NSCC SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH SESSION Module 3 Pre-writing and Research
Welcome! You need information and you need to know where to find it. Now that you have a need for information, you need to create a search strategy. Where will you look for your information? What will be most useful to you? How will you know the resource is reliable? In this module you ll learn strategies for researching and accessing resources. The Writing and Research session has five modules. This is module number 3 Pre-writing and Research. In this package you will find everything you need to complete this module. SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 2
Contents Welcome!... Error! Bookmark not defined. What s inside?... Error! Bookmark not defined. LEARNING OUTCOMES What will I learn?... 4 WARMING UP Getting Ready to Learn... Error! Bookmark not defined. ACADEMIC HONESTY What do I need to know?... Error! Bookmark not defined. Paragraph Structure - Organizing your writing... Error! Bookmark not defined. FINAL STEPS: Finishing up the module... Error! Bookmark not defined. You ve completed this session!... Error! Bookmark not defined. SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 3
LEARNING OUTCOMES What will I learn? In this module you will learn and practice search strategies constructing search statements using Boolean operators evaluating sources of information using the NSCC library resources This is an important part of working towards the session learning objectives: Recognize the need for information Identify a variety of resources Develop and maintain a Research and Writing Journal SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 4
RESEARCH DISCUSSION SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 5
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Creating a Search Strategy A search strategy is an important tool and there are many ways to approach it. To practice, you will need three pages: 1. Search Strategy Worksheet Example 2. Search Strategy Worksheet 3. Search Strategy Study Sheet SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 11
ELECTRONIC TOUR OF THE LIBRARY SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 12
LIBRARY SCAVENGER HUNT DIRECTIONS Where will you find what you re looking for? Getting orientated to the NSCC Library Services will help you know who s available to help, where to find information, and much more! Use the scavenger hunt on the next page to orientate yourself to Library Services. You can do this on campus or online at http://www.library.nscc.ca/ SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 13
Library Scavenger Hunt Introduce yourself to the library staff and record their names. Find a book in the library stacks and record the title and author. List the titles of three different magazines that the library subscribes to. How many weeks can you check out a book for? How much does it cost to make 1 photocopy? How many days can you check a DVD out for? What is the Web address of the Library Services webpage? What is the name of the library s catalogue? What is a reserve item? What is a reference item? SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 14
FINAL STEPS: Finishing up the module Well done! You ve made it to the end of this module. In this module you ve: o search strategies o constructing search statements o using Boolean operators o evaluating sources of information o using the NSCC library resources This is an important part of your work towards these session learning objectives: Recognize the need for information Understand the ethical use of information Develop and maintain a Research and Writing Journal You ve completed this session! Next Module 4 Research and Writing SUMMER LEARNING SESSIONS WRITING AND RESEARCH Module 3 Page 15
Search Strategy Worksheet Example Steps Write a clear topic statement: Select the keywords from your topic statement. Usually 2 or 3 keywords give better results. Based on the keywords you identified above, select synonyms, related terms, and alternate forms for each of these keywords. Search Strategy 1: Formulate a search strategy using Boolean operators ( AND / ) to connect your keywords. Combine synonyms with. Combine different ideas/concepts with AND. Search Strategy 2: Formulate a search strategy using Boolean operators ( AND / ) along with your keywords. Combine synonyms with. Combine different ideas/concepts with AND. Select appropriate search tools (i.e. library catalogue, an article database, etc.). Search Review results and revise search. Search Strategy Discuss the prevalence and use of marijuana by Canadian teenagers Keyword A Keyword B Keyword C Keyword A Keyword B Keyword C marijuana teenagers Canadian teens, adolescents, adolescence, youth, young people cannabis, pot, weed, reefer, dope, doobie, sticky icky Canada, Canadians, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Ontario etc Keyword A teens teenagers adolescents AND Keyword B AND marijuana cannabis pot Keyword C Canada Canadians Nova Scotia Keyword A adolescents young people youth AND Keyword B AND Keyword C marijuana pot weed British Columbia Canada Ontario NSCC library catalogue article database: Academic Search Complete article database: CBCA Current Events Google?? Take your search strategies from above and insert them in the databases you selected. Not enough results? Revise your search terms and/or remove one of your keywords to broaden your results. Too many results? Use limits (scholarly journals, or by publishing year, etc ) and/or add another keyword to narrow your results. This is what search strategy #1 will look like in an article database, such as Academic Search Complete. Permission granted to modify teaching material created by B. Smit h, Librarian, Thompson Rivers University, BC
Search Strategy Study Sheet Define your topic. What do you want to know? Visit your campus library or library website to review and access a variety of information sources http://nscc.ca/library. Fill out the Search Strategy Worksheet Write a topic statement or Break your topic i nto 2-4 keywords that represent your topic s major concepts Consult a reference book (e.g., subject encyclopedias, handbooks, etc) to get a broad overview of your topic, keyword ideas, and a list of recommended books and articles on the topic. List all relevant synonyms, related terms, and alternative forms for your keywords to identify terms to use in the search strategy. Select from your list of keywords and build search strings using the Boolean Operators AND and to connect keywords. Select appropriate search tools Library Catalogue Article Databases Internet Search Engines To find books, e-books, DVDs, etc. Note the location and call number for the book & DVD titles you want to find. To find articles from periodicals journals, magazines and newspapers See the NSCC Library Services Research Guide http://subjectguides.nscc.ca/researchguide See the handout on differences between popular, trade, & scholarly journals. Sometimes it is good to search the Internet AFTER you have read your books and articles so you will be better able to evaluate the quality of the web. See the NSCC Library Services Subject Guides for program specific web sites. http://subjectguides.nscc.ca Implement your search strategies use Worksheet Evaluate your results. Not getting the results you need? Go back to your keyword list and try a different combination of terms. NOTE: If you are having trouble, come to your campus library s Information Desk or email us for help http://www.library.nscc.ca/contact_us/ Permission granted to modify teaching material created by B. Smith, Librarian, Thompson Rivers University, BC
Search Strategy Worksheet Steps Write a clear topic statement: Search Strategy Select the keywords from your topic statement. Usually 2 or 3 keywords give better results. Based on the keywords you identified above, select synonyms, related terms, and alternate forms for each of these keywords. Keyword A Keyword B Keyword C Keyword A Keyword B Keyword C Search Strategy 1: Formulate a search strategy using Boolean operators ( AND / ) to connect your keywords. Combine synonyms with. Combine different ideas/concepts with AND. Keyword A AND Keyword B AND Keyword C Search Strategy 2: Formulate a search strategy using Boolean operators ( AND / ) along with your keywords. Combine synonyms with. Combine different ideas/concepts with AND. Keyword A AND Keyword B AND Keyword C Select appropriate search tools (i.e. library catalogue, an article database, etc.). Search Review results and revise search. Take your search strategies from above and insert them in the databases you selected. Not enough results? Revise your search terms and/or remove one of your keywords to broaden your results. Too many results? Use limits (scholarly journals, or by publishing year, etc ) and/or add another keyword to narrow your results. Permission granted to modify teaching material created by B. Smit h, Librarian, Thompson Rivers University, BC