IAT 309WLibrary Research Workshop

Shane PlanteSIAT Librarian

shane@sfu.ca

The plan• Finding your topic• Researching your topic• Evaluating your sources with the 3 Rs• Citing your sources• Getting help

• Questions (at any time)

finding your topic

your research topic

a clear position on the issue

a current issue or problem that is meaningful to you as an artist/designer/cultural

critic

finding a topic

These two elements are the foundation of your research topic

writing a research question1. Are bananas the perfect fruit?

Not a possible IAT 309W topic. Why?

a. It lacks an issue or a problem.b. Not argument-worthy. Who cares?

2. Should grocery stores in BC only be permitted to sell BC-grown fruits and vegetables?

A possible IAT 309W topic. Why?a. It has an issue or a problem. (e.g.,

sustainability)b. Argument-worthy. It’s a question worth

asking.

general topic specific topic

background sourcesexamples:

• encyclopedias• handbooks• books

finding a topic

Sample encyclopedia entry:

And a sample book:

something tangible research topic

kernel

http://www.flickr.com/photos/auxo/5817183192/

Should motion gaming be incorporated into Physical Education programs in Canadian schools?

finding a topic

news sources research topic

finding a topic

Should employees be allowed to outsource their own jobs?

Quan, K. (2013, January 17). Developer outsources job to China so he can watch cat videos. Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/

keep your eyes open research topic

finding a topic

Should universities in BC begin providing students with stand-up/sit-down desks?

Photo taken of improvised stand-up desk in Fraser Library. Not advised!

finding a topictry to be Goldilocksian - not too narrow - not too general

Tip: In general, you can only cover one idea per paragraph.

This can help to determine if your topic is too broad.

finding a topic

finding a topic

A. Should unhealthy foods be required to carry a warning label?

B. Should sodas 16 oz. or more be required to carry a warning label in Canada?

C. Should stores be banned from selling large sodas?

D. Should 7-Elevens in Surrey be required to include a warning label on their Big Gulps?

Do you think these topics are too broad, too narrow, or just right for an 8 page research paper?

+

+

researching your topic

before researching your topic

Spend some time brainstorming the following: - What information would you like to find?

- What are some good words for searching?

(+ gather new words as you go)

- What are some good places to search?

researching your topic Sample topic: Should sodas 16 oz. or more be required to carry a warning label in Canada?

Who would be likely to collect and publish information on this topic?

What could you do if you can’t find the exact articles and information you want on your topic?This will often be the case for more original topics. But: risk + reward

researching your topic Tips on finding• good places to search • great starting place: IAT 309W research guide

IAT 309W research guide

anatomy of a databaseSearch boxes

Sort results

Results

“Add to folder” button allows you to email articles and APA citations to yourself

“Where can I get this?” link finds full-text for articles not included in the database

Here, you can limit to scholarly journals; refine your results by date, subject heading, geography, etc.

researching your topic Finding scholarly sources• where to search• how to identify them

evaluating your sources(with the 3Rs)

Identifying scholarly sourcesScholarly journals Beason’s article

“Ethos and Error”Bibliography/References

19 citations in “Works Cited” list

Methodology Includes “Procedures” and “Subjects” sections

Author info “Associate Professor of English at the University of Southern Alabama”

Length 32 pages long

Language Understandable, but you need to concentrate “Using the questionnaire, subjects first indicated the extent to which they were bothered by each error, thereby gauging the error gravity of twenty pre-selected errors” (p. 38).

Evaluating information sources

(scholarly and non-scholarly)Scholarly journals Any informationBibliography/References

Documentation

Methodology DocumentationAuthor info AuthorityLength CompletenessLanguage Purpose

The Three Rs: Evaluating your sources

Recency– Are you including the most recent research about your

topic?– Would an historical perspective be useful?

Relevance– How closely does it relate to your topic?

• E.g., If you’ve found information that differs in culture/size/etc from your topic, is it still relevant?

Reliability– Who is the author

• What is the author’s expertise?– What is the purpose of the document?– Type of source? (scholarly, popular, government, etc.)

evaluating your sources

citing your sources

• What information don’t you need to cite?• What information do you

need to cite?

Image credits

Leaf by Peter SilkTree by Alberto Guerra QuintanillaLungs by chris dawsonBrain Machine Interface by HYPERMORGENAirplane by Dmitry BaranovskiyBinoculars by Luis PradoBanana by James KeuningPear by James KeuningTornado by Adam WhitcroftHand by Dmitry BaranovskiyBear is in the public domainMap by Alessandro SuraciResize by David SwansonSoda by Christopher AndersonCigarettes by Julia Soderberg

Poison by Robert LeonardoWorker by Juan Pablo BravoPencil by Monika CiapalaGymnast by James KeuningScalpel by Danny SturgessFinger Print by Diego NaiveAdd Time by Arthur ShlainTarget by James KeuningOkay by Stephanie WautersWarning by Stefan ParnarovNetwork by Mister PixelSignpost by Juan Pablo BravoUser Help by Murali KrishnaIdea Exchange by Luis Prado

All icons used were published with CC-BY licenses or are in the public domain. They all come from The Noun Project: thenounproject.com

In order of appearance:

citing your sources

getting help

How can the library help?1) Helping you to find background sources?

Yes!2) Helping you to find articles? Yes!3) Helping you to evaluate sources? Yes!4) Helping you to find APA style examples?

Yes!5) Helping you with structuring, paraphrasing,

and becoming a better writer? Yes!*

*see the Student Learning Commons

research consultations I’m happy to meet with you in a one-to-one appointment or you can visit one of our reference desks (Surrey, Burnaby, Vancouver)

If you want to meet with me, please: - Arrive prepared:

- bring topic(s)- bring questions

- Plan ahead:- please contact me (at least) a few days before you’d

like to meet- there are 40 of you + only 1 of me

ask a librarian

Or contact me directly:Shane Plante (shane@sfu.ca)SIAT Librarian