1. Advanced Research Skills for QUEST
Topics: shortage of women in STEM fields; anti-vaccination movement, social relationships for children with autism,

2. Upcoming Research Assignments
Nov. 8: Source Check #2
Nov. 29: Source Check #3
Both require an academic journal
Dec. 13: Social Issue Research Paper

3. Skills required for college research
Evaluating which sources are:
Authoritative
Un-Biased
Current
Finding & reading academic sources, including research studies, not just other people talking about them
Using keywords used by researchers in a particular field (domain-specific vocabulary)
Broadening or narrowing a search to find better results (recall vs. precision)
Becoming familiar with the authorities in a field
Related to #5: How does the research among the authorities in a field build upon/confirm/contradict each other? Ex: Mammograms for breast cancer—U.S. Gov’t Preventative Services Task Force (Health Dept.) now says no regular mammograms until age 50. American Cancer Society still says 40. Research studies on the subject are outdated (NPR)—a gap in the research.

4. Evaluate your sources
Authority: Who created the source and are they an expert on the social issue?
For websites: Truncate URL & find About Us
Avoid amateurs: look for researchers and professionals whose job is to study your social issue
Bias: What is the purpose of the source? (Educate? Share research? Persuade? Sell something?)
Currency: When was the source created? How recent does it need to be?
For data/studies: Are more recent studies available?

5. Acceptable in college?
Here are 3 research sources on hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. A college professor would evaluate them this way. Which one is which, and why?
Unacceptable for college-level research
Good start but not sufficient; find more academic sources
Good source for college-level research
Using SmartSync, send students these examples and tell them that a professor would say 2 are excellent, 1 is an OK start but find more academic sources, and 2 are unacceptable. Which is which?
OK start:
But better to find the original data:
Unacceptable:

6. What is an Academic Journal?
Articles written by experts in a field for other experts in that field
Einstein ( ) & Marie Curie ( ). I have no idea if they ever reviewed each other’s work, but they lived at the same time and Einstein admired her, they attended conferences and took hiking trips together. 
Photo credits:

7. What’s a “peer reviewed” source?
Also called “refereed” journals
Peer Review: “Articles submitted to a peer-reviewed publication are sent out to several scientists who work in the same field as the paper's author. Those reviewers provide feedback on the article and tell the editor of the publication whether or not they think the study is of high enough quality to be published” -UC Berkeley, Understanding Science

8. What is a DATABASE?
A collection of magazines, newspapers, academic journals, and other resources available online with a subscription.
Access to current scientific or social science research
Access the “deep web”
(going beyond Google Scholar)
A library electronic database is an organized collection of periodicals (magazine articles, newspaper articles, and academic journals), e-books, and other resources available online with a subscription. The library pays for the subscription. We access it for free with our library card number! $ $ $ Often have to pay for full text if you find academic articles online. Databases give you access to academic research
“Invisible web”—we can access the part of the iceberg below the water with databases.

9. Using keywords and domain-specific vocabulary
1. Use KEYWORD STRINGS, NOT whole sentences or Qs
2. Gather domain-specific vocabulary as you research
How does the mass marketing of beauty products, minimalist clothing, and diet products affect a teenage girl’s self image in our American culture? What might be done to help encourage positive self-image among teenage girls in America?
Beauty products, diet products
Marketing
Advertising
Effect of consumerism on self-esteem
Media
Self image
Self esteem
Self esteem adolescents
Concept 1: Beauty products, Marketing, Advertising, Media
Concept 2: Self-image, self-esteem

10. ProQuest: E-Library & SIRS
Try using domain-specific keywords and finding academic journals in ProQuest.
Visit
Click E-Library or SIRS
Username & password provided by library
If you share with non-Irvington students, we will lose our access!
Vikings Only
PRACTICE USING KEYWORDS IN PROQUEST, AND LIMITING TO ACADEMIC JOURNALS IN E-LIBRARY.
Image Credit, Creative Commons with attribution: Vladimir Zuñiga of Foca.tk.

11. Use Alameda County Library for access to more databases
Visit
Under the “Research” tab…
Click “A-Z Resources”

12. Sign up for an e-card
See link at irvington.org/library or
Tips: SAVE YOUR CARD NUMBER IN YOUR PHONE OR SOMEWHERE ELSE YOU WILL NOT LOSE
Student does not need to enter work number or driver’s license number
State must be 2-letter, phone number and birthdate must be in exactly the format shown
If you get a glitch, try again later
You have to fill out the form perfectly the first time. If make a mistake, close browser and restart.

13. General Databases EBSCOHost A large multi-subject database Also:
-MAS Ultra
-Master File Complete
-Student Resource Center
-Public Library (Explora)

14. Construct a Search Keyword, Subject, Entire Document
FULL TEXT (and other limiters)
Advanced Search

15. Narrow or Broaden Your Results
Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT
Modify keywords as you go
Narrow by TYPE
Types: Magazine Articles, Academic Journals, Books, News, Multimedia, Primary sources, etc.
Image sources:
Then Scan (quickly look through) results for sources that seem useful. Click on the title or “Full Text” and read!

16. Topic-Specific Databases
For example…
Controversial issues: Opposing Viewpoints
Health: Consumer Health Complete & Healia
Financial literacy, etc: Business Source Complete
Legal issues: Legal Information Resource Center
Education: Professional Development Collection & Teacher Reference Center
Science and the Environment: Science Worldwide, Science.gov, Greenfile, Green Technology Online, Energy & The Environment Online, Today’s Science
Statistics: A to Z the USA & Demographics Now