Contact a Librarian:Sasha Bishop (Beaufort) · Call: 843-525-
8236 · Email: [email protected](New River) · Call 843-470-6003 Text a Question: 843-256-2247
Information Literacy & the Research Process
The Importance of Good Information
SITUATION:Your brother just made his college
football team. You plan to be there for his first game.
What information do you need?
The Facts You Need:
Date & timeCityStadium locationDirectionsTicket informationWeather forecast
Possible Sources of InformationYour brotherNewspaperPrinted game
scheduleSports fan friendCollege or coachOnline
Map websiteCollege webpageWeather forecast
site
Are all of these sources of information equally reliable? Are they equally accurate?
What might go wrong if you get bad information?
What other situations call for good information?
School assignmentsJob-huntingWorkLearning a new skillTravelingMedical decisions
Finding good information for all of these situations requires INFORMATION LITERACY skills
Image used under a CC license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagogeek/4006101093/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Information Literacy:
The ability to FIND,
EVALUATE,and USE
RELIABLE INFORMATION
Ethically and LegallyImage used under a CC license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/4128848123/
The Research ProcessToday we will look at Information Literacy and the Research Process. Use these steps to help you organize your ideas and information as you prepare your assignments
Step 1: IDENTIFY your information needStep 2: USE BACKGROUND INFORMATION to
learn about your subject and develop your topic
Step 3: DEVELOP a research strategyStep 4: FIND and EVALUATE informationStep 5: WRITE and REVISE your paperStep 6: DOCUMENT your sources
Step 1: Determine Your Information Needs
What do you need to know about the assignment?
Number of pages
What subjects to cover
How many resources to use
Is a bibliography or works cited page required?
Step 2: Develop a Topic Using Background InformationLook at background information to develop
your topicLook at books and websites to get ideasReference books, such as encyclopedias, are a
good place to find background info
Once you know a little about your subject, you can come up with a specific topicTry to make your topic BROAD enough that you
will be able to find information on it, but NARROW enough that you will be able to cover it in a paper
Broad and Narrow Topics
Too broad:Sports
A narrower topic:Steroid use and sports
Even narrower:Steroid use and Olympic athletes
Probably too narrow:Steroid use and javelin throwers in the
1992 Barcelona Olympics
Step 3: Develop a Research Strategy
Once you decide on a topic, review the list of required sources for your assignmentDo you need books? Websites? News
articles? Scholarly articles? Multimedia?
Think of KEYWORDS you can use in your searchYou will use your keywords to search library
catalogs and databases
KeywordsSample topic:
Should Olympic athletes be penalized for using steroids?
What keywords could we use for our search?Olympics, athletes, sports, steroids, doping,
drugs, drug abuse, performance-enhancing drugs
Coming up with several keywords is important because one catalog or search engine might find many articles under the word “steroids,” but another might find more under “doping”
Step 4: Find Information
Now that we have a topic and keywords, we are ready to begin our search
In this step, we will find info using LRC resourcesLRC homepageOnline CatalogPASCAL DeliverseBooksDatabases (articles)
Starting Point:The LRC/Library Website
On the homepage:• The Online Catalog, eBooks, and Databases, accessible 24/7
Research and citation assistance with LibGuides
IM a librarianAccess FAQsTake the
information literacy tutorial (TILT) to improve your research skills
Find info: the LRC CatalogUse the catalog to find books and other
materials in our library, as well as ebooks that can be read on your computer
Search by title, author, subject, or keyword (e.g., “steroids”)
Can’t find a book in the LRC? Use PASCAL Delivers
Use PASCAL to order books from other libraries
This is a free service, and books usually arrive in our LRC within a week
After you do a search in the LRC catalog, click the PASCAL icon at the side of the screen
Search for your bookClick “Request item”Select TCL as your
school and put in your name and library ID
Note: Your library ID is the school code (00991000) and your 7-digit TCL ID #, separated by an underscore. If your ID# is only 6 digits, add a 0 after the underscore
Examples: If your TCL ID is
2345678, your library ID is 00991000_2345678
If your TCL ID is 123456, your library ID is 00991000_0123456
Click here if you do not have a TCL ID
Find Information: eBooksRead electronic books on your computerClick “eBook full text” to readUse the tools menu to search within a book and
retrieve citation information
Off-campus access: Username: TCL ID number located on your TCL ID card. (If you do not have a TCL ID, click here.) Password: first initial of your first name + last three digits of your SSN
Find Information: DatabasesDatabases let you search many different newspapers,
magazines, and scholarly journals at one time
Try using TCL’s databases instead of websites; the information you find through the databases will usually be more reliable
Select a database from the alphabetical list, or from the subject boxFor English classes, try the “English and Writing”
databases
Off-campus access: Username: TCL ID number located on your TCL ID card. (If you do not have a TCL ID, click here.) Password: first initial of your first name + last three digits of your SSN
Database: Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Use Opposing Viewpoints to research controversial topics
A good resource for persuasive essays
Browse the list of controversial topics, or search by one of your keywords
Database: Academic Search CompleteAcademic Search Complete covers many
subject areasSearch by your keywordsUse the “Limit your results” option to narrow
your resultsSelect “full text” to find only full text articlesSearch Tip:
Select “Scholarly/Peer Reviewed Journals” to find information in the most reliable sources. A scholarly or peer-reviewed journal is one that has been reviewed by experts in the field prior to publication.
Search for Information OnlinePros
Search engines are user-friendly and usually return lots of results
Information comes from a wide range of cultures and perspectives
Some online info is very up-to-date
ConsYou often find inaccurate informationYou often find irrelevant informationYou often get too many search results
A WARNING about Online Info
Web sites can be created by ANYONE
Unlike books, web sites can be published very quickly, and are not always edited or checked for accuracy
Not all teachers allow online sources for every assignment; make sure you ask before using webpages as sources
Used under a CC license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcobellucci/3534516458/
Evaluating Information
All sources of information should be evaluated
When you find a source, ask yourself . . .
How reliable is this source? Who wrote it? Is he/she an expert?
Is the information given by this source accurate? Can key facts be checked in other reliable sources?
How old is this source? Is it current enough for my paper?
Does the source cover my topic?
Evaluating WebsitesEvaluate websites carefully before using them
as sources
Ask yourself . . .Who created this website? Who published it? What
are their credentials?Is the information accurate? Can it be verified in
other trustworthy sources?When was the site updated? Is the information
current enough for my assignment?Does the site offer complete coverage of my topic?
For more tips on evaluating websites, check out our Evaluating Web Resources LibGuide
STEP 5: Now that you have your sources, you are ready to Write and Revise your paperIf you need writing
practice, try the LearningExpress Library database
Visit the Tutoring Center website to schedule an appointment with a tutor
Try Smarthinking, the 24/7 online tutoring service. Click here for more information
STEP 6: Document Your Sources
Remember, information literacy means using information ETHICALLY and LEGALLY
Documenting your sources helps you avoid PLAGIARISM and COPYRIGHT LAW VIOLATION
Image: jscreationsz, freedigitalphotos.net
Plagiarism and Copyright Law
PLAGIARISMCopying someone’s work and pretending it is
your ownUsing ideas, quotes, or facts that are not yours
without showing where you found them
COPYRIGHT LAW Ensures that authors are compensated for their
workBe careful when copying: making copies of your textbook
for another person’s use is a violation of copyright lawDownloading copyrighted works without permission is a
violation of U.S. law and TCL policy. Click here for more information
Document Your SourcesUse citations to show where you found all
facts, quotes, and ideasFor this class, use current MLA style guidelines
If you paraphrase part of an author’s work, or put it into your own words, you must still credit the author by citing your source
When you have questions about plagiarism or copyright law, ask a teacher or librarian
Resources for MLA Documentation
Handbooks and manuals in the LRC
MLA Citation Guide (http://libguides.tcl.edu/MLA)View examples of Works Cited page entries for
books, articles, websites, and more
NoodleTools (citation assistance)
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab: MLA Style
NoodleTools for Documentation:
NoodleTools is an online citation manager. Use it to . . .Create citationsGenerate your Works Cited pageFormat in-text citations
To get startedVisit NoodleTools (Off-campus, enter name and
TCL ID number when prompted)Create a free accountCheck out our NoodleTools guide for more
information
Information Literacy ReviewInformation literacy means . . .
Finding, Evaluating, &
Using Information Legally and Ethically
It is important for school, work, and any activity or situation you encounter that requires good information
Research process reviewLet these steps guide you through your
assignments
Step 1: IDENTIFY your information needStep 2: USE BACKGROUND INFORMATION to
learn about your subject and develop your topic
Step 3: DEVELOP a research strategyStep 4: FIND and EVALUATE informationStep 5: WRITE and REVISE your paperStep 6: DOCUMENT your sources
LRC ResourcesThe LRC has books, DVDs,
videos, newspapers, magazines, and reference materials
Check out the TCL Information Literacy Tutorial (TILT) for more information on the research process and LRC resources
Can’t find information on a topic? Don’t despair! You can order books from other libraries, read eBooks, or find articles in the Databases
LRC Resources: Laptops
The LRC checks out laptops to TCL students for up to four weeks at a time
Click here to learn more about our laptop program
LRC Resources: Kindle eReaders
The LRC checks out Kindle e-Readers to TCL students, faculty, and staff for two weeks at a time. Click here to learn more about Kindles and to put one on hold.
LRC Resources: Ways to Get HelpFor information on using our resources, see our
LibGuides page
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions + Answers page
Text the library: 843-256-2247
Send us an instant message via the chat window on this page
For more help, contact the LRC
Library News
Want to find out what’s new in the library? Check out the Library Blog for news, book reviews, Kindle information, and more!
LRC Hours and Contact Information• Beaufort Campus (Building 12, above the Student Center)
• Mon.-Thurs. 8am–8pm, Fri. 8am-11:30am • Call or email: Sasha Bishop, 843-525-8236, [email protected]
•New River Campus•LRC open for study/lab use Mon.-Fri. 8am – 10pm, Sat. 8am–5pm•Librarian hours: Mon. –Thurs. 8am-5:30pm, Fri. 8am-2pm•Call 843-470-6003