1. “Information literacy is a survival skill in
the Information Age” (ALA, 1989).
SOC 111
Research & Library Skills
Roën Janyk
Web Services Librarian
http://www.slideshare.net/okanagancollegelibrary

2. Outline
Introduction to Information Sources
Academic vs. Popular Sources
Peer review process
Research Skills
Using Sociology Databases
Key Library Resources
APA Citation Style
Library Research & Course Guides

3. Information Sources
 Wikipedia is considered an academic source.
 False
 A book found in an academic library (i.e. college,
university) is an academic source.
 False
Sources: True or False?

4. Sources: Do they matter?
• Academic sources: Pass through peer review process.
Authoritative and sourced. Objective and written for
academics. Carry more ‘weight’.
• Popular sources are often related to general interest
and do not require writers to provide research to
support their stories.

5. Publication (Registration and
Creation Certification) Dissemination
Manuscript & IP Editor
Academic
Publisher Library
Peer
Reviewers
Reformulation

6. Source Type Examples
Academic Sources Popular Sources
Academic Journals  Newspaper Articles
–Periodicals,  Magazine Articles
Serials  Trade Magazines
Academic Books  Organizational Profiles
 Media Reports
–Edited Books
 Reports from Other
–Anthologies Organizations
–Conference  Websites (usually)
Proceedings  Grey Literature
–Encyclopedias, –Institutional Reports
Dictionaries –Brochures
Published Reports –Press Releases

7. Evaluating Sources
Critically evaluate information sources
Criteria and methods of evaluating information
resources:
Comprehensiveness, relevance, author, purpose
and audience, accuracy and currency, objectivity
In academia we are looking for sources that are
reliable, accurate, objective, and up-to-date.
Evaluating Websites

8. Research: Step 1
• Define a topic
– Identify assignment topic or research question
• Plan for research
– Look for ‘command words’ (“argue”, “critique”,
“discuss”)
– Develop focus (area of topic/assignment you will
concentrate on)
• Take your focus, develop thesis statement

9. Research: Step 2
Finding information
• Information seeking strategies
– Identify keywords & synonyms
– Identify investigative tools (library catalogue,
research guides, key databases)
• Locate and gather resources
– Using search expressions, Boolean operators (AND,
OR, NOT)
– Broaden or narrow your research question/focus

10. Function Search Strategy Definition
Narrow AND Retrieves only records that
contain both words
NOT Eliminates material you don't want.
Careful to not lose valuable info.
Broaden OR Retrieves matches for either term,
more records. Use with terms with the
same meaning.
Wildcard Search variations of a word. Use 1 or
 Colo?r more symbols within a word to replace
 Global (w5) Warming 1 or more letters
Truncation Use a symbol at the end of a word to
 Using opera* to search replace any number of letters
for operations = opera, operant, operable, etc.
Combine Combine AND and OR in a single search. Divide your terms into units like an equation.
Nesting
 NO: media AND politics OR election retrieves records that match "media that also
match politics" OR retrieves records that match "election.“
 YES: media AND (politics OR election) retrieves records that match media that also
match either politics OR election

11. NOT
AND OR
Nesting
Truncation
(University of Idaho, 2012)
Creating a Search: Boolean Operators

12. Narrowing & Broadening
Results
• Too much information?
– Examine irrelevant records in search results
– Where did your search term match in search
results? (Subject, title, etc.)
– Use limiters (Boolean, field searching, database
limiters)
• Too little information?
– Spelling
– Eliminate long phrases or natural language
– Use alternate terms, try broadening your terms

13. Using Library Resources
• Library Databases & E-Resources
• Library Catalogue
• OCtopus (‘one-stop shopping’)
• Research & Course Guides
• Electronic Journals Listing
• Reference Sources
• Print Journals

14. Library Databases: Sociology
Find Articles  Sociology
 SocINDEX
 Academic Search Premier
 JSTOR
 Social Sciences Abstracts
 Project Muse
 Ebrary
 OCtopus

15. Search!
• Find sociology articles for the topic:
“Construct an argument about how gender
stereotypes promote gender inequalities.”

16. Library Catalogue
 Books, e-books, media, journals
 Use subject headings, call number browsing,
author searches
 Limit by location (Kelowna, Online)
 Request items from other campuses
 Renew items and place holds

17. More Ways to Find Articles
 Reference list & article citations, bibliographies
– Examine the reference lists of resources identified as being
useful, and find other similar resources.
 Subject headings in databases & catalogue
– Terms used to describe resources, controlled vocabulary,
assigned by indexers
 Known authors
– Search for other items by same author(s)
 Books or resources on similar topics
– In-person or virtual ‘shelf browsing’
 Searching journals directly
– More direct and focused than databases

18. Using Library Resources: Get Help
 Library Reference Desks
– Hours vary, phone, email, or in-person
– Citation assistance, research help
 AskAway
– Online, live chat reference service
– Open longer hours than library ; Manned by librarians from
post-secondary institutions across BC
– Chat boxes on website & within databases
 Library Guides (Guides by Course & Subject)
 E-mail
– Response received within 24 hours Sept – April

19. Research Skills: Citing Sources
Identify elements of the citation you will need for each
item (i.e. Title, author, date)
Cite your sources as you go!
Compile list of database citations as a working
document throughout research process
 Try a numerical system for in-text citations
 Write key author names with notes
Formatting rules provided by APA style guide
Do not trust MS Word or auto-formatting