1. A Brief Guide

2.   To support theological information literacy by teaching students how to locate information resources appropriate for use in seminary studies using the Internet.  To support theological information literacy by teaching students how to evaluate information resources located and retrieved using the Internet. Objective

3.   Information literacy is the set of skills needed in order to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information.  Today’s focus is upon finding and evaluating information.  We will briefly discuss retrieval.  There is a difference between finding and retrieving information.  You can find information and evaluate it before you retrieve it, saving time and money. Remember

4.   The Internet  Web Sites  Portals or Gateways  Digital libraries  Social Media  Blogs, wikis, discussion groups.  Electronic Databases  EBSCO, Pro Quest, First Search, Wilson web. Finding Information

5.   News grows old.  Today’s established facts may be doubted tomorrow.  Information is never truly free.  Published/purchased information is usually superior to free information.  Repetition  Overload  Information cycle The Nature of Information

6.   Information Professionals Librarians love to help people find information and have created paths to help you find what you are looking for.  Professors They are experts in a particular subject area and have spent years reading the literature.  Your Colleagues Use the Work of Others!

7.   Seminary Library Websites  Library Special Projects  Subject Guides – Research Guides – Pathfinders  Bibliographies: Example - http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/resources/articl e2.aspx?id=10513 http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/resources/articl e2.aspx?id=10513  Resource pages  Tip: Use these words when searching Google – “Christian education” “subject guide” or “Church History” “pathfinder” or “Missions” “bibliography” Libraries

8.   What: Standardized format for library subject guides and more.  Where: www.libguides.comwww.libguides.com  Useful as a guide to information resources in a specific subject or on a specific topic.  Example: Biblical Languages at HBU. Libguides

9.   What: The World’s largest network of Library resources.  Where: www.worldcat.orgwww.worldcat.org  Copy/Paste or Export a Turabian Citation.  More features through Firstsearch WorldCat

10.   Open Access Journals are academic journals that have been published and may be accessed for free.  Directory of Open Access Journals: Religion – http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=subject&cpid=16 http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=subject&cpid=16  The Master’s Seminary list of Free Journals: http://www.tms.edu/LibraryFreeJournals.aspx http://www.tms.edu/LibraryFreeJournals.aspx Open Access

11.   The best information is available from subscription services because information is never truly free.  Seminary libraries have to pay for access to these services so that students can use them. Many institutions provide alumni access.  Electronic Databases require login information that must be provided by your institution for you to access them. Subscription Services

12.   EBSCO Databases EBSCO Databases  ATLA Religion Database  Religion and Philosophy Collection  World History  ERIC (Education) Electronic Databases

13.   Boolean Operators  Pearl Growing  These are just two things to learn about searching electronic databases.  These are skills used in information retrieval. Searching Databases

14.  AND OR NOT Jesus DeityJohn BOOLEAN OPERATORS

15.  Pearl Growing A strategy for growing a search, bit by bit from one useful citation or search term into a search that yields the best results.

16.   Scholarly vs. Popular  Relevant or Irrelevant  Useful for your purposes or not useful  Authoritative or lacking authority  Spiritual aspect in theological study Evaluating Information

17.  Popular vs. Scholarly  Magazines  Newspapers  Many Websites  Christian living books Charles Swindoll Warren Wiersbe Max Lucado  Books with a credentialed Author Look for References  Reference Works  Websites from reputable colleges and Universities  Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Journals (Print and Electronic)  Academic Library Websites

18.  Keys to Choosing Scholarly Books Author What does he or she do for a living? What credentials does he or she have? How many books on the same subject? Referenced in other books? Publisher  Is it a University Press?  Does it usually publish academic books in this subject area?  Keep a mental list of good publishers.  Does it publish books for credentialed authors?

19.  Publishers  Baker Book House  Wm B. Eeerdmans  Banner of Truth Trust  Hendrickson  Crossway  Paternoster Press  InterVarsity Press  Westminster & John Knox Press  Zondervan  J. Clarke  Kregal  Thomas Nelson  Klock and Klock  Moody Press  F. H. Revell  Word

20.  Ask yourself questions about the web site:  What does the URL tell me? URL extension?.edu.com.org.net.gov Truncate the URL. What is the foundation of the address?  Who is the author? Author’s credentials. Contact information.  Is the material copyrighted? Evaluating Web Sites

21.   Is the information on the page documented? Look for references to books, articles, or sites. What sites does this site link to? Are links active or broken?  Are there many advertisements on the page?  Is grammar and spelling correct?  Is the website updated regularly?  What is the purpose of the website? To inform. To persuade. To sell a product. To give voice to an opinion. Evaluating Web Sites

22.   Remember to use the expertise of librarians, professors, thinkers, and writers to help you find quality sources of information.  Subject Guides, pathfinders, research guides, bibliographies, and resource pages are excellent tools produced by these people to help you find the best information.  Remember that evaluation of information is a matter of asking yourself particular questions about a source. Conclusion