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GEL 101 Library Module (Mattingly)

Gabriela Sonntag
Instruction Librarian
KELLOGG 3422
(760) 750-4356
gsg@csusm.edu

Email, call or stop by with any questions or concerns.

What is the GEL Library Module?

The Library Module will introduce you to the basics of college-level research. The skills you learn during the module will help you for 2 main reasons:

  • specifically, for the research project you will do for this class.
  • in general, for the papers and projects you will be expected to do
    for the rest of your college career.

 

The Library Module covers a lot of information in only 9 classes, so attendance and participation are important. 

  • Each in-class activity and homework assignment is for credit and must be completed on time.
  • NO late work will be accepted without prior arrangements.
  • Homework must be typed.
  • You must do your own work--do not turn in the same assignment as another student unless you are instructed otherwise.
  • Plagiarism and other forms of cheating, as defined here in the General University Catalog, will result in zero credit for each plagiarized assignment. Repeated violation will result in a grade of zero points for the library module.

 

Day 1- Oct 8  KEL2303

Intro to college level research . Assignment Calculator.
In-class activity: thesis statements  
Homework assignment #1 

Day 2-Oct 10 KEL2303

Using Reference sources.
Focusing your research topic.
Advanced internet searching

Day 3- Oct 12  online

Evaluating websites      
Website tutorial
Homework assignment #2

Day 4- Oct 15  KEL2303

Library call #s and subject headings  
 Finding books  tutorial
Homework assignment #3

Day 5- Oct 17  KEL2303

Searching research databases
In-class activity: Finding articles
 What is scholarly?
Developing a search strategy
Homework assignment 4

Day 6- Oct 19  KEL2303

In-class activity: Summarizing vs. annotations
Alternative terms and subjects

Day 7- Oct 22  KEL2303

Writing a literature review and literature review chart
Reviewing citation styles

In class activity: correcting APA errors

Homework assignment 5

Day 8- Oct 24  KEL2303

Plagiarism and academic honesty

In-class activity: work on final assignment
Literature Review expectations

Literature Review Due Oct 26th

Day 9- Oct 26  KEL2303

Review Homework assignment 6 Extra Credit
Quiz 

Module evaluation                                   




Advanced internet searching

Google or DMOZ? Yahoo or LII? What's the difference?

Search Engines Subject Directories
Compiled by computer "spiders" that "crawl"
the web, constantly adding websites
Compiled by people, selectively adding websites
"More is better" or "Quick and easy" "Less is more" or "Quality, not quantity"
Websites often listed by popularity or paid sponsors Websites often listed by subject categories
BEST FOR:
  • very specific searches (e.g. person or org.)
  • phrase searches (e.g. "Martin Luther King Jr")
  • you know exactly what you're looking for

BEST FOR:
  • broad topic or concept searches
  • need background information (e.g. alternative health treatments, history of, types of)
  • you're not sure what you're looking for
Try out: Try out:



Evaluating websites

 

 

 

From your own Internet searching, you probably realize there is an overwhelming amount of information available online. Like searching for a book or article, you can plug keywords related to your topic into a search engine... but doing a Google search and using the first few results for your paper does not constitute research!

Anyone can put up a website. How do you know that its information is accurate, legitimate or current? Learn how to evaluate a web site before choosing to include the information you find in your research project.

 

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Finding books

Find books by searching the Library Catalog. A good
strategy is to:

Enter a keyword or two housing and Hispanic
bilingual education
gender and role
Scan the list for one good
title of interest

'Clear and convincing evidence: measurement of discrimination in America'

'
The Hispanic child: speech, language, culture, and education'
'Gender and domestic life : changing practices in families and households'
 
Click on the subject
headings
for that
book
Discrimination In Housing United States
Education Bilingual

Sex role -- United States -- History

 

*The following are just a few subject headings from our Library Catalog related to the class topics.
Try clicking on some that are related to your topic and see what titles come up:

  Diversity In The Workplace
Minorities
Toleration
Discrimination
Reverse discrimination
Educational Equalization

E98.E2 O75 1999?? What does a call number tell you? Here's a quick guide to the Library of Congress system.

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Writing an annotated bibliography

What is an annotated bibliography anyway?

An annotation is a brief summary of a book, article, or other publication. Its purpose is to describe the work in such a way that the reader can decide whether or not to read the work itself.

Annotations often appear as part of a bibliography, the list of sources that is standard in scholarly books and articles, including most student papers.

When a bibliography includes annotations it is known as an annotated bibliography.

These are 6 points to help you write your annotated bibliography (not necessarily in this order):
          1. What are the
qualifications of the author?
          2. What is the main purpose of the text? (summarize in one sentence)
          3. How does this source relate to your topic?
          4. What is the viewpoint or bias of the author?
          5. Who is the intended audience of this work?
          6. What is your final comment on this work?

Here is an extended explanation and examples
pdf format
Basically, keep it short and straightforward by using the 6 points above.
 

 

Finding articles

Journals articles include the latest research in the field. To find articles, you need to start with a research database.  Each will allow you to search hundreds or even thousands of journals at once by searching for keywords relevant to your topic. Databases can have BOTH scholarly and non-scholarly articles.
 

Scholarly (peer-reviewed, refereed, empirical)

Non-scholarly (popular)

Audience

academic readers

general audience

Author

researchers, experts, specialists

journalists, free-lance writers, generalists

Language

professional jargon; may be difficult to read

common; easy to understand

Style

specific structure (e.g. abstract, methodology, data, results, conclusion, references)

structured like a story; can look glossy with pictures and ads

Sources

long list of bibliography, references, footnotes

no bibliography or references listed

Examples Ethnic and Racial Studies; Gender & Society; International Migration Review; American Journal of Public Health; Latin American Perspectives Time; Newsweek; Business Week;
US News & World Report; New York Times; Christian Science Monitor


Some databases provide a 'peer-reviewed' or 'scholarly only' limit function that can narrow the results, but will still bring back non-scholarly materials that were published in a scholarly journal (e.g., editorials, letters to the editor, book reviews.) When in doubt, ask a librarian!



The following databases are useful for this class. Try searching for keywords related to your topic:

  Sociological Abstracts
 
ERIC
  Academic Search Premier
 
CQ Researcher
  Ethnic NewsWatch
 
America: History & Life
  JSTOR
 
ProQuest Newspapers

NOTE: Depending on your topic, other databases might be more relevant.
You can choose a database by subject.


Think you can find all this stuff on the Internet? Not for free!

See an article you want in one of these databases?

  1. Look for "Full Text" in pdf PDF, HTML Full TextHTML, Linked Full TextLinked or  Check SFX for Availability
  2. If all else fails, fill out an Interlibrary Loan article request form. You'll get it within 5-10 days for FREE.
  3. Or, any time you need help, ask a librarian!

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Plagiarism and academic honesty

View plagiarism powerpoint
Paraphrasing activity
UCLA Bruins Success: Review section on "Citing and Documenting Sources
 

Book Cover APA: Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.  5th ed. Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, 2001.

Search for library copies
Use our quick summary guide pdf


OWL Guide to APA citations
Diana Hacker's APA Style Documentation (includes APA-style sample paper pdf)

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