Final Project Assignment

DUE: December 5

NAME:

The point value for each question is noted. Total points for this assignment: 100 points

Before starting this assignment you must receive an assigned research question by email from your instructor.

Please answer all of the questions below and then email your completed assignment to your instructor (either: Eric Brenner at: Brenner@smccd.edu or Dennis Wolbers at: Wolbers@smccd.edu)

Using the Internet search tools you learned about and used in this course, find the following sources based on the topic assigned to you by your instructor’s email message:

1 book owned by Skyline Library (or any other PLS library)
1 periodical article from an established publication (i.e. avoid articles from news agencies, news services, news wires, webzines, and public relations press releases)
1 Web page

PLEASE NOTE:

You will be asked to provide specific information about each of your 3 sources.
You will use 3 separate search tools to find your 3 information sources. Part of your grade depends on choosing the appropriate search tool. You MUST use search tools that you learned about in this course. Review the lessons if you’re not certain which search tools to use.
Choose academic or semi-academic sources that would be appropriate for college-level research, i.e. avoid children’s books, entertainment magazines and websites, etc.
Be sure to choose sources that are relevant to this topic. You will lose points if you choose a false hit!!
Please read the questions and all NOTES carefully.

Copy the topic assigned to you by your instructor’s email message:

STEP 1: Identify the concepts of your research question. (5 points)

NOTE: Your question has at least 2 but not more than 4 concepts. Use only the number of spaces below that you need to identify the concepts of your question.

CONCEPT #1: __________________________________________

CONCEPT #2: __________________________________________

CONCEPT #3: __________________________________________

CONCEPT #4: __________________________________________

STEP 2: Fill out the search worksheet below for your research question. (5 points)

NOTE: Fill in only as many concepts that are appropriate to your question.

CONCEPT # Search Terms

STEP 3: Connect to the appropriate search tools one at a time and conduct your searches. As you find each information source (book, article, web page), answer the following questions.

A) SOURCE #1: ONE BOOK OWNED BY SKYLINE LIBRARY OR ANY OTHER PLS LIBRARY (30 points)

Please provide the following information about your SEARCH:

1. Which search tool did you use to find a book on your topic?
NOTE: Please give the exact name of the tool, not the category of tool.

2. What was the exact search statement you used?
NOTE: Your answer should be precise. Did you enter a single word, phrase, or a search statement combining words and/or phrases? What were they?

3. How many results (hits) did your search retrieve for all PLS libraries?

Provide the following information about the BOOK you’ve chosen:

4. Author(s) of the book (If no author is listed, give editor(s). If no editor(s), write “N/A”.):

5. Title of the book:

6. City where published:

7. Name of publisher:

8. Year of publication:

9. Does Skyline Library own this book? (Answer “Yes” or “No”):

If yes, what is the Skyline Library call number? _______________________________________
If no, name one library that owns this book: __________________________________________

10. List any subject headings shown on the record for this book under which there could be more titles relevant to your topic:
(List relevant subject headings only! Don’t choose randomly.)

Subject: _____________________________________________________________________

Subject: _____________________________________________________________________

Subject: _____________________________________________________________________

Subject: _____________________________________________________________________

B) SOURCE #2: ONE PERIODICAL ARTICLE FROM AN ESTABLISHED PUBLICATION (30 points)

Provide the following information about your SEARCH:

1. Which search tool did you use to find a periodical article on your topic?
NOTE: Please give the exact name of the tool, not the category of tool.

2. Type below the exact search statements (including Boolean operators) you used.
NOTE: Fill in only as many search statements as are appropriate to your question.

Search statement #1:

Search statement #2:

Search statement #3:

Search statement #4:

3. How many magazine articles did your search retrieve?

4. How many academic journal articles did your search retrieve?

5. How many news articles did your search retrieve?

Provide the following information about the ARTICLE you’ve chosen:
NOTE: If any piece of information below is not included for your article, type “not given.”

6. Article title:

7. Author(s):

8. Title of the periodical:

9. Volume number:

10. Issue number:

11. Date of publication:

12. Beginning page number of the article:

13. Number of pages of the article:

14. Name of the specific database the article is found in:

15. This article is from which type of periodical? Choose from the list below and type the letter of your choice:

a. scholarly and research journals
b. professional magazines and journals
c. magazines and journals of commentary and opinion
d. popular magazines and news magazines
e. newspapers

16. This article is best described as which type of article? Choose from the list below and type the letter of your choice:

a. news article
b. editorial
c. research article
d. book review
e. other-- please describe

C) SOURCE #3: ONE WEB PAGE (30 points)

Provide the following information about your SEARCH:

1. Which search tool did you use to find a web page on your topic?
NOTE: Please give the exact name of the tool, not the category of tool.

2. What was the exact search statement you used?

3. How many results did your search retrieve?

Provide the following information about the WEB PAGE you’ve chosen:

4. Title of the web page:

5. URL of the web page:

6. What is the title of the website that this page is part of?

7. Identify the author or organization responsible for this web page? (If you cannot identify an
author, you cannot use it and must find another page.) If an organization is responsible for
the website and is different from the author of the web page, also identify that organization.

8. Give details about the author of the page. For example, if the author is a person, what is
     his/her education, occupation, position, credentials, professional affiliations, etc.? If the
     author is an organization (company, non-profit group, etc.), what is the nature and purpose
     of this organization? If an organization is responsible for the website and is different from the
     author of the web page, also identify the nature and purpose of this organization.   (10 points)

9. Based on your answer to question 8, do you feel this person or organization is qualified to be
     presenting information on this topic? Please explain.

10. Explain how else you would go about evaluating this web page. Be as specific
      as you can about exactly which aspects you would consider and what you would do to
      help you decide if this information is good quality (i.e. trustworthy, accurate, credible, etc.)
      (10 points)

11. Taking into account all the specifics of your evaluation, is this web page appropriate
     for college level research? Why or why not?

List of Lessons

LSCI 100 Home

last revised: 11-26-08 by Eric Brenner & Dennis Wolbers, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA
These materials may be used for educational purposes. Please cite the source as: LSCI 100: Introduction to Information Online Research. Skyline College.
All commercial rights are reserved. Send comments or suggestions to: Eric Brenner at: brenner@smccd.edu.