how to find information on controversial topics afhe 304 september 15-19, 2003 sandy campbell and...
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How to Find Information on Controversial Topics
AFHE 304
September 15-19, 2003
Sandy Campbell and Allison Sivak
Science and Technology Library
University of Albe`rta
Outline
Introduction What’s New for 2003 Information Truths Finding Information Evaluating Information Kinds of Information Sources How Do You Find the Different Kinds of Information? Tricks for Getting the Material Systems for Keeping Your References in Order
Library’s Goal in Instruction
To ensure that U of A graduates are able to independently locate and evaluate required information.
What is Information
Information is the content transmitted during the communications process
U U U U U
U
Information
What’s New for 2003?
1) New Library Catalogue 2)
Chat (Virtual) Reference Services
3) Silent, quiet and common study floors in all libraries
What’s New for 2003?
5) E-journals – most current issues e-only by January,2004
6)Wireless networks in some areas of all libraries
What’s New for 2003?
7) Improved E-mail-only Notification featuresHeads Up notice / Overdue notice / Request arrival / Recall notice
8) Expanded Sunday and Holiday hours
Information Truths You Need to Know
Most of what you find on the Internet is junk.
If information is useful, it probably has a price attached to it.
Most useful information is organized.
Finding Information
If you can’t figure out where to find a piece of information, think about who would be motivated to have it collected/created and published.
Evaluating Information
Critical Reviews of Journal Articles http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/criticalreviews/index.cfm
Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/criticalevaluation/index.cfm
Learning to Spot the Lies
How to Lie with Maps– SCI G 108.7 M747
How to Lie with Methodology– EDUC BF 38.5 S312
How to Lie with Statistics– SCI HA 29 H88
Kinds of Publications
Academic Publications Government Publications Newspapers/Magazines Corporate Publications Association Publications
Strengths of Academic Publication
Peer Review– other scholars review the work before it is
published to ensure that it is of high quality– Ulrich’s International Periodical Directory
tells you if a title is peer reviewed Tenure
– permits faculty members to publish the truth as they see it without fear of political interference or monetary reprisals
Government Publications
Federal, provincial, municipal– may have a political bias
Kinds of publication– Statutes and regulations
standards
– Informational publications– Research publications
Newspapers/Magazines
Grade 6 reading level– (magazines and newspapers)
Purpose is often to entertain Content controlled by editors/advertisers Often have a well-recognized bias Letters to editor are a good source of local
opinion (often not indexed)
Corporate Publications
Public relations information
News Releases
Brochures Business information
Annual reports
Regulatory filings Technical information (research)
Association Publications
Usually highly focussed Often intelligence-rich, but money-poor Kinds of publications
– web-sites– newsletters– annual reports– action statements– books/magazines
Other Formats
Cartographic materials– William C. Wonders Map Collection
Data– Statistics Canada (CanSim)– Data from other government sources– Data from private sources
How Do You Find These Different Kinds of Information
Library Home Page Web search engines SciTech Reference SciTech Subject pages Indexes and Abstracts Corporate and Government Web-sites
Which Search Engine to Use?
Search Engine Showdown: Search Engine Features http://www.notess.com/search/features/byfeature.shtml
Search Engine Watch: Search Engine Features for Searchers
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/ataglance.html
Comparison of Search Engine User Interface Capabilities http://lisweb.curtin.edu.au/staff/gwpersonal/
compare.html
How to Choose a Search Engine or Directory: http://library.albany.edu/internet/choose.html
Reference Collection and Subject Links
Sci/Tech Reference Collection– Lots of good material only available in paper
Sci/Tech Subject Links– Where the librarians publish their favorites– Always being revised and updated
Databases (Indexes and Abstracts)
CAB Abstracts Agricola Envrionment Abstracts Web of Science (Science Citation Index) CPIQ Canadian Newsstand
CAB Abstracts
(1973 to the present) international coverage of all aspects of
agriculture, horticulture, animal production and forestry
CABI = Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International.
Agricola
(1970 to the present) U.S. agricultural and life sciences
information 3.3 million citations to journal articles,
monographs, theses, patents, and technical reports.
Environment Universe
(1975 to the present) Includes all aspects of humankind and
technology impact on the environment microfiche of most of the articles available
in SciTech Library (Envirofiche)
Web of Science(Science Citation Index)
Includes– Art & Humanities Citation Index®
1989-present)
– Science Citation Index Expanded(TM) (1989-present)
– Social Sciences Citation Index® (1989-present Paper copy 1955- current Online 1975 -current Where have important articles been cited?
CPIQ
Canadian content Some scholarly journals but mainly “trade”
magazines The most general Canadian content
magazine index
Canadian Newsstand
Various dates - (1985 to the present to
2000-present ) Fulltext access to major Canadian newspapers.
Full text is available for the articles and transcripts but graphical material (photos, illustrations, graphs, etc.) is excluded. Classified ads, advertisements, and stock market reports are also excluded.
Tricks for Getting the Material
OneCard (NEOS Libraries)– Request a book
TAL Card (The Alberta Library) E-journals E-books Government web-sites Inter-library loan
The Alberta Library
Get your free card from the Circulation Desk in Cameron
Allows you to borrow up to 5 books at a time
Gives you access to more than 200 libraries in Alberta including– NAIT– Edmonton Public
COPPUL Undergraduate Library Card
Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries
Allows undergraduates to borrow books at any of the western universities and some colleges
Electronic Journals
Linked directly from the catalogue Small percentage of the collection More than 8000 now available More coming through JSTOR
Books 24 x 7
Full text of books available on line Mainly computer support books
NetLibrary More than 1000 books on a variety of
subjects
Systems for Keeping Your References in Order
ProCite– http://www.library.ualberta.ca/subject/
healthsciences/procite/index.cfm#what EndNote
How to Cite Electronic Titles
Same basic rules apply Citation Style Guides for the Internet and
Electronic Sources (http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/citation/index.cfm#Int)
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