Chapter Nine Locating Supporting Material

Chapter Nine Table of Contents zPrimary Resources: Interviews and Statistics zSecondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources

Locating Supporting Material Invention: the process of selecting information to illustrate or prove your points.

Locating Supporting Material zPrimary research: original or firsthand research conducted by the speaker. zSecondary research: vast body of information gathered by others.

Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys zAny source developed directly by the participants involved Such as interviews and surveys, oral or written histories, diaries, records of meetings

Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys zBefore You Begin: Planning a Research Strategy zInterviews zSurveys

Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys: Before You Begin: Planning a Research Strategy zKeep the reason for your search in mind. zReview thesis statement.

Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys: Interviews Avoid: yVague questions which don’t give the interviewee enough to go on. yLeading questions which encourage, if not force, a certain response. yLoaded questions which reinforce interviewer’s agenda.

Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys: Interviews zTake notes, tape-record, or video-tape zAlways get permission ahead of time. zAllow the interviewee to set the pace and select the time and place

Primary Resources: Interviews and Surveys: Surveys zSurveys are an effective source of support for topics related to the attitudes, beliefs, and values of people in your immediate environment.

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources zDatabase : a searchable place or “base” where information is stored, such as books or computers

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources zResources to Facilitate Your Search zBooks zNewspapers and Periodicals zGovernment Publications zReference Works zCritically Evaluating Secondary Sources

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Resources to Facilitate Your Search zReference librarians: information specialists who are trained to help you. zCard or online catalog : catalog of a library’s holdings xOrganized by Library of Congress call number or Dewey decimal number

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Books zA well-written book provides detail and perspective and can serve as an excellent source of supporting examples.

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Newspapers and Periodicals zPeriodicals: regularly published magazines or journals. zMost libraries have special computerized databases that index past articles.

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Government Publications zThe U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) is responsible for publishing and distributing all information collected and produced by federal agencies.

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Reference Works zEncyclopedias: summarize knowledge found in original form elsewhere. zGeneral encyclopedias: attempt to cover all important subject areas of knowledge.

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Reference Works zSpecialized encyclopedias: delve deeply into one subject area such as religion, art, sports, or engineering. zElectronic encyclopedias: cross- reference topics via hyperlinks (highlighted words that link to related topics).

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Documenting Your Source Material zInclude: yName of author or editor yTitle yVolume or edition yName of publisher yPlace of publication, or Internet address yDate and year of publication yPage numbers

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Critically Evaluating Secondary Resources zConsider the following when assessing the validity of a source: yWhat is the author’s background and reputation? yHow credible is the publication? yHow reliable is the data? yHow recent is the reference?

Secondary Resources: Print and Electronically Stored Sources: Critically Evaluating Secondary Resources zAvoid plagiarism by properly citing sources zAvoid fabrication which is making up false information