WRT 209
Spring 2007
Subject Specialist:
Bonnie Ryan,
O:315-443-4674
bcryan@syr.edu
LIBRARY CONTACTS
Syracuse University Library Web site http://library.syr.edu
ASK US! (Phone, Email, and IM reference with Librarian on duty)
http://library.syr.edu/instruction/class/wrt205-209spr2006-oakes.html
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
from: Reference Department;
Instruction, Research, and Information Services (IRIS);
Cornell University Library
Ithaca, NY, USA
How to Critically Evaluate Sources
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See also Critically Analyzing Information Sources,from: Reference Department;
Instruction, Research, and Information Services (IRIS);
Cornell University Library
Ithaca, NY, USA
How to Evaluate Web SitesEvaluating Internet Sources U.C. Berkeley Library
Checklist for evaluating web sites University of Wisconsin, Madison
Choosing Key Terms
When you have chosen your research statement or question, take some time to break the statement down into key terms or phrases. You will use these terms in the various databases to find sources on your topic.Example: Does a college education tend to lead to improved financial success or improved life satisfaction?
Key terms and phrases: college, financial success, life satisfaction
Some hints for choosing key terms:Be flexible: After dividing you statement into key terms and phrases, think of alternative terms and phrases, such as synonyms, or broader, narrower, or related terms. Each database may use different keyword or subject terms to describe a topic.
Example alternative terms and phrases: university, economic success, achievement, happiness
Example broader phrase for college: higher education
Example narrower phrases for life satisfaction: relationship satisfaction, job satisfaction, community involvement (You might choose to narrow your topic to one of these topics.)
Think globally and chronologically: Consider terms that contain a geographic area, or a broad or specific time period.
Example: United States, 21st century
Background Information
International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences 26 vols. REF H41 .I58 2001
Electronic
Searchable and browsable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest article database; articles not yet in the print Britannica; Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (tenth edition); and the Britannica book of the year.
CQ Researcher - An encyclopedia addressing public policy issues.
This is what you use to find out if the Library owns a particular book, journal, video or other type of media. You can search by keyword, author (last name first), title, or subject heading. Remember to use your subject headings to find more relevant resources on a topic.
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These are electronic indexes that you can search to locate journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations and conference or proceeding papers. Some databases provide full text access; others only provide you with the citation. The Library owns over 300 databases. Some are very subject specific (e.g. Sociological Abstracts, America: History and Life); others are interdisciplinary (e.g. Expanded Academic, Wilson Select). To access any of the databases from off campus, you will be prompted for a user name and password. Your user nameis your ten digit ID # (make sure that you use all ten digits) and your password is your last name in lower-case letters. For additional assistance with this, please go to the instructions for remote access.
Recommended Databases
Alt-Press Watch - Full-text database of selected newspapers, magazines, and journals of the alternative and independent press.
GenderWatch - Full text publications that focus on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas.
Education Databases - Indexes including Education Abstracts and ERIC.
Proquest Research Library -Reference database containing abstracts, indexing, and full text articles from popular magazines, business periodicals, and academic publications, plus current coverage of articles from The New York times and The Wall Street journal. It covers a wide range of topics including the arts, business, children, education, general interest, health, humanities, international, law, military, multicultural, psychology, sciences, social sciences and women's interests.
Social Sciences Abstracts - Index with abstracts to more than 400 international, English-language periodicals. Indexing from February 1983 to the present. Abstracts from January 1994. Updated monthly.
Sociological Abstracts -Bibliographic coverage of sociology, social work, aging, gerontology, child and family studies, marriage and family therapy and other social sciences. The database provides abstracts of journal articles and citations to book reviews drawn from over 1,700 serials publications, and also provides abstracts of books, book chapters, dissertations, and conference papers. Covers 1963 to the present; updated six times per year.
Syracuse Newspapers - Full text articles from the Post-Standard (1986 - present), Syracuse Herald Journal (1986 - 2001), and Syracuse Herald American (1986 - 2001). The Syracuse Herald Journal and Herald American ceased publication in 2001.
Locating Journal Articles
1. Go to the Database Main Menu to locate a relevant database. You can choose a database by using the general subject categories of Social Sciences, Humanities, Science & Technology, Newspapers, etc. or you can choose an interdisciplinary database. Remember, some of the databases offer full text of the articles online, but others you will need to locate the journal article either through one of the e-journal packages or in print.
2. If the database is not full text, write down the full citation of the article that you want. Full citations include: author’s name, journal name, title of article, dates, volume & issue # (if available) and page numbers.
Example: Morris-Roberts, Kathryn. 2001. “Intervening in Friendship Exclusion? The Politics of Doing Feminist Research with Teenage Girls.” Ethics, Place and Environment 4.2 :147-153.
3. With this information go to the Full Text Journal Locator (you can access this through the E-Journals link on the Library webpage) to see if the Library subscribes to the article in full text through another database. Enter the journal title (not the article title!). If your journal title comes up, check the date of your citation to see whether it is within the range of years covered by the Library's subscriptions. If so, you may enter your citation into the SULinks popup window or you may use an advanced search in the database to locate the article. Please Ask Us! for help if needed.
4. If the article is not available full text online, go to the Summit online catalog, to find a call # for the journal that you are looking for. Using the call # and the article citation, go to the relevant floor and locate it. However, current issues (from the last year) are kept on the 2nd floor in the Current Periodicals area.
5. If the Library does not own the journal that you need, you can request it through interlibrary loan (ILLiad). This is a free service that you can use as often as you like. Generally, you can borrow a book for 4-6 weeks and a journal article is photocopied and yours to keep. Please note: It can take 7-14 days to receive materials through Interlibrary Loan.
NET ID Workstations - There are workstations throughout Bird Library (1st, 3rd and 4th floors) where SU students can access not only the Library's website and the internet, but they will also have access to other software such as Microsoft office, Excel, etc. Students may access these terminals through their net ID's and passwords. Any printing done through these Net ID workstations are free provided the students are within their 500 page limit of printing established by the University Information Technology Services.
To make Copies - First, go to the 1st Floor, where you can purchase a VendaCard. You will need one of these to print out or photocopy materials in the library. There are copiers usable with a vendacard, on floors 2-4 of Bird Library. There are two copiers in the extended use area outside of the Library on the first floor that are coin-operated, but the copies are .15 with coins, rather than .08 with the card. You cannot take periodicals outside to the extended use area to copy.
Reserves –1st floor at Circulation desk; be sure to have your call number first before going to get the material at the Reserves desk.
Media Services – Lower level – access to Microsoft Word and other graphics-type of software (Adobe products, etc.). Also, video collection and microforms.
Current Periodicals - 2nd floor - Journals, magazines and newspapers from the last 6-12 months are shelved here in alphabetical order.
Citation Style Guides - This page links to various style manuals available online: A.P.A. (American Psychological Association), M.L.A. (Modern Language Association), Turabian, and general guides. There is also a link to RefWorks, a web-based bibliographic management tool available to SU students, faculty and staff. RefWorks allows you to create your own personal databases into which you can import and store references from online databases and the SUMMIT catalog. You can use these references in writing your papers, automatically formatting footnotes and bibliographies in various different citation styles (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).
