June 2010 Introduction to using the internet for academic purposes

Today’s session How is using the Internet for academic purposes different? Tips for better searches Where to search? How to find trustworthy online resources Learn more ….

How is using the Internet for academic purposes different? 1. You will be looking for information on complex queries such as: “How does behavioural genetics contribute to our understanding of the role of nature and nurture in human psychology and psychiatry?” 2. You will be looking for documents other than web sites, such as books and chapters from books, journal articles, law reports, government documents, archives, etc. 3. You will need to cite your references and need to show that you have read and drawn information from appropriate sources, e.g. some universities have banned students citing Wikipedia as a source of information

Tips for better searches Think about what you’re typing in Keep it simple. Describe what you need with as few terms as possible. Think how the page you are looking for will be written. A search engine is a program that just matches the words you use to pages on the web. Use the words that you think are most likely to appear on the pages.

Tips for better searches Think about:  Variant spellings e.g.  American spellings (such as colour/color)  Plurals such as child/children.  Alternative / related terms e.g.  Vitamin C / ascorbic acid  Chimpanzee / Pan troglodytes  Burma / Myanmar

Boolean operato rs AND calcium and bone If term A is ‘calcium’ and term B is ‘bone’, this search will find articles or sites about the role of calcium in building bone

Boolean operators OR Global warming or climate change If term A is ‘global warming’ and term B is ‘climate change’, this search will find articles or sites that contain either term.

Boolean operators Java NOT Java not Indonesia If term A is ‘java’ and term B is ‘Indonesia’, this search will exclude articles or sites about Java in Indonesia.

Key search terms What are the key search terms for: “How does behavioural genetics contribute to our understanding of the role of nature and nurture in human psychology and psychiatry?”

Key search terms “How does behavioural genetics contribute to our understanding of the role of nature and nurture in human psychology and psychiatry?”  Behavioural Genetics (in USA, Behavioral Genetics)  Nature and Nurture (also referred to as Nature versus Nurture, Nature vs Nurture, Nature/Nurture, amongst other variations)  Human

Where to search for information Google/other search engines Google  Google Books  Google Scholar  Evaluate web sites carefully! Subject gateways such as IntuteIntute Library resources  Books and ebooks  Journals and ejournals  Databases – full-text/bibliographic  Statistical data  Images  Institutional repository Use the Library’s subscribed/recommended resources for best results – see the web site/ask at the help desk/ask your subject librarian for recommendations

Evaluating websites When carrying out searches for information on the web, it is very important to evaluate the quality and reliability of the information you find. Why? Because anyone can put information on the Internet It may be inaccurate, out of date or biased (e.g. trying to sell a product, someone’s personal opinion, a religious viewpoint) It may not be the right level for your studies (e.g. aimed at schoolchildren or the general public)

Evaluating websites How? There are clues in the web pages that you can look for: Author’s name, qualifications, affiliation Date the page was created or last modified Are there broken links? Is there advertising or sponsorship? Is it well-designed/are there spelling mistakes or other errors you can spot? Always try to verify information on at least two independent sites.

Reading a web site address = UK education sites.edu = US education sites.gov and.gov.uk = US and UK government sites.nhs = National Health Service sites

How to find trustworthy resources Access resources provided by the library and available via our website Use subject gateways compiled by lecturers and librarians e.g. IntuteIntute See the Subject Guides section of the Library web site for lists of useful databases and web resources for your subject.Subject Guides

Trustworthy or not? World Trade Organisation 1 World Trade Organisation 2 Treatment of Eczema (atopic) Dihydrogen monoxide research Martin Luther King: a true historical examination William Blake archive The Emily Chesley Reading Circle

Learn more….. Take advantage of free tutorials on how to search the Internet effectively e.g.:  Internet Detective Internet Detective  Virtual Training Suite Virtual Training Suite See the Learn Library skills section on the Library home page for links to these and many more.Learn Library skills

Library Help Desk – / Any questions?