information for your project.
