Some Logistics: Where is Information

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New Century College Unit One Library Research
Workshop

• Some Logistics Where is Information?
• University Libraries your gateway to
  information
• Research as Art
• What is Research?
• Why Observation
• Concept Mapping a Topic
• Finding more than keywords
• Basic Searching Principles
• The Citation Cornerstone of Research
• Computers, Databases and Search Statements

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Where Is Information? Library Relationships
AU CU DC GA GM GT GW MU
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Where Is Information? Information Cycle
Indexes/ Encyclopedias/ Almanacs
Primary Sources
Scholarly
Tertiary Sources
Refereed
Peer Reviewed
Juried
Popular/News
Secondary Sources
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Where Is Information? Reality of the Web 9
Billion Sites

• Deep Web
• Databases that are accessed using the Web simply
  as a way to connect
• Content of these databases CANNOT be accessed
  through surface Web search engines
• Content IS evaluated, organized and controlled
  for efficient access

• Surface Web
• Only 1/3 of Web sites are public
• Accessed via search engines such as Google, Alta
  Vista, etc.
• Not evaluated, organized or controlled to provide
  efficient access

D-Lib Magazine, v9, i4 April 2003
http//www.dlib.org/
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library.gmu.eduGateway to the Deep Web
FIRST PLACE TO START
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Research Defined Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary
research noun 1 careful or diligent
search 2 studious inquiry or examination
especially investigation or experimentation
aimed at the discovery and interpretation of
facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in
the light of new facts, or practical application
of such new or revised theories or laws 3 the
collecting of information about a particular
subject
OBSERVATION!!
PATTERNS RELATIONSHIPS LINKS
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Concept Mapping a Topic
What do I know about art education?
X
I need information about art education
What dont I know about art education?
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Concept Mapping a Topic
What I know
What I dont know
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Identifying Databases
Interest
Discipline
Resource
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Basic Searching Principles The Citation
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Basic Searching Principles The Citation
Google
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Basic Searching Principles
pasta and garlic
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Basic Searching Principles
pasta and garlic
and
Title Spaghetti Chef Uncle Lou Ingredients
garlic, basil, pasta, olive oil,
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How Computers SearchPhrase
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How Computers SearchTruncation
If you type the word auto, the computer searches
for that word only. It will not search for the
word automobile because mobile is at the end,
making it a completely different word to the
computer. Truncation finds the occurrences of
your root word and those with all possible word
endings. Common truncation symbols are the ?, ,
and .
This search will give you records that contain
the words auto, automobile, automobiles,
automotive, autos, etc.
You will also get records that contain these
words autobiography, automatic, and autopsy.
So, choose where you truncate carefully.
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Basic Searching PrinciplesKeyword Phrase
Truncation Boolean

• Keyword
• Words that express a picture you can create in
  your head
• May be more than one word chunky peanut butter
  global warming
• Phrase (instructions vary from database to
  database)
• Some databases need to be told when multiple
  words are one keyword
• great w depression single mother
• Truncation and Wildcards (?, , , !, others)
• Finds occurrences of all possible endings for a
  given root word
• employ? finds records with employed, employee,
  employment, etc.
• Boolean Operators / Logic Operators (and, or)
• Combines search words to determine what records
  appear in your results
• single mother? and (employ? or career?)
• Group synonyms inside parenthesis - this is
  called Nesting

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New Century College Unit One In-Class
Exercise Discovery Project Questions
Interview Question Consider your keywords
carefully Observe, Observe, OBSERVE! patterns,
relationships, links
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New Century College Unit One Library Research
Workshop
OBSERVE DISCOVER LEARN