HIST 300: Source Evaluation

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HIST 300 Source Evaluation

• Tami Smith
• Langsdale Library
• 410-837-4274
• langref_at_ubalt.edu
• AIM UBLangsdale

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Review

• Why is it important to develop a focused research
  topic?
• Why do we need to use alternative keywords in our
  searches?
• How do we use ANDs and ORs correctly in a search?
• Name three differences between a journal and a
  magazine.
• If you need research help, what should you do?

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Objectives

• After last session, you should be able to
• Generate a search strategy with keywords
• Identify 1-2 subject-specific databases and
  locate 4-5 journal citations on your topic

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Objectives (cont)

• At the end of todays session, you will be able
  to
• Find journal articles and books in Langsdale,
  determine the location of articles and books in
  other nearby libraries or order the item through
  ILL
• Use a set of criteria to evaluate sources online
  or in print.
• Write a basic book and article citation in the
  Chicago/Turabian style

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Library Catalog
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Subject headings
Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945 -- Propaganda.
Propaganda -- History.
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Subject headings
Call Numbers
Library of Congress Classification System Each
series of letters assigned broad subject area
more specified topics assigned to specific series
of numbers.
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Subject headings
Call Numbers
Subclass D D1-2009 History (General) D410-(475)
20th century D461-(475) Eastern question D501-680
World War I (1914-1918) D720-728 Period between
World Wars (1919-1939) D731-838 World War II
(1939-1945) D839-860 Post-war history
(1945-) D880-888 Developing countries D890-893
Eastern Hemisphere D900-2009 Europe
(General) D901-980 Description and
travel D1050-2009 History
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Subject headings
Call Numbers
Subclass E E11-143 America E151-889 United
States E780 Internal history during World War
I E784-805 1919-1933. Harding-Coolidge-Hoover
era. "The twenties" E785-786 Harding's
administration, 1921-August 2, 1923 E791-796
Coolidge's administration, August 2, 1923-1929
E801-805 Hoover's administration, 1919-1933
E806-812 Franklin Delano Roosevelt's
administrations, 1933-April 12, 1945 E813-816
Truman's administrations, April 12, 1945-1953
E835-837.7 Eisenhower's administrations, 1953-1961
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Subject headings
Call Numbers
Subclass F F1-975 United States local
history F106 Atlantic coast. Middle Atlantic
States F116-130 New York F131-145 New
Jersey F146-160 Pennsylvania F161-175
Delaware F176-190 Maryland F191-205 District of
Columbia. Washington
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Subject headings
Call Numbers
HM1231 .C85 2003 HMRead the first part in
alphabetical orderA, B, BF, C, D, DB, DQ, H,
HA, HD, HM 1231Read the second part as a whole
number1, 2, 3, 45, 66, 100, 101, 800, 1000,
1200, 2000... .C85 The third part is a
combination of a letter and numbers. Read the
letter alphabetically. Read the number as a
decimal, e.g. .C8 .800 .C85
.850 .C857 .857
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Subject headings
Call Numbers Shelf Order
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Types of Sources

• Primary Source original accounts or records of
  historical events
• Newspaper, magazine and journal articles
• Diaries, journals, speeches, interviews, letters
• Memoirs and autobiographies
• Government records
• Photographs, documentaries, sound recordings
• Survey Research

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Types of Sources

• Secondary Source materials that are written
  later and/or provide historical analysis
• Textbooks
• Encyclopedias and dictionaries
• Biographies
• Books
• Newspaper, magazine and journal articles

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Types of Sources

• In a nutshell
• Primary Sources What happened?
• Secondary Sources How/Why did it happen?

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Evaluating Sources

• Why?
• Find the best information for your needs
• The more authoritative the source, the stronger
  your argument
• Anyone can publish anything (especially on the
  web)

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Evaluating Sources

• Find the best information for your needs
• The more authoritative the source, the stronger
  your argument
• Anyone can publish anything (especially on the
  web)

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Evaluating Sources

• The Five Ws of Evaluation
• Who are the authors and what are their
  credentials (expertise)?
• When was the information published or written?
• Where did they get the information?
• Why is this information being shared?

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Evaluating Web Sources

• Types of Web Domains
• .com Commercial/Business (promotional)
• .edu Educational (research or personal)
• .gov U.S. Government (factual)
• .mil U.S. Military (factual)
• .net Network Provider (business and personal)
• .org U.S. Non-Profit Organizations (advocacy)

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Evaluating Web Sources

• Exercise Web Evaluation
• Complete the worksheet
• Brief discussion

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Evaluating Sources

• Find out more about a source
• Reviews (newspapers, journals, magazines, etc.)
• Search Engine/Directory (Google, Yahoo
  SuperPages)
• Books

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Evaluating Sources

• http//langsdale.ubalt.edu/howto/tutorials/evaluat
  e_web/index.htm
• http//skylinecollege.net/library/evaluate.html
• http//www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Int
  ernet/Evaluate.html

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Review

• For what can you search in the library catalog?
• How can you obtain a book from another USM
  library?
• How are UBs books and journals organized?

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Review (cont.)

• What are primary sources?
• Why is it important to evaluate your sources?
• How can you find out more about a source?

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Evaluation

• http//langsdale.ubalt.edu/workshops/HIST300/evalu
  ation.htm

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Questions?

• For more information
• Tami Smith tsmith_at_ubalt.edu
• Langsdale langref_at_ubalt.edu
• Reference Desk 410-837-4274
• AIM UBLangsdale