English 120 Section 1
What are the 10 main classes of the Dewey Decimal System?
000 Computer science, information & general works 100 Philosophy & psychology 200 Religion 300 Social sciences 400 Language 500 Science 600 Technology 700 Arts & recreation 800 Literature 900 History & geography
What 4 things do you look for in the ASAP test?
1. Age 2. Sources 3. Author 4. Publisher
In how many years after publication does a medical book become outdated?
5 years
https
A secure version of http, which stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure.
What Library Classification System is used at SBCC?
Dewey Decimal System
What Library Classification System is used at UCSB?
Library of Congress Classification System
Online
Refers to accessing information, often a database, using a remote computer using a PC and internet connection.
Information Literacy (2)
The ability to identify, access, and evaluate various types of information sources, and be familiar with the issues involved in using information in an ethical manner.
Subject-specific Databases (Vortals)
databases devoted to a single subject, created by professors, researchers, experts, governmental agencies, business interests, and other subject specialists and/or individuals who have a deep interest in, and professional knowledge of, a particular field and have accumulated information and data about it.
Cause
show how one event or series of events made something else happen
Contrast
show how two or more things are dissimilar
Relate
show or describe the connections between things
.edu
this is a recognized educational site
Interpretation Words
words that ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject.
6 things an information literature individual is able to do
1. Determine the extent of information needed 2. Access the needed information effectively and efficiently 3. Evaluate information and its sources critically 4. Incorporate selected information into one's knowledge base 5. Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose 6. Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally
3 Things a Thesis Does
1. Focuses your thoughts so you can focus your research 2. Keeps you on track when researching and writing 3. Helps your audience follow your argument
4 Characteristics of a Strong Thesis
1. It takes some sort of stand 2. It justifies discussion 3. It expresses one main idea 4. It is specific
6 characteristics of a scholarly journal
1. They are focused on academic disciplines 2. Are published quarterly or monthly 3. Are written for scholars, researchers, and professionals 4. Are long and in-depth 5. Are written by scholars or subject experts 6. Have few colors photos or advertisements
5 characteristics of a popular magazine
1. They have man glossy photos and advertisements 2. They are written for the general public 3. Have short articles that cover a wide range of topics 4. Articles are written by journalists 5.
Circumstances when using a popular magazine is appropriate for a research project
1. information or opinions about popular culture 2. up-to-date information about current events 3. general articles by people who are not necessarily specialists about the topic
Circumstances when using a scholarly journal is appropriate for a research project
1. original, primary research on a specific topic 2. articles and essays written by scholars or subject experts 3. factual, documented information to reinforce a position 4. bibliographies that point you to other relevant research
4 Things a Good Thesis Should Include
1. take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree 2. deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment 3. express one main idea 4. assert your conclusions about a subject
In what circumstances do you used a book for a research project?
1. when you need a lot of information on a topic 2. to put your topic in context with other important issues 3. to find historical information 4. to find summaries of research to support an argument 5. to lead you to related research and experts 6. to add depth to a research topic
How many major classes are in the Library of Congress Classification System?
21
Dictionary
A book that gives the definition of words. These books are usually located in the reference collection. Some of these books may be general or may be focused on a specific subject. Some of these books are available in online databases.
Style Manual
A book that provides instructions for formatting a paper, with regard to footnotes, bibliographies, pagination, citing sources, etc. Examples include: Turabian, MLA, APA
Subject
A broad section of human knowledge.
Reserve Materials
A collection of materials that a professor puts on reserve for use by all students in a class.
Database
A collection of records; A searchable collection of information, usually in electronic format.
Encyclopedia
A compendium, or collection, of information. Like dictionaries, these may be general or may be focused on a specific subject. Some of these are available online.
Subject Directories
A database of web sites usually sharing a common theme, compiled by people.
Library Catalogs
A database that contains records for items that a library owns, such as books, videos, reserve materials, reference books, and government documents. The catalog is searchable by a variety of fields, including keyword, author, title and Library of Congress Subject Heading. Online Library catalogs usually include a "Your Record" feature that allow users to log in and see what they have checked out, renew their materials, etc.
Reference Librarian
A faculty member who has studied the field of library science at the graduate level. This faculty member is skilled in using print and electronic resources and is the person to ask for research assistance in the library.
Citing Sources
A hallmark of using information ethically, citing sources refers to giving credit to authors whose work you use. Citations are usually written following standard format from a style manual, such as MLA.
Summit Catalog
A library catalog that provides a single database for searching the combined collections from more than 40 academic libraries in the Pacific Northwest and requesting items to borrow. Borrowed items are delivered in 2-3 days.
Dewey Decimal System
A method of organizing books in public school libraries, public libraries and some college libraries. In this system, call numbers start with numbers. The first line of numbers represents the subject of the books.
Abstract
A paragraph or two that summarizes an article, book, website or other information source.
Scholarly Journal
A periodical in which the articles are written by scholars, for other scholars. These articles are often a lengthy report on original research and include a list of work cited. These articles are devoted to a specific subject. There are no or few advertisements because these articles are sponsored by a non-profit agency, such as a university or an organization. The decision about what gets published is made by other scholars in the field.
Popular Magazine
A periodical, usually written for a broad audience. Articles are on a variety of subjects. Articles are usually short, written by journalists, and rarely include a bibliography.
Simple Search
A search of all formats of materials
Interlibrary Loan
A service provided by libraries for borrowing books and articles from other libraries.
Topic
A subset of a subject.
Research Process
A systematic method for locating information in a variety of sources. This method includes defining your purpose, collecting background information, locating and evaluating resources, and properly citing your sources.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
A thesaurus which collects keywords and designates specific terms to use for searching by subject in the online catalog. This can also be used to find broader terms, narrower terms, and related terms for your subject.
Search Engine
A web tool that examines the contents of web pages stored in a database.
http
An acronym for HyperText Transfer Protocol, the set of "rules" used by the internet to move files from web servers and make them readable in a web browser. All web pages have addresses that begin with this, but most browsers put this in automatically.
Client/Server
An architecture in which one computer can get information from another. The client is the computer that asks for access to date, software, or services. The server, which can be anything from a personal computer to a mainframe, supplies the requested data or services for the client.
Oversize Books
Books that are too tall to fit on the "regular" shelves. You will often see this designation in library book catalogs.
internet source
Circumstances when using a popular magazine is appropriate for a research project
Server
Computers on the internet that provide information requested by other computers.
What does the CARS Checklist stand for?
Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, and Support
Browser
Desktop software that allows you to view web pages.
Record
Details about unique items stored in a database. These have many fields, such as the author field, the title field, and the subject headings field.
Research (2)
Diligent and thorough inquiry and investigation into a subject. This is a process that includes grasping the scope of the topic, using appropriate print and electronic sources, asking the reference librarian for help, and making use of bibliographies given by other authors.
Primary Source
First-hand account, or the first appearance of information in print. For example, personal letters, diaries, interviews, and an article appearing in a scholarly journal reporting on the results of a research project or study.
Floppy Disk
Hard-cased 3.5" disk used for storing and carrying digital information. The disk goes into the "A" drive of desktop computers.
Client
In computing terms, a client is a computer requesting something from a remote location. In other words, your PC, connected to the Internet, is a client. Your client PC requests things -- login, web pages, images, and files from servers on the internet.
Fields
Individual section in which information on records within a database are organized. In the online catalog, these include author, title, subject headings, and contents.
Research
Information (written, spoken, and/or visual) gained through perception and analysis
Citation
Information given in an index or catalog that provides specific and unique information about an item. This information may include the article title, periodical title, book title, place of publication, publisher, volume, pages, and date.
World Wide Web
Information residing on the internet that is based on HyperText Markup Language (HTML) to provide common protocol and interface. One of the defining features of this is the use of hyperlinks to navigate between pages and information.
Invisible Web
Information that resides on the Internet but cannot be searched by search engines because of layers of protocol or passwords. Most information in this is contained in databases, such as ProQuest Research Library Complete and EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier. Some estimates say there may be as much as 500 times as much information in the invisible web as in the visible web.
Deep Web
Information that resides on the Internet but cannot be searched by search engines because of layers of protocol or passwords. Some estimates say there may be as much as 500 times as much of this information than in the visible web.
Ink on paper; not electronic.
Keywords
Major words in the title, abstract or text or an information source. In a database, these words are also a search feature that searches all the fields in a record. These words are also associated with natural language.
Comment Portion of a Working Thesis
Makes an important point, claim, or argument about that subject.
Popular Press Books
May focus on a specific topic but in a lighter manner than academic books. Author may or may not have academic creditionals. There may or may not be a list of sources. Popular press books may or may not be appropriate for college-level work; it really depends on your topic.
Microform
Refers to microfiche (flat rectangular sheets) and microfilm (roll) formats whereby print text is transferred onto film for preservation. Usually, older issues of periodicals are transferred onto these.
Finding Tools
Refers to tools commonly used to locate information sources. Common types are: Catalogs, Periodical Indexes, and Web Search Tools.
Web Search Tools
Search engines, web directories, meta-search tools, web portals, and specialty searches.
Boolean Operators
Search modifiers used to connect keywords in a database search. The most common Boolean operators are and, or, not. Some databases use and not instead of not; some databases use a + sign instead of and. Read database search tips to get the most out of your searching.
USB Flash Drive
Small, portable memory device for storing and carrying digital information. The device is inserted in a USB port of a PC tower, keyboard, or monitor. Other names for this include, thumb drives, jump drives, memory sticks, etc.
Secondary Source
Something that is not a first-hand account. For example, a Biography based on information from a diary.
Topic Portion of a Working Thesis
States the subject
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
The "address" of a web page on the World Wide Web.
Simple definition of literacy
The ability to read and write
Information Literacy
The ability to recognize when information is needed and to have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information
Plagiarism
The act of presenting another's works or ideas as your own. This can include using information and failing to provide a source.
Search Strategy
The combination of keywords and Boolean operators designed to get the best results from a database.
Bibliographic Citation
The defining characteristics of an information source, like books, articles, videos, and government documents. For a book, the minimum is; author, title, city of publication, publisher, and date of publication. For an article, the basic information is: author of article, title of publication, volume/issue, date, page number. Information about the source should be arranged consistently, following an established style found in Style Manuals.
Bibliographic Record
The information about an item has on its record that is stored in the online catalog.
Call Number
The letter and numbers assigned to a book to give it a unique location in the library. Two common systems for call numbers are Dewey Decimal, which is used by public libraries and some colleges, and The Library of Congress.
Bibliography
The list of works cited by an author at the end of an article, paper, book, or other research-based writing. There are also specialized subject bibliographies, published separately as books.
Reference
The process of answering the questions of library patrons about research or finding information; the section of the library in which this takes place.
Pearl Growing
The process of using one source to lead you to many sources.
Library of Congress Classification System (LC)
The system of letters and numbers used by many college and university libraries to organize materials by assigning call numbers.
Interface
The term used to describe the look and feel of a search tool, such as a library catalog or periodical indexes. The features of this look and feel include navigation aids, search boxes, placement and size of text, color, and overall ease of use.
Internet
The world-wide system of computers, link through networks, that provides information transfer through a common set of protocol and standards. This system provides data transfer for services such as email, file transfer, World Wide Web, and newsgroups.
Copyright
This establishes ownership of information. This information is often stamped with a specific symbol, but not always. Always assume that information belongs to someone and give credit to the original author by citing the source.
Circulating
This means that the item may be checked out. Some Reserve items and videos circulate only within the library.
Natural Language
This term can be used interchangeably with 'keywords'. These are words you'd think of to use to search for information in databases.
Goal of English 120
To become an information literature individual through the process of learning how to narrow a research subject to topic, locating and evaluating sources of information, and selecting and citing information to develop a reasonable, thoughtful exploration of a topic.
Controlled Vocabulary
Uniform language useful for performing more specific searches in online databases.
Truncation
Used to increase retrieval in a database. This refers to locating the root, or stem, of a word, and adding a symbol, such as an *. For example, genetic* will look for genetic, genetically, and genetics
Personal Websites
Websites in which individuals control the site information; reliability determined by the author's credentials. Some may provide valuable eyewitness accounts and/or links to scholarly sources.
Scholarly Websites
Websites that are knowledge building interest, likely to be reliable.
Business Websites
Websites that are run by businesses explaining and/or promoting their services; although the agenda may be to increase profit, some sites can offer reliable data.
Informational Websites
Websites that have general knowledge with or without supporting data and documentation; can provide links to more scholarly sources.
Advocacy Websites
Websites that present views of organizations that promote certain policies or actions; often contain strong bias. Some may also include well-documented research to support positions and some distort or select evidence for support.
What catalog does the Luria Library use?
WorldCat
Academic/Scholarly Books
Written by scholars, cover academic/scholarly topics, published by an academic/scholarly press. Always include a bibliography, and frequently include other features such as chronology, glossary, resources. College an university libraries purchase primarily academic books. As a rule, for college-level work, students should use academic books.
Serials
a.k.a. "Periodicals"; Information published on a regular basis. Examples include Scholarly Journals, Popular Magazines, and Newspapers
Refereed Jounral
a.k.a. "scholarly journal"; a periodical in which the articles are written by scholars, for other scholars. These articles are often a lengthy report on original research and include a list of work cited. These articles are devoted to a specific subject. There are no or few advertisements because these articles are sponsored by a non-profit agency, such as a university or an organization. The decision about what gets published in it is made by other scholars in the field.
Peer-Reviewed Journal
a.k.a. "scholarly journal"; a periodical in which the articles are written by scholars, for other scholars. These articles are often a lengthy report on original research and include a list of work cited. These articles are devoted to a specific subject. There are no or few advertisements because these articles are sponsored by a non-profit agency, such as a university or an organization. The decision about what gets published in made by other scholars in the field.
Periodical
a.k.a. "serials"; Information published on a regular basis. Examples include Scholarly Journals, Popular Magazines, and Newspapers
Thesis
an assertion or claim about your topic. It's a complete sentence (or sometimes two) that presents your opinion on the topic and the reasons why you think it's good. You present these reasons so your audience will agree with you.
General Reference Book
books that offer an overview or general information regarding subjects or topics.
Specialized Reference Book
books that offer more discipline specific information or more in depth information usually in the form of articles written by leading authorities.
Summarize
briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
Library Gateways
collections of databases and informational sites, arranged by subject, that have been assembled, reviewed and recommended by specialists, usually librarians
Analyze
determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
Research (3)
gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found
Illustrate
give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
Support
give reasons or evidence for something you believe
Prove/Justify
give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
Explain
give reasons why or examples of how something happened
Define
give the subject's meaning
Circulation Desk (Check Out Desk)
located just inside the library's main door, the circulation desk is where you go to check out and return books, videos, and reserve materials; pick up items borrowed from Summit or interlibrary loan; look for lost-and-found items; borrow white board erasers and markers for use in the study rooms; and more.
Trace
outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
Synthesize
put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before.
Compare
show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
Evaluate/Respond
state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
Assess
summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
Argue
take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side
Working Thesis
the conclusion you start to create when narrowing the topic. However, it is considered "working" because it may change as you continue to discover and evaluate information regarding your topic.
.gov
this is a site sponsored by a government agency
.org
this site claims to be an organization
.net
this site is a network - kind of a catchall.
.mil
this site is by the military
.com
this site is commercial; the intent is to sell
when to use the public web
to obtain information on colleges, museums, non-profit organizations, or companies • for very current information such as news, sports scores, weather, stock quotes • to research a well-known event or individual • to use online job postings, shopping, auctions, or travel services • for opinions on a topic
Search Strategies (2)
understanding the words of your topic and how they relate to one another, and simple strategies for combining words in a database search.
Apply
use details that you've been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
Relation Words
words that ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.
Information Words
words that ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.