CCM2426 Oct 13 Information skills for projects

Editor's Notes

• #2: WelcomeIntrosLots of group work etc
• #3: Different resources available....pros and consHow to develop an effective search strategy eg. Identify keywords, refining your searchHow to find and access books, journals and information for your projects using our online resourcesWhat to do if you can’t find what you wantEvaluating information for quality and relevance
• #4: Show of hands ‘Who attended a library workshop last year’? Keep a note of this.Divide class into groups, handout worksheet and ask them to discuss (5 mins):1 thing you would tell a 1st year about the Library?1thing which irritates you about the library?1thing you would like to know more about?Feedback and discussion. Note feedback.
• #5: Marking criteria for this project.In this session we are going to show you how to improve your marks.Worth considering this:Max points awarded to work which is based on good research and well referencedMax marks awarded if refs used are relevant and correctly written ie. Harvard style
• #6: Hands on exercise: Sources game.
• #7: Magazine (A regular publication aimed at a profession, business or interest....trade/popular)Good: Latest news: events, jobs, products etc, concise info, easy to obtainBad: lacks detail, can be bias, old issues hard to come byStandards (An agreed, often legally binding level of quality or way of doing something....regional, Nat, Internat, profession/sector) Good: Created by experts, confidenceCompany/market research report (Well researched overview of a company or product market. Could contain future trends, financial data, competitors and SWOT analysis)Good: Up-to-date: latest research/data, Insider information: information not freely available elsewhere, objective, accurateBad: Hard to locateWebpageGood: All subjects covered, easy to use, mobileBad: accuracy, no editorial control, anyone can add information, provenanceNewspapersGood: Daily information ie. up-to-date, edited, current issues accessibleBad: Sensationalist, biased (unbalanced), harder to get back issuesConference proceedings (Collofaca papers distributed after a conference, cont the contributions made by researchers, academics etc)Good: Up-to-date: latest research, ideas, thinking on a subject, focussed/specialist, stringent quality controlBad: Too specificJournalsGood: Up-to-date, Focussed: specialist subject areas, qualityBad: Too specificBooksGood: overview, background knowledge, edited/qualityBad: Currency, detailed/specific information
• #8: More information about the range of resources available on the Library Subject Guide.
• #9: Remember this from your 1st year?What can you see in the pictureie. fruitIf you type ‘fruit’ into database will get millions of hits, how can you break it down ie. search for something more specific to get more manageable resultsCan you be more specific ie. Type of fruit: apples, oranges, bananas etcLocation: Stall, market, outdoor market, fruit market, BritainDetail: boxes, signs, astroturf, prices, colour of fruit, lights, pound £ signs, special offer etcPeople in background: old, young, male, female > stall holder, customers, browsers etcThink of related subjects eg. retail, commercial, financial, point-of-saleShopping, shops, fish/meat/clothes market, shopping centres, high streetTown, city, centre, British townNutrition: vits and minsAlso: Orange or Blackberry: fruit NOT telephoneApple: fruit NOT computerThinking beyond the obvious, looking for the detail that might make a difference.
• #10: Give each group a worksheet and a copy of the project briefAsk each group to identify the keywords, then think of alternative, related and specific keywordsFeedback from each groupWe’ll use these keywords when you start searching for information next
• #11: Ask for volunteer from the class to log on to MyUniHub.Rest of the class will tell him/her what to do in order to find a journal article for their project (subject above).Make sure they know how to create Harvard references.Ask the class why they chose that particular article ie. what criteria used.
• #12: How do you decide if something is good enough to use?
• #13: Authority : Who is the author? What is their knowledge base/qualifications? How have they carried out their research? Relevance : Is this what I need? Will it answer my question? Is it at the right level?Intent : What is the purpose of information e.g. financial gain, propaganda, academic etc?Objectivity : Balanced view? Opposing views represented? Links to supporting information?Currency: How old is this information? When was it last updated and by whom?
• #14: Don’t panic!Next slide.
• #15: SCONUL Access http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/ The SCONUL Access Scheme provides reciprocal access and borrowing rights for staff and students to approximately 170 member institutions in the UK. Apply online.Other libraries (specialist, catalogues etc):British Library http://www.bl.uk/COPAChttp://copac.ac.uk/ COPAC is a union catalogue that gives access to the merged online catalogues of members of the Consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL). Twenty  major university libraries currently contribute to COPAC.Search25 http://www.search25.ac.uk/: helps you discover library resources across London and the South East. You can also see where the libraries are and find out how to visit them.SUNCAThttp://www.suncat.ac.uk/ SUNCAT, a union catalogue of serials (periodicals) for the UK, is a tool for locating serials held in UK libraries.
• #16: Libguides bring together all the resources for your subject area.
• #17: Marking criteria for this project.In this session we are going to show you how to improve your marks.Worth considering this:Max points awarded to work which is based on good research and well referencedMax marks awarded if refs used are relevant and correctly written ie. Harvard style