How to Find Information on Controversial Topics

AFHE 304

September 15-19, 2003

Sandy Campbell and Allison Sivak

Science and Technology Library

University of Albe`rta

Outline

Introduction What’s New for 2003 Information Truths Finding Information Evaluating Information Kinds of Information Sources How Do You Find the Different Kinds of Information? Tricks for Getting the Material Systems for Keeping Your References in Order

Library’s Goal in Instruction

To ensure that U of A graduates are able to independently locate and evaluate required information.

What is Information

Information is the content transmitted during the communications process

U U U U U

U

Information

What’s New for 2003?

1) New Library Catalogue 2)

Chat (Virtual) Reference Services

3) Silent, quiet and common study floors in all libraries

What’s New for 2003?

5) E-journals – most current issues e-only by January,2004

6)Wireless networks in some areas of all libraries

What’s New for 2003?

7) Improved E-mail-only Notification featuresHeads Up notice / Overdue notice / Request arrival / Recall notice

8) Expanded Sunday and Holiday hours

Two Aspects of Information Use

Where to find information How to evaluate information

Information Truths You Need to Know

Most of what you find on the Internet is junk.

If information is useful, it probably has a price attached to it.

Most useful information is organized.

Finding Information

If you can’t figure out where to find a piece of information, think about who would be motivated to have it collected/created and published.

Evaluating Information

Critical Reviews of Journal Articles http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/criticalreviews/index.cfm

Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/criticalevaluation/index.cfm

Learning to Spot the Lies

How to Lie with Maps– SCI G 108.7 M747

How to Lie with Methodology– EDUC BF 38.5 S312

How to Lie with Statistics– SCI HA 29 H88

Kinds of Publications

Academic Publications Government Publications Newspapers/Magazines Corporate Publications Association Publications

Academic Publications

Scholarly articles Books Conference papers Technical reports

Strengths of Academic Publication

Peer Review– other scholars review the work before it is

published to ensure that it is of high quality– Ulrich’s International Periodical Directory

tells you if a title is peer reviewed Tenure

– permits faculty members to publish the truth as they see it without fear of political interference or monetary reprisals

Government Publications

Federal, provincial, municipal– may have a political bias

Kinds of publication– Statutes and regulations

standards

– Informational publications– Research publications

Newspapers/Magazines

Grade 6 reading level– (magazines and newspapers)

Purpose is often to entertain Content controlled by editors/advertisers Often have a well-recognized bias Letters to editor are a good source of local

opinion (often not indexed)

Corporate Publications

Public relations information

News Releases

Brochures Business information

Annual reports

Regulatory filings Technical information (research)

Association Publications

Usually highly focussed Often intelligence-rich, but money-poor Kinds of publications

– web-sites– newsletters– annual reports– action statements– books/magazines

Other Formats

Cartographic materials– William C. Wonders Map Collection

Data– Statistics Canada (CanSim)– Data from other government sources– Data from private sources

How Do You Find These Different Kinds of Information

Library Home Page Web search engines SciTech Reference SciTech Subject pages Indexes and Abstracts Corporate and Government Web-sites

Which Search Engine to Use?

Search Engine Showdown: Search Engine Features http://www.notess.com/search/features/byfeature.shtml

Search Engine Watch: Search Engine Features for Searchers

http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/ataglance.html

Comparison of Search Engine User Interface Capabilities http://lisweb.curtin.edu.au/staff/gwpersonal/

compare.html

How to Choose a Search Engine or Directory: http://library.albany.edu/internet/choose.html

Reference Collection and Subject Links

Sci/Tech Reference Collection– Lots of good material only available in paper

Sci/Tech Subject Links– Where the librarians publish their favorites– Always being revised and updated

Databases (Indexes and Abstracts)

CAB Abstracts Agricola Envrionment Abstracts Web of Science (Science Citation Index) CPIQ Canadian Newsstand

CAB Abstracts

(1973 to the present) international coverage of all aspects of

agriculture, horticulture, animal production and forestry

CABI = Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International.

Agricola

(1970 to the present) U.S. agricultural and life sciences

information 3.3 million citations to journal articles,

monographs, theses, patents, and technical reports.

Environment Universe

(1975 to the present) Includes all aspects of humankind and

technology impact on the environment microfiche of most of the articles available

in SciTech Library (Envirofiche)

Web of Science(Science Citation Index)

Includes– Art & Humanities Citation Index®

1989-present)

– Science Citation Index Expanded(TM) (1989-present)

– Social Sciences Citation Index® (1989-present Paper copy 1955- current Online 1975 -current Where have important articles been cited?

CPIQ

Canadian content Some scholarly journals but mainly “trade”

magazines The most general Canadian content

magazine index

Canadian Newsstand

Various dates - (1985 to the present to

2000-present ) Fulltext access to major Canadian newspapers.

Full text is available for the articles and transcripts but graphical material (photos, illustrations, graphs, etc.) is excluded. Classified ads, advertisements, and stock market reports are also excluded.

Tricks for Getting the Material

OneCard (NEOS Libraries)– Request a book

TAL Card (The Alberta Library) E-journals E-books Government web-sites Inter-library loan

The Alberta Library

Get your free card from the Circulation Desk in Cameron

Allows you to borrow up to 5 books at a time

Gives you access to more than 200 libraries in Alberta including– NAIT– Edmonton Public

COPPUL Undergraduate Library Card

Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries

Allows undergraduates to borrow books at any of the western universities and some colleges

Electronic Journals

Linked directly from the catalogue Small percentage of the collection More than 8000 now available More coming through JSTOR

Books 24 x 7

Full text of books available on line Mainly computer support books

NetLibrary More than 1000 books on a variety of

subjects

Systems for Keeping Your References in Order

ProCite– http://www.library.ualberta.ca/subject/

healthsciences/procite/index.cfm#what EndNote

How to Cite Electronic Titles

Same basic rules apply Citation Style Guides for the Internet and

Electronic Sources (http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/citation/index.cfm#Int)

Sandy Campbell Allison SivakReference Librarian Academic Library InternScience and Technology Science and Technology

Library Library1-26 Cameron Library 1-26 Cameron Library(780) 492 – 7915 (780) 492-5349sandy.campbell@ualberta.ca allison.sivak@ualberta.ca