Finding Resources Lucy Fleming Learning Resources Adviser l3fleming@ccn.ac.uk 01603 773048

Library resources Books are good for in-depth exploration of theories, have good authority, but date quickly. Academic journal are good for research reports, are published regularly, have abstracts for a quick overview and are peer reviewed. Professional journals are shorter and more journalistic, research findings reviewed by practitioners, use to track emerging issues and debates. The library has a large range of resources that are available to consult and borrow. Books are easy to look up on the catalogue, locate on the shelves and then read. Books have been through a process of being checked by the author, by an editor, the publisher has chosen to publish it so they must value it and then the librarian has decided to buy it. You can tell who has written it and who has published it and these are good ways to gauge it’s authority. Magazines or journals are published regularly so are much more up to the minute than books. Some journals are peer reviewed which mean not only that the author and the publisher decided that they were worthy of publishing but the articles have been read and approved by people who also work in the field. They can recommend that amendments are made before publishing or recommend that it is not published if they think that the research or arguments are flawed. Journals can be harder to search but you can use the indexes or online databases to locate the articles you need. The library also has a range of multimedia sources such as DVDs, videos, CD-ROMs and CDs that are available to consult and to borrow.

Research - Internet databases The LRC subscribes to many Internet databases These are collections of journals and magazines that are searchable online These resources will not turn up on Google because they are not free Advantages: Current and up-to-date Accessible from home Quick and easy to search Print or e-mail information Used in business and H.E. Articles are quicker to read than books The LRC subscribes to a number of Internet databases which allow you access to a wealth of academic material.

Accessing Internet databases Blackboard > Learning Zone > Online databases and e-journals From home: www.athens.ac.uk or via off-site access to Blackboard You will need an Athens account (which has to be registered at College) These are available via the Learning Zone on Backboard. A large proportion are available out of college too using an Athens account. Athens is a login and password system that is used by a number of different databases that allows you access to resources that CCN has subscribed to. Not all sites that ask for an Athens password have been subscribed to by CCN. The listing in the online database pages shows which resources you will have access to with your Athens account and logging on to MyAthens which also provides a list or resources that you can access. On the learning zone pages on Blackboard there are lists of full-text databases and indexes. Full-text databases will give you access to the complete article from the database. Indexes will give you a reference that you can then look for either in hard copy in the library or you will be able to obtain it via ILL. ILL is a service which for a small fee of 50p will provide you with a photocopy of an article which has to be obtained by another library. Full text databases give you the complete article Indexing databases give you the reference and an abstract

Electronic resources Journal of Further and Higher Education ERIC E-journal Access to the archive from 1997 to date Access on and off campus using Athens Browse or search ERIC Database Includes many journals but only some full-text Conference papers and grey literature US emphasis but some UK Order items via Inter-Library Loan (ILL)

The Internet Try using Google Scholar Use advanced searching tools such as “phrasing” Use portals http://bubl.ac.uk http://www.intute.ac.uk/ The Internet is quick and immediate and gives access to a large range of resources.. However, anyone can put information on the Internet – so you do need to be careful about the sources that you choose to use. Websites do not go through a formal process of publishing so it is important that you look carefully to find out where the information has come from and whether it is reliable. Google and other search engines are useful and quick but they don’t search the whole of the Internet. There are a lot of resources on the Internet that you need to subscribe to, to be able to search them. The LRC subscribes to a number of databases and resources for the use of the Students at CCN. These allow access to online journals and some of the more academic websites. Links to these resources can be found via the Learning Zone on Blackboard and are listed under Online Journals and Databases. Some of these resources can be access from home via the Internet so long as you have the correct passwords.

Evaluating web pages Anyone can put information onto the Internet, avoid being caught out by looking at the following: W http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/ - tutorials on using the internet and they are subject specific so you can choose one that suits you and your topic ho? So to be sure that we are getting good information from the Internet we need t be able to evaluate the web pages we come across. Anyone can publish information on the Internet so we need look at the following WWW Who? – Is the author named? Is it an organisation? Are there contact details or ‘about us’ section? Look at the URL Where? – What country is the information coming from? Where is it held? Does this affect the objectivity of the information? When? – When was the information originally produced? Has it been revised or updated? Look for dates of publication or revision. Academic value / primary or secondary source? Accuracy / info complete, grammar correct, spelling, … Authority / source an expert Objectivity / bias Currency / up to date The following web address takes you to a really good site that allows you to complete a tutorial on using the Internet and takes you through the steps you need to take to assess web pages. It is also subject specific so that you can choose one that suits you and what you are studying. here? hen?

Education organisations – Government, standards and funding Department for Children, Schools & Families Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills HE Funding Council for England National Curriculum OFSTED Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Quality Assurance Agency for HE For further recommendations check ‘Top sites for my course’

Education organisations – research & NGOs NFER (National Foundation for Education Research) BERA (British Educational Research Association) NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) BECTA Learning and Skills Network TES (Times Education Supplement) Something to remember is that you need to reference the material that you use in any piece of work. This is good practice and a good habit to get into. All information that you use needs to be referenced – even websites Referencing shows your teacher not only that you have done your research but also that you understand that you must credit your sources. When referencing sources that you have found online be a journal article or a website it is important to include the URL and the date that you accessed the information.

What now? Log on and access Blackboard and e-resources Check out education organisations Try advanced Internet searching For those that need it create an Athens account