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English Composition (ENG 1100, 1101, 1103, and 2105)

OneSearch vs Databases vs Google Scholar

When deciding what search engine to use it's important to keep in mind what kind of sources you are hoping to find. 

If you are looking for peer-reviewed sources or academic sources, there are three areas I suggest starting. 

OneSearch vs Databases vs Google Scholar

- Searches all physical books, eBooks, and most databases

- Good for broad research or the beginning of research

- Has filters to look for specific formats, dates, languages, and more

- Searches in one area of the library's collection

- Often each database will focus on a field or area of study

- Good for targeted research in a specific area

- Try Opposing Viewpoints, a database that specializes in hot topic issues. 

 

Suggested Databases for English Composition Research

- Searches a broad variety of scholarship including books, dissertations, conference proceedings, and scholarly works from across the web

- Functionality is similar to Google and is familiar to most students and faculty

- Does not allow free access - use the library to avoid expensive purchases

Google Scholar Search

Crafting Keywords

When making keywords, try not to use full sentences or phrases. Break your topic down into it's main parts. For example:

 

Also take time to think of synonyms for your keywords. Remember, not everyone uses the same words to talk about similar ideas. A tertiary source like Wikipedia or Opposing Viewpoints can be helpful when formulating keywords. 

 

 

 

You can use boolean phrases to search for more than one keyword at a time. You can use the boolean search function in advanced search or type the boolean phrase in all caps.

AND will search for any item containing both keywords

OR will search for items that contain either keyword

NOT will search for one keyword and not the other

 

 

You can also use quotation marks (called phrase searching) to group words together that are all part of the same keyword. This tells the search to keep those words together and spelled the same way. 

Tips for Easy Research

1) Start broad, then narrow down

  • first search "book ban"
  • then search "book challenge" before combining the two

2) Search in multiple places

  • start with general resources like encyclopedias 
  • try a general search in OneSearch
  • do the same search in a database

3) Try different keyword combinations

  • different combinations will give different results

4) Contact your librarian for help

5) Keep track of your searching and sources

Evaluate online sources

Evaluating sources you find online

 

Let’s say you meet a person at a student club. They are nice, cute, and funny. They are a senior at your school and majoring in engineering. They ask you out for the following night, but you have this weird feeling that something about them is off. You make an excuse for the following night, but grab their Instagram and promise to reach out to schedule a time. 

What do you do now?

Most of the time we talk about "stalking" someone online - looking at their profile and trying to glean as much information as we can about them. But did you know you can apply these same skills to evaluating information you find online that you may want to use in an academic paper or class? 

Click through the tabs to learn about the four moves of SIFT

 

 

 

Stop

(collaborate and listen)
Most of the time if we meet someone online, we take a pause before we meet them in person. We try and find out more about them, see who they are, and see if we feel like we'd be safe meeting them. Sources you find online can be treated the same.
Before you use a source, take a moment to pause and see if it's a safe source of information. Start by asking yourself these questions before you proceed:
  • How does this source make me feel? Positive? Negative? Neutral?
  • How did I find this information? Social Media? A Google Search? Shared by someone I know?
  • Do you know who created this information? Is there an author or a publication?
Keep in mind, sometimes information is meant to try and elicit an extreme reaction. If you are feeling a strong emotion (positive or negative) take a moment to pause and check the source of the information. 

Investigate the source

If we are trying to find out more about someone, we might take a look around their online profile. We could look at their posted photos or maybe who they follow. The same can be said of a source of information.
How can we find out more about a source? 
  • look up the source on a media bias site like Ground News, All Sides or Media Bias Fact Check
  • look up the source on Wikipedia 
  • read the About Page of the source or organization
  • if you are reviewing information from social media, try looking at what else the user has posted or shared
Keep in mind, just because a source is non-traditional doesn't mean it's bad. The key is to be on the lookout for overly biased coverage or information that makes claims without evidence.

Find Trusted Coverage

Sometimes it's not enough for us to look at someone's profile online, we want to see what other folks are saying. You might look for mutual friends and ask about them, or see what kind of photos they have been tagged in. 
Sources can be the same way, sometimes it's not enough to know what the source thinks of itself, we need to know what others are saying.
  • do a quick Google search of the headline, statistic, fact, or information you are trying to verify. Are other sources reporting on this same topic?
  • is there a piece of information that seems outrageous, too good to be true, or particularly surprising? What evidence does the source offer that you can believe?
  • what viewpoints are missing? Can you try and find out what other people think of this information?
Keep in mind, many times fact check organizations are quick to react to misinformation being shared online. If you Google a false headline chances are you'll find a fact check website in the first few links.

Trace to the Original

Finally, if we are still unsure about someone we met online, maybe we think they are a fake account or a catfish, we may try and prove they are a fake account. We might look at the links in their profile and see if they go anywhere or look at other people they follow to see if there are more fake accounts.
If you are still unsure about information that is being shared online, try and trace the information to the original source. If it's a statistic, can you see the results of a survey? If it's a quote can you see who conducted the interview and when?
  • see of the source links to where they got their information
  • see what evidence there is and see if you can find out where the information came from
Keep in mind just because there is information quoted or cited, doesn't mean it was represented accurately. Make sure to follow up on anything that seems unusual.