 MIT 2100F Research Help for your Final Essay Marni Harrington FIMS & Linguistics Librarian The D.B. Weldon Library

What we’ll cover …  MIT 2100F Final Essay – What’s required?  Scholarly sources  How to find relevant sources  How to acknowledge these sources  How to find help

MIT 2100F Final Essay What’s required?  Croteau & Hoynes (course textbook)  Course Readings (on reserve at Weldon)on reserve at Weldon  Minimum of 4 Scholarly Readings

Course Reserves

Scholarly Readings What counts as scholarly?  Essays / chapters published in edited books (works of criticism) written by academics  Articles published in academic journals and / or peer-reviewed publications How can I identify these?  Author / editor: affiliation, credentials  Whole package: references, formal language, no advertising or illustrations

Scholarly books?

Scholarly background research?

Scholarly periodicals?

My topic  Has Al Jazeera played a role in shifting the power balance in international news reporting? Is it a viable alternative to Western news sources?

My topic  Has Al Jazeera played a role in shifting the power balance in international news reporting? Is it a viable alternative to Western news sources?

Research Process  Determine what I already know  Find background info  Search catalogue for books  Search databases for journal articles

Determine what you know  Croteau & Hoynes text  Readings on reserve  Other courses

Find background information  Dictionaries  Encyclopedias Start with Western Libraries Homepage

Background information

Browse by Program Pages

Al Jazeera

In Print

Scholarly Resources Finding Books, Chapters & Essays  Search Western Libraries Catalogue:  Keyword  Subject  Title  Author

Catalogue Search

Al Jazeera

Scholarly Resources Databases  All databases look different, but act similarly  Many ways to access  Browse by Program  Databases by Title

Al Jazeera

Scholarly Resources

Google Scholar

Scholarly Resources Looking for scholarly research resources takes time… Important to continually revise your search strategy as you go Don’t wait until the last minute!

Acknowledge your sources The final, but most important step in the research process… No matter what you do (take an idea or borrow an example), you cannot fail to acknowledge another persons work. Taking Ideas That Aren’t Yours INNAPPRORIATE FOR ALL AGES Graphic Modified by M.Mills (October 16 th, 2007)

Cite your sources Many citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago) Choose one, and stick with it Help is available: Citation guides on Browse by Program pages In print (multiple copies of style manuals at various libraries across campus) In person at the Research Help desk

Cite your sources A. Croteau, D., & Hoynes, W. (2006). The business of media: Corporate media and the public interest (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. B. Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, Print. C. Croteau & Hoynes, Textbook for excellent class with Prof. Smeltzer: MIT D. Croteau, David, and William Hoynes The business of media: Corporate media and the public interest. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Cite your sources A. Croteau, D., & Hoynes, W. (2006). The business of media: Corporate media and the public interest (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. (APA) B. Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, Print. (MLA, 7 th ed.) C. Croteau & Hoynes, Textbook for excellent class with Prof. Smeltzer: MIT (NOT ACCEPTABLE) D. Croteau, David, and William Hoynes The business of media: Corporate media and the public interest. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. (CHICAGO)

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