1. Zale Library at Paul Quinn College Information Literacy Module 1: Selecting Good Information Dr. David Hamrick Reference/Cataloging Librarian

2. Why it matters We select information to  Make DECISIONS and…  Draw CONCLUSIONS  “Is this movie any good?” Ask a friend, but… “Do they like the movies I like?” Read a review, but… “Does this reviewer have a bias?” Do you pay attention to the reviewers’ quotes on the movie posters?

3. Why it matters  In writing a college paper, information selection is crucial Good selection leads to plenty of material, easier writing Poor selection leads to shallow writing and inaccurate statements  We select different information for different tasks Wikipedia is okay for quick facts such as dates or places, but You need more depth and authority to write a good paper

4. What we’re doing Learning the strengths of different resources  Internet vs. Library  Popular vs. Scholarly writing  Magazines & newspapers vs. Scholarly journals & books

5. What we’re doing Learning where to find different resources  What is in the library catalog?  What is in an online periodical index?  What kinds of resources are on the Internet?

6. Types of resources Reference books  Encyclopedias, handbooks, directories  Prepared by experts in various topics  Best source of quick, accurate information  Usually not enough depth for a paper— just short articles  Gives an overview of the subject; good place to start

7. Types of resources Scholarly books  Selected by faculty, librarians for quality of their information  Usually the work of several years, lots of expertise  Provide depth and interpretation of subject  Use the index to find if your topic is covered!

8. Types of resources Scholarly journals  Articles reviewed by a group of experts in topic  Usually more current than books in same subject  Contain articles on narrower topics in depth

9. Types of resources News magazines & Newspapers  Written for general readers (not for other scholars)  Not as much depth, not peer-reviewed  Often the best source for information about current events & popular culture  Current political stories  Sports, music, film

10. Types of resources Voyager library catalog  Helps you to find…  Reference books  Circulating books  E-books  Videos  Authoritative Web sites

11. Types of resources Online journal indexes  Texshare, JSTOR  Help you find articles on a topic  Many articles available in full text (not all!)  Some indexes available for specific topics Gale Health & Wellness Ebsco Enhanced Business Search Handbook of Texas Online  Can narrow search by author, date, subject, etc.

12. Types of resources World Wide Web  Most current information, but…  You have to be the reviewer—check reliability  Many good resources available from education, government, library web sites www.loc.gov (Library of Congress) www.loc.gov www.ic2.utexas.edu/bbr/ (Univ. of Texas Bureau of Business Research) www.ic2.utexas.edu/bbr/ What about this next one?

13. FAIL

14. Popular or scholarly? Popular resources…  Are written for the general public  May promote a particular point of view  Entertain more than educate  Exist to make a profit by selling ads  Shorter articles, less depth  May cover many topics  Examples: Sports Illustrated, Vibe, GQ, Essence

15. Popular or scholarly? Scholarly resources…  Written for other scholars, specialists  Try to be unbiased  Share research and educate  Sell little or no advertising  Long articles with bibliographies  Usually focus on a limited topic  Examples: Journal of the AMA, Business Communication Quarterly

16. The Library and the Web In the library…  Information is selected for its accuracy/authority  Reviewed/recommended by librarians & faculty  Provided with personal assistance  Organized to keep similar information together  Free and non-commercial

17. The Library and the Web On the Web…  Many sources of information have an agenda  No one stops misinformation from being posted  Many resources are provided for-profit only  No organization—and no search engine has it all  MANY sources are designed to sell a product

18. Who’s on the web This doesn’t mean the Web is bad…  It is the best, easiest way to get some information  It gives a voice to alternative points of view!  It encourages collaboration and cooperation

19. Who’s on the web Many scholarly resources are on the Web  Published by governments (thomas.loc.gov)thomas.loc.gov  Published by universities (www.beg.utexas.edu/)www.beg.utexas.edu/  Published by organizations (www.ama-assn.org)www.ama-assn.org  Published by libraries (www.nypl.org/research/)www.nypl.org/research/

20. Use the Web wisely Be a smart consumer of information  Check the credentials of the author  Check the credentials of the organization  Check the quality of the citations  If you aren’t sure, find an independent evaluation

21. Use the Web wisely Remember the library has a lot on the Web!  JSTOR, Texshare are there anytime, anywhere  The library web page has links to good resources  The library wiki supplements these—suggest more! http://www.pqc.edu/lib/zale_library.htm http://zalelibrary.pbworks.com/

22. The End Ask the library staff for help—that’s why we are here!