IAT 309W Library Research Workshop Shane Plante SIAT Librarian

The plan Finding your topic Researching your topic Evaluating your sources with the 3 Rs Citing your sources Getting help Questions (at any time)

finding your topic

your research topic a clear position on the issue a current issue or problem that is meaningful to you as an artist/designer/cultural critic finding a topic These two elements are the foundation of your research topic

writing a research question 1.Are bananas the perfect fruit? Not a possible IAT 309W topic. Why? a.It lacks an issue or a problem. b.Not argument-worthy. Who cares? 2.Should grocery stores in BC only be permitted to sell BC-grown fruits and vegetables? A possible IAT 309W topic. Why? a.It has an issue or a problem. (e.g., sustainability) b.Argument-worthy. It’s a question worth asking.

general topic  specific topic background sources examples: encyclopedias handbooks books finding a topic

Sample encyclopedia entry: And a sample book:

something tangible  research topic kernel Should motion gaming be incorporated into Physical Education programs in Canadian schools? finding a topic

news sources  research topic finding a topic Should employees be allowed to outsource their own jobs? Quan, K. (2013, January 17). Developer outsources job to China so he can watch cat videos. Time. Retrieved from

keep your eyes open  research topic finding a topic Should universities in BC begin providing students with stand-up/sit-down desks? Photo taken of improvised stand-up desk in Fraser Library. Not advised!

finding a topic try to be Goldilocksian - not too narrow - not too general

Tip: In general, you can only cover one idea per paragraph. This can help to determine if your topic is too broad. finding a topic

A.Should unhealthy foods be required to carry a warning label? B.Should sodas 16 oz. or more be required to carry a warning label in Canada? C.Should stores be banned from selling large sodas? D.Should 7-Elevens in Surrey be required to include a warning label on their Big Gulps? Do you think these topics are too broad, too narrow, or just right for an 8 page research paper?

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researching your topic

before researching your topic Spend some time brainstorming the following: - What information would you like to find? - What are some good words for searching? (+ gather new words as you go) - What are some good places to search?

researching your topic Sample topic: Should sodas 16 oz. or more be required to carry a warning label in Canada? Who would be likely to collect and publish information on this topic? What could you do if you can’t find the exact articles and information you want on your topic? This will often be the case for more original topics. But: risk + reward

researching your topic Tips on finding good places to search great starting place: IAT 309W research guide

IAT 309W research guide

anatomy of a database Search boxes Sort results Results “Add to folder” button allows you to articles and APA citations to yourself “Where can I get this?” link finds full-text for articles not included in the database Here, you can limit to scholarly journals; refine your results by date, subject heading, geography, etc.

researching your topic Finding scholarly sources where to search how to identify them

evaluating your sources (with the 3Rs)

Identifying scholarly sources Scholarly journalsBeason’s article “Ethos and Error” Bibliography/References 19 citations in “Works Cited” list Methodology Includes “Procedures” and “Subjects” sections Author info “Associate Professor of English at the University of Southern Alabama” Length 32 pages long Language Understandable, but you need to concentrate “Using the questionnaire, subjects first indicated the extent to which they were bothered by each error, thereby gauging the error gravity of twenty pre-selected errors” (p. 38).

Evaluating information sources (scholarly and non-scholarly) Scholarly journalsAny information Bibliography/ReferencesDocumentation MethodologyDocumentation Author info Authority Length Completeness Language Purpose

The Three Rs: Evaluating your sources Recency – Are you including the most recent research about your topic? – Would an historical perspective be useful? Relevance – How closely does it relate to your topic? E.g., If you’ve found information that differs in culture/size/etc from your topic, is it still relevant? Reliability – Who is the author What is the author’s expertise? – What is the purpose of the document? – Type of source? (scholarly, popular, government, etc.)

evaluating your sources

citing your sources

What information don’t you need to cite? What information do you need to cite?

Image credits Leaf by Peter Silk Tree by Alberto Guerra Quintanilla Lungs by chris dawson Brain Machine Interface by HYPERMORGEN Airplane by Dmitry Baranovskiy Binoculars by Luis Prado Banana by James Keuning Pear by James Keuning Tornado by Adam Whitcroft Hand by Dmitry Baranovskiy Bear is in the public domain Map by Alessandro Suraci Resize by David Swanson Soda by Christopher Anderson Cigarettes by Julia Soderberg Poison by Robert Leonardo Worker by Juan Pablo Bravo Pencil by Monika Ciapala Gymnast by James Keuning Scalpel by Danny Sturgess Finger Print by Diego Naive Add Time by Arthur Shlain Target by James Keuning Okay by Stephanie Wauters Warning by Stefan Parnarov Network by Mister Pixel Signpost by Juan Pablo Bravo User Help by Murali Krishna Idea Exchange by Luis Prado All icons used were published with CC-BY licenses or are in the public domain. They all come from The Noun Project: thenounproject.comthenounproject.com In order of appearance:

citing your sources

getting help

How can the library help? 1)Helping you to find background sources? Yes! 2)Helping you to find articles? Yes! 3)Helping you to evaluate sources? Yes! 4)Helping you to find APA style examples? Yes! 5)Helping you with structuring, paraphrasing, and becoming a better writer? Yes!* *see the Student Learning Commons

research consultations I’m happy to meet with you in a one-to-one appointment or you can visit one of our reference desks (Surrey, Burnaby, Vancouver) If you want to meet with me, please: - Arrive prepared: - bring topic(s) - bring questions - Plan ahead: - please contact me (at least) a few days before you’d like to meet - there are 40 of you + only 1 of me

ask a librarian Or contact me directly: Shane Plante SIAT Librarian