1. Academic Research
“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.”
1 Corinthians 13:11
Academic research requires a higher standard. Big issue for colleges. Professors won’t accept sources that aren’t appropriate for higher level analysis. You won’t be doing “reports” You will be expected to know your way around the free web, databases, google scholar, jstore, etc. if your professors don’t require it, ask for your money back.

2. Research vs. Academic Research
What is the difference? Here’s an example. These students are doing a report, but you’ll get the picture.

3. What DO college professors look for in student writing?
Ask students what they think they’ll be graded on when they write papers.

4. College Faculty Survey
Priorities for evaluating research papers:
citations (form and use)
use of direct quotes
appearance of paper
quality of writing
synthesis of material
evaluation of sources
grammar
overall grasp of subject
organization
precision of focus
thesis statement
logical summary
paragraph development
spelling and punctuation
bibliography (quantity)
Goodin, M. E. (1991, Fall). The Transferability of Library Research Skills from High School to College. School Library Media Quarterly, 20(1).

5. Using Wikipedia for Academic Research
Can wikipedia be used strategically? Ethically?
Look at: overview for your own background knowledge, get search terms, follow links in references
DO NOT CITE DIRECTLY FROM WIKIPEDIA

6. Developing search terms
Write down your initial topic as a phrase, a sentence or a question.
My Topic: Corporate Farming
Question: How does corporate farming impact the quality of food we eat? (may change question as I begin my research)
Example: before looking at a secondary source like wikipedia, encyclopedia or some other source of an overview, do these steps.

7. Developing search terms
Use wikipedia, a database, an encyclopedia or video to find keywords and phrases and begin to plan your research
Main idea words  | Which words represent the main ideas of your topic?
Synonyms | List synonyms of your keywords
Related terms | List important ideas that are related to your keywords
Context | Are there important people, places, events or time periods to help place your topic in context?

8. Using the Free Web
“Every man should have a built-in automatic crap detector operating inside him.” Ernest Hemingway, 1954

9. Currency? Relevance? Authority? Accuracy? Purpose?
The CRAAP Test
Currency? Relevance? Authority? Accuracy? Purpose?
Currency – timeliness – does it matter in every case?
Relevance – is it important for your research topic?
Authority – Who produced it and what are their credentials?
Accuracy – Is the info correct and can it be verified?
Purpose – fact, opinion, propaganda – what’s the bias? Everything has some bias, unless it’s raw data

10. Finding Academic Sources
Day 2

11. Review Academic research requires a higher standard.
Use Wikipedia only as a starting place. Get the big picture, references and important names and places
Don’t forget the CRAAP test (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose)

12. Don’t waste time with Google Basic Search
When accessing sites on the “free web” via Google, Bing or some other search engine: always use advanced search. In fact, ALWAYS use advanced search on databases, search tools, etc.

13. Google Advanced Search
Click on the gear thingy to get to Advanced Search

14. Use it to NARROW your Search
Put a search phrase here
Put several words related to your topic here
Narrow here by reading level, domain, etc.
Experiment with different search terms!

15. Why use Databases? Easy to search (ALWAYS USE ADVANCED SEARCH)
Vetted, high quality information
Citations done for you!
BTW – Check out EasyBib app

16. Databases NTPS Libraries: http://www.nthurston.k12.wa.us
SIRS Researcher, Proquest, eLibrary
Timberland Library:
Databases and web resources
SPSC:
Electronic Reference, databases, eReserves
WWU:
Reference databases, library guides
Databases do some of the work for you. D

17. “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Isaac Newton
The motto of Google scholar.
Just scholarly papers: journals, theses, dissertations, published works by academics

18. What to look for in google scholar. Use ADVANCED SEARCH
What to look for in google scholar. Use ADVANCED SEARCH! Most often these are just abstracts or summaries, except the PDFs are usually the full article.