Information Literacy for MOS ECS January 2011

Information literacy An information literate individual is able to: 1.Determine the extent of information needed 2.Access the needed information effectively and efficiently 3.Evaluate information and its sources critically 4.Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base 5.Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose 6.Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

Skills 2: Access the needed information WHERE?? Use the right finding aids HOW?? Search effectively

News, patents, research projects, maps …. Portals – special publication types Newspapers – LexisNexis Patents Research projects E-books

Statistics, citation guides, thesauri, ….. Portals – Virtual Reference Desk Statistics and facts Citation guides Government information Journal abbreviations Thesauri

Literature Catalogues and Bibliographic databases A - Z listSearch Per topicPortals New interface Catalogue Wageningen UR

How to search: some pitfalls -1 Not the right term stormwater (5,251) “storm water” (6,571) OR: 9,626(Scopus) woodfuels (48) “fuel wood” (921) Not the right operator cats AND dogs Search for:cats OR dogs Incorrect use of quotes “nature conservation” can be wise (7157 versus , Scopus) “dog behaviour” will miss too much (70 versus 1980 in Scopus) Not the right field spring (season)spring (author)

How to search: some pitfalls - 2 Not a useful concept effects, trends No use of parentheses cats OR dogs AND behaviour259 (Catalogue) (cats OR dogs) AND behaviour107 Wrong use of wildcards cat*caterpillars, catastrophe cat?1 character (Scopus)/ 0 or 1 (OVID) (cat OR cats)

How to search: some advanced search tools Thesaurus keyword system:right terms explode Proximity operators dogs W/3 aggression#1 321 (Scopus) dogs AND aggression#2821 Check results! #2 AND NOT #1

Following a thread References Cited by Related records

Peer review A standard procedure in scholarly publishing, whereby a prospective publisher submits the manuscript of an article to experts in the research field for their critical scrutiny, under conditions of anonymity, with the aim of assuring quality and reliability of findings.

Evaluating search results Determining relevance and quality

Journal articles Scientific journals Research Peer reviewed Reference lists Tables, figures Professional journals Applied, Practical Non-peer reviewed None or some references Pictures

Judging bibliographic records Is the content of this document appropriate for my research topic? Is it worth the effort of getting the full text and reading it? Criteria: type of document subject and scope – abstract information primary or secondary research audience date of publication author details

Judging bibliographic records Type of document Books Research reports Theses, dissertations Conference proceedings Government/policy documents Journal articles

Judging bibliographic records Primary research presents original research methods or findings for the first time. Examples include: A journal article or research report that presents new findings and new theories A poster presented at a conference Secondary research provides a compilation or evaluation of previously presented material. Examples include: A review article summarizing research or data A textbook

Judging bibliographic records Intended audience Is the publication aimed at scientists, professionals, policy makers, students or a general audience?

Evaluating internet resources Anyone can publish Advertising can be disguised as facts. Quality criteria: Accuracy Objectivity Authority (of author and publisher) Currency Peter Steiner, The New Yorker July 5, 1993

Publishing Publishing: why contribution to the record of science part of research process (requirement) reflection evaluation (publish or perish) Publishing: where Type of document Journal selection, impact factors Open access journals: BioMed Central, PLoS Biology

Plagiarism Definition: Taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own. (also known as) Copy and paste Plagiarism is a serious academic offence Wageningen University uses Turnitin to check student reports. Avoid unintentional plagiarism by citing correctly

Plagiarism exercise 1 Original text “This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. “ Text from Mr. Smith The study of Tanner and Gange (2005) has shown that golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. Tanner R. A. and A. C. Gange, Effects of golf courses on local biodiversity. Landscape and urban planning, Vol. 71, 2-4,

Plagiarism exercise 1 Original text “This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. “ Text from Mr. Smith The study of Tanner and Gange (2005) has shown that “golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland.” Direct quotations must be quoted!!

Plagiarism exercise 2 Original text “This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. “ Text from Mrs. Brown According to Tanner and Gange (2005) the diversity of birds and some insect groups can be higher on golf courses than on adjacent farmland. Tanner R. A. and A. C. Gange, Effects of golf courses on local biodiversity. Landscape and urban planning, Vol. 71, 2-4,

Plagiarism exercise 3 Is it okay when you cite Mr. Smith for this information? Yes, but you have to indicate that this is a secondary source, e.g. (Tanner and Gange, 2005, as cited in Smith, 2010). In your reference list you should provide the details of the secondary source (the source you read). Whether you have to give the details of the primary source or not, depends on the citation style.

Referring, citing, quoting To allow readers to find and check your information sources To give authors of these sources credit for their work. Methods In-text citations and quotes Reference lists Many different styles Bibliographic details differ per document type

Evaluation Assignment 1/3min. 5 Upload in BB » 30 January Exam2/3min hrs. 26 January Totalmin. 5.5 See also - course information - example exam

Questions??? Good Luck !!!!