Library/Research Portion

What are the four main criteria for evaluating websites and techniques for evaluating them?

1. Authorship: Who put up the site? 2. Purpose: Every site has a reason for being on the web 3. Content & Currency: Is the information authoritative and up to date? 4. Technical Aspects Techniques for Web Evaluation: Check out authorship, credentials, check cited sources, examine the URL, etc.

What are the basics of copyright? (Concept, importance, types of work it applies to, length of coverage, fair use)

Copyright is a concept dating back hundreds of years; it gives authors, creators or inventors the "right" to their work for a certain period of time. Over the years, copyright protection was extended to photography, music, architecture and film. The length of copyright protection has also been extended to 70 years after the death of the creator. When the time limit is up, the creator's work enters the "public domain." In certain instances, it is permissible to use the copyrighted work without the creator's permission. Fair use includes criticism, parody, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. The user of copyrighted material cannot make a financial profit from using it.

What is a medium of publication and what does it tell you about the work being cited?

Each entry in the works cited must include a medium of publication, which tells what "medium" the source is in the form of (ex. print, DVD, web, etc.)

What are the basics of summary/paraphrase/quoting and how do you avoid plagiarism when using the ideas of others?

Give credit whenever you summarize/paraphrase/quote to avoid plagiarism. Quote: exact words. Paraphrase: same idea in own words. Summary: Main ideas.

How do you find a book in the PHS library?

Go to the PHS Library Catalog Type in keywords for your topic. NOTE on keywords: Think of synonyms for your topic. Write down the call # and locate the book on the shelf - this is the most important piece of information you will need to locate the book.

Where do you find the PHS Subscription Databases, the type of information in them and how do the databases differ from free websites?

To access, go to the PHS Library website and select Databases. Databases contain the full text of general interest magazines, scholarly journals, reference books, recent and archival photos and videos, maps,and more. The library purchases these services because there is a great deal of proprietary, copyrighted information not available for free online.

What are the basics of MLA citation style? (Why we document sources, parenthetical citations and their relationship to the list of Works Cited.)

You cite sources to give credit to others for their work and prove that your research is based off of accurate sources. The parenthetical citation relates directly to your text, with the author's last name and the page number in the parentheses. Every parenthetical citation should match a source in your works cited.