100 information literacy success pdf

Information Literacy

Information Literacy E1

FIND YOUR PURPOSE A Grand Canyon University Media Publication

FIND YOUR PURPOSE

INFORMATION LITERACY

A Grand Canyon University Media Publication

Edition 1

p. i

Executive Editor: Declan Joyce Consulting Editors: Mark Alexander, Michael Berger, Nicole Quow-Thomason Assistant Editor: Dawn Sizemore Copy Editor: Lindsay Harrel

Contributors

Senior Art Director: Miranda Hildebrand Instructional Designer: Ryan Hughes Art Development and Design / Photography: David Pinter

Art Direction

Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Photography Credits and Illustrations: Grand Canyon University, Copyright © 2011, 2012, 2013

Copyright Information

Grand Canyon University 3300 W Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ 85017 602.639.7500

Permissions Contact

Imprint

p. ii

p. iii

p. iv

Content Summary

Information Literacy - Getting Started 1 Library and Technology Literacy 2 Literacy Strategies 3 Prewriting Strategies Reloaded 4 Communication 5 Communicating Through Writing 6 Preparing for Success in College and Career 7

CHAPTERS

p. v

Table of Contents

Information Literacy - Getting Started1

Library and Technology Literacy2 CHAPTER

CHAPTER

Introduction

Information Literacy Defined

New Knowledge Skills

Library Research

Brainstorming

Library Reference Resources

Concept Mapping

Documenting Your Research Strategies

Have You Located the Information You Need?

Types of Information

Information Explosion

Organizing Information

Introduction

The Research Process

1

1

2

3

4

5

5

5

6

6

7

7

9

9

Essay by: Nita Mailander

Essay by: Dana Shreve

p. vi

Literacy Strategies 3

Understanding the GCU Library

• Research & Resources

• Help

The Library Staff

Searching Within Databases

Citing Resources

Summary

11

11

11

12

13

15

20

21

21

23

23

26

28

29

29

30

30

31

32

34

CHAPTER

Introduction

Understanding the Importance of Critical Analysis

Evaluating Your Research and Putting It to Use

Organizing for the Rough Draft

Brainstorming for the Outline

Building an Example Paper

Example Introduction Paragraph

Creating Topics for the Body Paragraphs

Example Conclusion Paragraph

Blank Organizational Information Chart

Developing the Outline

Example Outline

Summary

Essay by: Julie Blair

p. vii

Prewriting Strategies Reloaded4 CHAPTER

Introduction

Organizational Strategies

• Alphabetical Organization (ABC)

• Hierarchical Organization

• Chronological Organization

• Categorical or Conceptual Organization

Reviewing the Thesis Statement

From Thesis Statement to Topic Sentences

Word Choice

• Using the Third Person

• Parallel Structure

• Transitions

• Beefing up Vocabulary

What Is an In-Text Citation?

Rubrics: A Roadmap to Success

Organizing Written Documents

Example of a Well-Written Expository Essay

Example of a Poorly Written Expository Essay

35

36

36

36

36

36

37

39

40

40

40

40

41

41

42

42

44

45

Essay by: Beverly Santelli

p. viii

Communication 5 CHAPTER

Introduction

Evolution of Communication

Methods of Communication

• Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

• Mismatched Communication

• Written Communication

Effective Communication

• Questioning Techniques

• Communication Techniques

Importance of Communication

Using E-mail

Tools to Assist with Written Communication

Summary

47

48

48

48

49

49

49

50

51

51

53

54

54

Essay by: Lori Eyre

p. ix

Communicating Through Writing 6 CHAPTER

Communicating Legally and Ethically

Intellectual Property

Plagiarism

Communicating Ethically

Information and Privacy Issues

Information and Security Issues

Using the First, Second, and Third Person

Rough Draft to Final Draft

Final Checklist: Rough to Final Draft

Application of Organized Information

Organizing Graphics

55

55

56

57

57

58

58

60

61

61

62

Essay by: Nicole Rhoades

Preparing for Success in College and Career7 CHAPTER

Introduction

The Importance of Education

Goal-Setting

Tools for College Success

63

64

66

69

Essay by: Dr. Kevin Thrasher

p. x

Reading Strategies

• Before You Read

• While You Read

• After You Read

Other Reading Strategies

• SQ3R

• Predict-Read-Prove

• K-W-L

• Graphic Organizers

• Word Maps for Learning Vocabulary

Test-Taking Techniques

• Objective Examinations

• Essay Examinations

What to Do BEFORE the Test!

• Be Prepared

• Keep Up With Your Homework

• Spread the Learning Out

• Ask for Help

• Never Miss Classes

Reading Response Journal

70

71

71

72

72

72

72

72

73

73

73

73

75

76

76

76

76

76

76

79

p. xi

Nita Mailander

Dana Shreve

Julie Blair

Beverly Santelli

Lori Eyre

Nicole Rhoades

Dr. Kevin Thrasher

A

A

A

B

B

B

B

Author Biographies A

p. xii

ABOUTTHIS BOOK

Introduction

If you are reading this, chances are you have already successfully completed your first class at Grand Canyon University: UNV-103, University Success. In which case, well done! Now that you have become familiar with some of the basic skills you will need to succeed in college, it is time to develop your ability to access, evaluate, and synthesize information. The ability to make sense of the increasingly vast amount of information we are

confronted with daily is known as “information literacy”, and it is this ability that your new class, UNV-104, aims to help you develop. As with UNV-103, the university has developed an original eBook to more fully meet the needs of our students. As such, this book is tailored closely to the principal assignment you will need to complete for

p. xiii

this class: researching and writing an expository essay. Every stage of this assignment, from accessing and evaluating resources in GCU’s Fleming Library to the writing of an outline, a rough draft, and a final draft, is covered in full detail. Working closely with the eBook as you progress through the stages of UNV-104 is best way to ensure that you get the most out of this class. By completing UNV-103, you have already shown that you have the focus and determination

to succeed. It is our hope that this eBook will help you advance to the next stage in your learning.

Welcome to Grand Canyon University

Information Literacy

CHAPTER 1

GETTING STARTED Nita Mailander, Director of Library Services, Grand Canyon University

Introduction Information literacy encompasses many

skills in our fast-expanding digital world. You may not realize how many times in a day that you use information literacy skills. What used to be a refined skill for students, researchers, and scientists has become es- sential to navigating our everyday personal, school, and work lives. “Information literacy practice empowers individuals, communities, and nations. It underscores the importance of our democratic principles and practices. By systemically integrating it as a key competen- cy for all Americans, we can artfully sustain our primacy as a self-sufficient, prosperous 21st-century nation in today’s ever-evolving, dynamic digital universe” (National Forum on Information Literacy, 2012b, para. 1).

Information Literacy Defined The importance of information literacy has

increased with the electronic and technologi- cal explosion of our modern world. Informa- tion literacy is defined as the ability to “rec- ognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effec- tively the needed information” (American Library Association, 1989, para. 3). With con- stantly changing technologies to master and increasingly large amounts of information to evaluate, information literacy skills are not just a one-time “learn it and forget it” set of skills. What information skills we master to- day in school or at work may be different in one year, will have definitely changed in five years, and perhaps will not even be relevant in ten years.

p. 1

For example, the dial-up modem, the use of command line language to input search key- words into the first electronic databases, and waiting for the National Library of Medicine to mail the print output of Medline results, along with an invoice, were all state-of-the- art technologies and methods less than 20 years ago. Before electronic databases, stu- dents browsed large volumes of print journal indexes organized by subject, hand-copied the citations that were relevant to their topic search, and then typed all the citations into an organized list for review. Compare that time-intensive process to our current abil-

ity to quickly perform an on-demand search of millions of clinical medical citations, free of charge, in the PubMed.gov database. As a GCU student, you have access to great data- bases with full-text resources at your finger- tips through the Fleming Library.

New Knowledge Skills Information literacy today encompasses not

only the ability to navigate the library’s re- sources, but also to navigate different media formats and technologies. Information lit- eracy encompasses library, computer, tech- nology, and media literacy. The GCU Fleming Library’s large electronic collections of tens of thousands of journal titles are all avail- able via the library’s website (http://library. gcu.edu). In order to successfully locate the research you need to support your courses, you need to know how to efficiently manage

a computer and the Internet. In order to be information savvy, you also need to be aware of different formats and types of media. Is the article you need for your research available in a PDF format? Are you searching for a stream- ing media file of a theatrical performance? Do you know what format the streaming media file is in and whether you have the correct media player on your computer to watch it?

So much of our personal, work, and educa- tional lives is affected by our mastery of in- formation literacy skills. Think of how you use social media such as Facebook and Twit-

ter and how you use the Internet to commu- nicate with friends and family via e-mail. Are you able to use your favorite apps on your smartphone to find a better shopping deal? A closer coffee shop? Cheaper gas? You have digital information literacy skills that you use repeatedly in your personal life. These every- day information literacy skills are transfer- able to library and Internet research strate- gies. “To prosper in the Digital Age, people must become masters of information” (Stern, 2003).

You have access to

great databases with

ful l -text resources at

your f inger tips through

the Fleming Library.

Figure 1, Source: Braun, 1937

Information literacy, scholarly research skills, and the pursuit of “new knowledge skills” are not new concepts (see Figure 1). What makes information literacy so crucial in today’s world is the expansion and reliance on technology and digital access to information. Our libraries are no longer filled with physi- cal card catalogs and stacks of print journals. In order to be a successful student, you will need to learn effective search strategies, in- cluding identifying key concepts to perform a search in the online library resources.

To find research articles that support the main statement of your essay—your thesis— you will need to understand how to access the library’s databases, find full-text journal articles, and apply limits to your search to re- strict to peer-reviewed articles. (These topics are covered in greater detail in Chapter 2 of this eBook.) The GCU librarians are here to assist you in all of your research needs. You can sign up for a live interactive webinar or call, e-mail, or chat with us for individualized research assistance.

If your information literacy skills need some brushing up, the library is here to help you locate APA citations or refine your search strategies by suggesting key concepts and keywords that will result in the most rel- evant results. Today’s information is located not just in our library databases and the li- brary’s website; GCU’s librarians are talented locators of all information whether they are helping you find statistics or a research ar- ticle to support the latest medical innovation.

LIBRARY RESEARCH Contacting the Library Ask a Librarian: http://library.gcu.edu/AskALibrarian Chat or Sign Up for Webinars and Workshops: http://library.gcu.edu Phone: (800) 800-9776, x6396641

• Determine the extent of information needed. • Access the needed information effectively and efficiently. • Evaluate information and its sources critically. • Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base. • Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose. • Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally.

STANDARDS

Please remember that you are only a phone call, e-mail, or chat away from the help you need to find the information you require for your course assignments.

Being information-aware also means you should be able to identify the question you want answered and critically evaluate the resources you locate. The American Library Association’s division of the Association of College and Research Libraries (2001) has identified six key infor- mation literacy competency standards. Your coursework and your use of the GCU library will help you develop your ability to apply all of these standards while conducting your research:

http://library.gcu.edu/AskALibrarian
http://library.gcu.edu
p. 4

BRAINSTORMING For many of your discussion questions, as

well as your individual and group assign- ments, you will be given topics to research or discuss. For others, you will choose the subject area and define your own research topics. Whether you need to develop ideas for assigned topics or choose a topic yourself, you start with brainstorming. You begin by thinking about your topic, what you know, what you do not know, and what you need to investigate further. The Fleming Library has wonderful resources you can use to browse subjects to help you choose, refine, or re- search a topic.

Several of the library’s databases allow you to peruse current topics organized by subject area. On the library’s “Find Journal Articles” or database pages, you can locate “Opposing Viewpoints” or “Issues and Controversies.” Both of these databases have great articles and resources to help you further define or choose a topic. You can review “Issues in the Headlines”, click through the areas of “Need a Research Topic?”, or browse “Featured News” sections or topics currently under national debate. Alternatively, you can click through the different main subject headings to find a topic of interest.

When you have chosen a topic, you will need to identify the key concepts that you want to

Source: National Forum on Information Literacy, 2012

address and begin to identify resources and keywords relating to your topic. In addition to the library’s resources, a general Internet search can be a great place to start. You will be able to find some blogs, Wikipedia entries, images, and articles to help you begin to have a base understanding of your topic. However, while a general Internet search can help you think about and process the elements that you want to include in your research, it is often not where you will locate the main resources to cite in your assignments. The Internet has great quality information at your fingertips, but you will have to learn to evaluate that information based on multiple factors, in- cluding authority, reliability, and credibility of the author and content. For example, it is important to consider whether an article was written as an opinion piece by someone with little authority or whether you have located a website written by a renowned professional association in the field of your topic.

Library Reference Resources Rather than using what may be unreliable Internet websites, use the library to find authori-

tative general reference sources. On the library’s website, you will find the Credo Reference database, which consists of over 600 encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, and much more. Credo Reference is a wonderful starting point to find quality, reliable general information on your research topics. Access Credo Reference via the library’s website at http://library.gcu.edu and click on “Find Journal Articles.”

Concept Mapping One of the other highlights in the Credo Reference database is the concept-mapping feature.

When you are brainstorming and identifying keywords associated with your topic, it can be helpful to diagram the associations between concepts with a visual map. You can search the concept maps available in Credo Reference (see Figure 2) or you can hand draw your own visual map or graphic organizer.

“The big struggle is over what kind of information Google and other search engines kick back to users. In the age

of social media where users can be their own content creators, it might get

harder and harder to separate high- quality material from junk.” (Pew, 2010,

para. 33)

Documenting Your Research Strategies One of the goals of brainstorming your research topic is to identify synonyms and keywords

to help you with your search strategies to locate scholarly resources. For example, in the med- ical field, there are many different words that can be used to describe the same condition (e.g., “heart attack” versus “myocardial infarction”, “high blood pressure” versus “hypertension”). Or think about online education; when searching this topic, you could use the keywords “distance education,” “virtual classrooms,” “web-based education,” or “Internet in education.” An orga-

nized concept map or list of keywords will help you ensure that you have an effective search strategy to retrieve rele- vant results in the library’s databases. As you brainstorm, jot down in a research journal or log your keywords and con- cepts. Write down what keywords result in good, relevant information and what do not. Make notes on what databases to target. You can also write down important authors you want to research more or additional references you want to read. When you need to recreate your search or review and update your strategy, you will be able to remember what you have already done.

p. 5

Figure 2:

periencing or involved in the original event? Consider, for example, the well-known work The Diary of Anne Frank. Her diary is autobi- ographical and is therefore primary informa- tion. If you were to read the diary and then use it as a resource for an essay about the historical context of war, the Holocaust, and persecution, you would be creating second- ary information. The majority of the infor- mation and journal articles that you will use to support your GCU assignments will most likely be secondary information.

It is important not only to identify the type of information, but also who created it. Knowing who published or produced the in-

formation can help you identify its authority, validity, and credibility. Who wrote the ar- ticle and why? Who owns the information? Is it full text? Does the information present an opposing position that you need to address? What about the format of the information? Is it in the form of a journal article or research paper? Are you citing information from an oral presentation or online lecture? The in- formation you process and review can come in many forms. The GCU Fleming Library has physical books, digital books, journal articles, streaming videos, and more. Identifying the format of the information you are seeking or retrieving will also help you determine its usefulness. Think of all the different formats of information you have used: graphics for PowerPoint presentations, streaming video as a part of an oral presentation, or a chapter from an eBook.

Have You Located the Information You Need? Once you have done some brainstorming and established your concepts and keywords, you

can begin to determine if you have enough information to support your writing. Do you need to revise or refocus your essay arguments or statements? Now that you are armed with sub- ject information, does your original thesis or framework need to be revised? Does the infor- mation retrieved support your thesis? Does further research or information gathering need to be performed? Does your search strategy need to be updated? Remember, the GCU librarians are here to help you revise, refocus, and develop your information-gathering techniques and strategies.

Types of Information As you gather and evaluate information, you will need to identify different types. Do you

need factual information about a historical figure to write a biographical summary? Can you identify any bias in the information you are reading? Is the author writing objectively or does he or she have an opinion or relationship that is making his or her views and writing subjec- tive? Are you reviewing primary information that has been documented by the person ex-

SUPPORT YOUR THESIS

“Information literacy is a survival skill in the Informa-

tion Age. Instead of drowning in the abundance of

information that floods their lives, information liter-

ate people know how to find, evaluate, and use infor-

mation effectively to solve a particular problem or

make a decision, whether the information they select

comes from a computer, a book, a government agen-

cy, a film, or any number of other possible resources.”

(American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, 1989,

para. 19)

Information Explosion Information itself has not changed as much as the sheer amount and increased accessibility of

information. Our increasingly powerful smartphones, tablets, and new mobile devices will only increase our connectedness to a continual flood of information. Forty-six percent of American adults now own smartphones (Pew, 2012). We skim our Google results to find the right one to click on and give a cursory overview of our e-mail inboxes. We no longer wait for the postal ser- vice to read in-depth correspondence from family or friends. We connect with them on Facebook and by other electronic means (e.g., a quick e-mail or text on our smartphones, video conferenc- ing for a group assignment or to catch up with relatives living far away). It is not the things we do that have changed, but the way we do them in a digital world. Understanding where to find help with your computer; where to update your e-mail contact information; and where to find reliable, credible research and factual information are all part of 21st-century information skills.

Organizing Information The coming years of innovation and change will no doubt bring incredible advances in how we

access and process information. Information growth from 1999 through 2002 alone was estimat- ed at 30% (University of California, Berkley, 2003). This information explosion will only continue. You will need to develop strategies to filter, group, and retain the vast amount of information that you come across. It is important to document where you found information. Some strategies for doing this include bookmarking the website by adding it to your favorites list, saving the PDF of the journal article you found, or copying and pasting the citation of the book chapter you want to review. For large amounts of research-gathering for a long-term project, consider using one of

p. 7

References American Library Association, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. (1989). Final report. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries. (2001). Information literacy competency standards for higher

education. Chicago, IL: Author. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency Braun, S. (1937). The world wants new knowledge [Poster]. Ohio: Federal Art Project. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/98517175 National Forum on Information Literacy. (2012a). Information literacy skills. Retrieved from http://infolit.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/

IL-Umbrella.jp National Forum on Information Literacy. (2012b). Welcome! Retrieved from http://infolit.org/about-the-nfil/welcom Pew Research Center. (2010, February 10). Does Google make us stupid? Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1499/google-does-it-

make-us-stupid-experts-stakeholders-mostly-say-no Pew Research Center. (2012, March 1). Nearly half of American adults are smartphone owners. Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/

pubs/2206/smartphones-cell-phones-blackberry-android-iphone Stern, C. (2003). Information literacy unplugged: Teaching information literacy without technology [White paper prepared for UNESCO, the

US NCLIS, and National Forum for Information Literacy]. Prague: UNESCO. University of California, Berkeley, School of Information Management and Systems. (2003). How much information? Retrieved from http://

www2.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/execsum.htm

the library’s citation management tools such as RefWorks or EndNote Web (see Chapter 2). As you continue your scholarly work, you will experience trends over time that will im- pact not only your education but your profes- sional career. The way you learn or relearn information and how you digest and retain that information will have a large impact on your school experience, career, and personal success.

In several years, you will look back on the skills you gained doing your scholarly re- search and marvel at how access to informa- tion has changed. Many of your parents will recall the physical card catalogs and lack of digitized content in the past. Compare that to today, where all of our library resources are accessible via the Internet 24/7 and librarians are at your fingertips via your mobile device. As you continue your studies and your profes- sional work, remember the importance and application of the information skills you are acquiring and how to keep them fresh and in tune with the advancements of the future.

By reviewing the information literacy skills outlined in this chapter, you should now have a better understanding of the availability of information resources at your fingertips, how to evaluate their credibility, and how to orga- nize your information search results. By ap- plying your critical thinking skills and brain- storming and concept-mapping techniques, you are on the right track to implementing research and study habits that you will use throughout a lifetime of technological ad- vances.

“Information literacy forms the basis for life-

long learning. It is common to all disciplines,

to all learning environments, and to all levels

of education. It enables learners to master con-

tent and extend their investigations, become

more self-directed, and assume greater control

over their own learning.” (American Library Association, Association of College and Research Librar- ies, 2001, para. 4)

Library and Technology Literacy

CHAPTER 2

Written Dana Shreve, Reference Manager,

Grand Canyon University Fleming Library

Throughout your time at GCU, you may be given written assignments ranging from short expository essays, as in this course, to full-length dissertations. The best tool to help you with finding research for these essays is the Fleming Library. This chapter will cover how to develop a topic, use the library web- site, search within databases, and cite and format your sources.

p. 9

Defining a topic for an assignment can be easy (one given by the in- structor) or tricky (one you have to develop). If the assignment is given by the instructor, then proceeding with the research and writing pro- cess is relatively easy. You just need to know what resources to use and how quickly you need them. Reviewing the assignment thoroughly can give you valuable clues.

The following is an example assignment:

Write a 500–750-word, five-paragraph essay that is supported with at least one credible resource. Submit this by the end of Day 7 of Module 1. Please choose only one topic from the following options:

• Video games and violence • Internet and workplace • Exercise and obesity • Academic achievement and library

As you can see from the example, you are given a list of topics to choose from, a type of resource, and a deadline. Your next step would be to choose a topic that interests you and begin to look for your credible source. Using the GCU Fleming Library electronic resources is a great way to accomplish this task, as it has more than 46,000 full-text jour- nals available at your fingertips. Having this many readily available re- sources will aid in your academic success from this class through gradu- ation.

But what if you have to choose a topic on your own? Here is an ex- ample of such an assignment:

Write an essay of 500–750 words containing an analysis of your personal learning styles and intelligences. Use the GCU Library to re- search a minimum of three articles you can cite in your essay.

Now what do you do? First, you would read the module’s lecture and assigned textbook readings to get an understanding of what your personal learning style is and how it connects to intelligence. As you read, write down keywords that you can use to help you locate the articles you will use to sup- port your argument. The second step is to use the Fleming Library (http://library.gcu.edu)

to find articles using the keywords you just learned. Third, make sure the full-text box is checked in the database you are using so you can retrieve the PDF of the article immediate- ly (see the “Searching within Databases” sec- tion of this essay for further explanation of this). Last, once you have your articles, begin with your thesis statement and start to write.

A database is a com- prehensive collec- tion of related data organized for conve- nient access, gener- ally on a computer.

Being able to assess the criteria of your as- signment and knowing how long you have to complete it and where to find the appropri- ate resources will allow you to submit your paper on time and with ease.

Understanding the GCU Library As you learned from the UNV-103 textbook,

University Success, the Fleming Library has what you need to complete your scholarly re- search. Here is a refresher on the library and what is has to offer.

Research & Resources Find Books & More: Over 190,000 books

(electronic and print) and streaming media. Find Journal Articles: Over 80 subject-fo-

cused databases covering business, commu- nications, computer science, counseling and psychology, education, fine arts, general re- search, health care administration, history, justice studies, language and literature, lead- ership, newspapers and news sources, nurs- ing and health sciences, sciences, social sci- ences, and theology. These databases allow access to more than 46,000 journals and mil- lions of full-text articles. RefWorks & EndNote Web: You can manage

your citations with these tools, which auto- mate the creation of your reference lists in the style format of your choice. InterLibrary Loans: Request books or ar-

ticles (that the GCU Library does not already have access to) to be sent to your inbox or mailbox for free.

Help Ask a Librarian: If you need librarian as-

sistance, just fill out the required form and receive a response within 24 hours. Ask for help with search terms, finding credible re- sources/websites, and APA questions.

Citation Guidelines: Use the Center for Learning & Advancement (CLA) or the OWL at Purdue to help with your APA questions.

Frequently AskedQuestions: Use the FAQs for quick answers on how to access library resources, check out a book, etc.

Report a Broken Link: If the link to an e- Library resource is not working, you can use this feature to report it to a librarian, who will investigate.

Tutorials: You can use these video tutorials to learn more about how to create a persis-

tent link, review Boolean operators, or search the library and many of its databases. You can view the tutorials as many times as you need to.

Webinars & Workshops: You can also sign up for a live demo on how to navigate the library and search in the databases. Topics include education, nursing, doctoral research, library intro, and RefWorks.

As a student, you should get in the habit of using the library early and often. Use the li- brary when your assignment states to and use it because it is free and comes with built-in experts (librarians) to help guide you through the process. The library can help you find peer-reviewed, empirical, or news articles; evidence-based reviews; systematic reviews; and meta-analyses. In short, everything you will need to complete your assignments.

Most students today, not surprisingly, are more comfortable with using online search engines like Google to find information. There is plenty of information on the Internet, but it is often not free, scholarly, peer-reviewed, or current. Using Google is good when first learning about a topic. It will provide you with a nice snapshot of what is out there from publishers, organizations, the govern-

ment, businesses, or everyday people. But your assignments are going to ask for cred- ible resources and that usually means journal articles.

When is a website okay to use? You may use government data (including census data), education-focused sites (e.g., National Educa- tion Association), and organization websites when investigating a particular company or organization (e.g., the American Cancer Soci- ety). (For more information, read Chapter 3, Literacy Strategies.) Data found on these sites is not collected in journal articles but is of- ten available as information or reports in PDF format for easy viewing, saving, and printing.

To find articles for your assignment using

When is a website okay to use?

USE LIBRARY EARLY AND OFTEN

p. 12

When you click on “Education”, you will see a list of recommended education-focused databases. Clicking on a title of a data- base will allow you to search within a set of journals and articles that are more close- ly related to your topic. Your results will be more on target for your assignment and you will spend less time looking for articles.

the Fleming Library, start at http://library.gcu. edu. Click on the Find Journal Articles button. The next page is a decision point. How do you know which database to use? Let’s imagine that you’ve been given an assignment that requires you to cite 3–5 scholarly articles on classroom management. You could start with the “Don’t know where to start?” box and choose one of the general multidisciplinary databases listed there (Figure 1). However, for better results choose one of the subject data- bases. In the case of this assignment, the best choice would be “Education” (Figure 2).

Try searching one of our general multidisciplinary databases

Search 500+ reference books with one click or browse Credo Reference

Credo Quick Fact Search

Search

CREDO

The Fleming Library has a huge amount of resources available to you 24/7. Just as im- portant, the library has a full-time staff that is available to answer your questions. The li- brarians are an invaluable resource. They are experts in finding information, whether on a database or the Internet; they are trained on how to use the Fleming Library website and databases and love to share tips and tricks; and, from speaking with faculty and students, they are familiar with your coursework and assignments and can help guide you to the right resources or the right people.

The Library Staff Some of the tips and tricks the librarians love to share are explained in the video tutorials found at

http://libguides.gcu.edu/Tutorials

Figure 2:

Figure 1:

http://library.gcu.edu
http://library.gcu.edu
http://www.gcu.edu/Student-Life/Library/Tutorials.php
http://libguides.gcu.edu/Tutorials
REFERENCE

All librarians hold Master’s degrees in li- brary science. With that schooling comes an understanding of how databases perform and how other librarians organize materials. The library staff knows how to navigate the library website, determine which database would be best, and efficiently search for ar- ticles. Part of being a librarian is also to teach and share knowledge with students. Don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance.

The resources gathered by the librarians have been evaluated and chosen with care. Your instructors know they can trust the re- sources found at http://library.gcu.edu and use them in their coursework and personal research.

Searching Within Databases So, let’s say that you have chosen a topic and

a database for an assignment you are work- ing on. Your instructor may also have speci- fied additional criteria for your article, de- pending on the type of paper you are writing. Instructors may ask for articles to be:

• Peer reviewed • Scholarly • Written within the past five years • Written by a nurse • Empirical • Evidence-based research

To make it easier for you to find articles that meet any or all of the above criteria, the da- tabases provide limit or search options. For example, for peer-reviewed or scholarly ar- ticles, there is often a checkbox available on the search page. You will see (Figures 3 and 4) that these options are not always grouped together, as they do not have the same mean- ing.

Search options

Limit to: Full text

Date range:

Evidence-based resources

Male

All dates

Humans Animals Females

Peer reviewed Scholarly journalsi i

Limit your results

Full text

Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals

Figure 3: Figure 4:

A scholarly article is written by researchers, professors, or students and is published in re- search or academic journals (University of Maryland University College, 2012). Newspapers and popular magazines are not considered scholarly. A peer-reviewed article is an article that has gone through a process in which it is reviewed by experts in the same field prior to being published in a journal. Sometimes, you will not see this option at all, as with PsycINFO. This is because all articles within that database are peer reviewed. (Where this is the case, the da- tabase description will indicate it.)

In some databases, the ‘Full Text’ box is checked by default. This is because the databases have millions of articles, but the GCU Library does not have access to all of them. Having the box checked when searching will ensure the results come back with either a PDF or HTML version of the article. This will save you time and frustration when needing an article imme- diately.

Our criteria above also require that the articles be current. The definition of “current” will depend on the discipline you are searching. For history and art, it may mean the last 10 years, as this kind of research takes time to produce. However, for the sciences and business courses, nothing exceeding five years is considered current. See Figures 5 and 6 for examples of date- range interfaces in databases.

Please note that we have provided more than one example of how to limit by peer review, scholarly, full text, and publication date. This is because each of the library databases is pro- vided by a company that has its own look and feel. Not only does each database have a spe- cialized focus, it can also have specialized features. For example, the nursing database called CINAHL Plus with Full Text has check boxes for research articles, a nurse as the first author, and evidence-based practice, and has an option to find the proper heading for each topic. (For more information, please review the CINAHL tutorial at http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/ CINAHLTutorial/vp02.swf.)

PEER REVIEW

1. Can I put in the question from my instructor? No. Databas- es searches are based on words, not sentences. 2. Do I have to put a word in each of the search boxes? No. Some topics are simple and do not require multiple words or phrases. 3. How do I know which words to enter? Break your topic down into concepts.

The key to searching is to be able to come up with all the variations of the topic/con- cept that authors or researchers have used. Here is an example assignment to illustrate this concept:

Identify at least three scholarly sources that provide information related to the worldview of the individual you have selected.

Ask yourself, “What does ‘worldview’ mean?” It can mean someone’s philosophy, religion, or—as seems obvious—world view (the way a person looks at the world). So, which word do you type in the search box? All of them. Using the Boolean operator OR, connect the words together in one search box (“world- view OR philosophy OR religion”). When you click “Search,” the database will look for any of these three words in the title, subject terms, or abstract listed in the detailed re- cord of the article (see Figure 7).

Figure 5:

Figure 6:

Okay. You have chosen your topic, picked a database, checked the appropriate boxes, and entered dates. Now, what words do you put into the search boxes? Let’s ask some questions:

http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/CINAHLTutorial/vp02.swf
BOOLEAN OPERATORS

CONNECT THE TERMS/KEY- WORDS OF A

TOPIC

Subject terms are words used to describe the overall theme or top- ic of an article. They are a set list of words that help bring articles of similar nature together. An ab- stract is a summary of an article (generally written by the author) that describes the thesis and con- clusions of the article. Finding your topic/concept in these sec- tions increases the likelihood that the article will be a good fit for your assignment.

If you are having difficulty com- ing up with your keywords, con- tact the library (http://library. gcu.edu/AskALibrarian) and let the experts help out.

Citing Resources At this point, you have chosen

your topic, picked a database, checked boxes and entered dates, added your keywords, clicked “Search”, and chosen an article that meets your criteria. Before you start reading, however, you must grab the citation of the ar- ticle.

A citation contains the full bibliographic in- formation of a work: Title, author, publica-

tion, and date. It can also include page numbers and

publisher, depending on the material (book

or article). p. 15

CITATION

Figure 7:

p. 16

ACCIDENTALLY PLAGIARIZING?

YES XNO NOT SURE

copy the citation of the article right away

This is for two reasons. Firstly, it is a serious breach of the univer- sity’s academic policy to plagiarize, and the best way to avoid doing this accidentally is to copy the citation of the article right away. Secondly, if you need to find the article again, you have all the necessary information. The location of the citation in the page will vary slightly depending on the database, but look for the “Cite” link. Following are examples of this in two different databases (Figures 8 and 9).

In EBSCO databases, the Cite feature is found in the Tools section to the right of the article. Click “Cite” and citation options for AMA, APA, MLA and other styles will be shown above the article title. Copy and paste this information into the reference section of your assignment.

Figure 8:

Figure 9:

In ProQuest databases, the Cite feature is found in a toolbar above the article title. Click “Cite” and citation options for AMA, APA, MLA and more will be shown in a light box on top of the detailed re- cord. Copy and paste this information into the references section of your as- signment.

Please note that not all citation infor- mation is 100% correctly formatted. As a student, it is your job to ensure that all references submitted to your instructor are correct. Visit the Writing Center lo- cated in the Student Success Center in your online classroom for templates, contact the Center for Learning and Advancement (CLA) at https:// students.gcu.edu/student-resources/ student-success/ace-centers/academic- resources.php, or visit Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (commonly referred to as OWL) at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/re- source/560/01/.

You have one more step before you can read your article. If you want to be able to retrieve the article again or if your instructor or classmates want to view the article, you can provide them with a link rather than telling them which database you searched in and the key- words you used. It is much easier to use the permanent link provided by the da- tabase.

This link can be called a:

A. Permalink (EBSCO) B. Document URL (ProQuest) C. DOI (Emerald Management, ScienceDirect)

p. 17

https://students.gcu.edu/student-resources/student-success/ace-centers/academic-resources.php
For a guide on how each database provides a permanent link, view the Persistent Links Guide at http://libguides.gcu.edu/PersistentLinks.

Figure 12:

Figure 11:

Okay, you’re ready to read. To read an article in EBSCO, look to the left of the article title and abstract. You should see either an HTML Full Text link or PDF Full Text link (Figure 12).

Click on the file for- mat of your choice and the article will be opened. Here is an example of a PDF in EBSCO:

p. 18

P R

O Q

U E

ST

As with the Cite option, the location of the permanent link varies according to provider. EB- SCO shows the permalink above the article title while ProQuest uses a field (Document URL) at the bottom of the detailed record (Figures 10 and 11).

Figure 10:

http://www.gcu.edu/Documents/upload/Academics/Library_Persistent%20Links%20Guide.pdf
http://libguides.gcu.edu/PersistentLinks
Figure 13:

Figure 14:

To read an article in ProQuest, look to the right of the article title. You will see a PDF Full Text link (Figure 14). Click on the link and the article will be opened. See Figure 15 for an example of a PDF in ProQuest.

PROQUEST CENTRAL

Figure 15:

Figure 16:

If you are experiencing any issues opening a PDF document, please contact Technical Sup- port at (602) 639-7200 or (877) 428-8447 (toll free) or view the website for chat or e-mail options at http://www.gcu.edu/Student-Life/ Technical-Support.php.

But what if you are not using a library da- tabase? What about a website, lecture notes, or a movie? How are those cited? Refer to the same sources mentioned above (Writing Cen- ter, CLA, or OWL at Purdue). They are full of information to help you. You can also call the library for citation help.

It was mentioned earlier that you should copy and paste your citation into the refer- ence section of your assignment, but how is it formatted in Microsoft Word? Here are some tips and tricks to help with that. You can ei- ther pre-format your paper with the follow- ing instructions or you can post-format your paper by highlighting all the references on the page and following the instructions be- low.

If you are using Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010, go to the Home ribbon and click on the small arrow and box in the lower right corner of the Paragraph section (Figure 16).

p. 19

HUGE TIP

Figure 17: Figure 18:

The Paragraph dialog box will open up. The box is separated into four parts: General, In- dentation, Spacing, and Preview. Using the dropdown menu under the Indentation sec- tion, choose “Hanging.” Leave the “By:” set at “0.5” (Figures 17 and 18). PARAGRAPH

EDITING CLICK

OK

If you are experiencing any issues with for- matting or have any other technology ques- tions, contact Technical Support at the afore- mentioned phone and website.

Congratulations! You have learned how to develop a topic, use the library website, search within the databases, and cite your sources. Now it is time to start writing.

Summary In this chapter, you learned how to define a

topic by reading your assignment and decid- ing which resources you need and how quick- ly you need them. The Fleming Library offers a variety of services, including help with find- ing journal articles and books, citation man- agement, and several methods to contact li- brarians (phone, e-mail, chat, in person). The library also offers webinars and workshops, tutorials, and guides on how to use these re- sources. The library website has databases organized by subject and offers quick access to multidisciplinary databases for getting started. Use library resources rather than the Internet because they are reliable, come with built-in assistance (librarians), and are trust- ed by faculty.

The library databases have options available to help narrow the search results to those

that best fit the assignment criteria. Results can be limited to full text, scholarly, peer re- viewed, empirical, evidenced-based, by date, and much more. Knowing how to choose the correct keywords for searching by asking questions and critically thinking about the topic will aid you in finding relevant results.

References University of Maryland University College. (2012). Locating and evaluating scholarly articles.

Retrieved from http://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/articles.cfm

Literacy Strategies

CHAPTER 3

Julie Blair, Full-time Online Faculty, Grand Canyon University

p. 21

expository ESSAY

In Module 1 of this class, you selected a topic, brainstormed ideas for your topic, and put together your initial thesis state- ment. In the previous module, you reviewed the research process, the library, and how to locate, retrieve, gather, and evaluate the in- formation you found that supported your ar- guments and selected topic. Now it is time to start to organize the thesis and information you found into the next step of the writing process: creating your outline.

This chapter will help you explore prewrit- ing strategies to get your ideas and thoughts organized before you commit them to an out- line format, which in turn will prepare you

to write your rough expository essay draft, which you will be creating in the next mod- ule.

Understanding the Importance of Critical Analysis In the previous chapter, you also reviewed

the importance of critical analysis, how it tied into locating your research for your topic, and how to evaluate the information found. Critical analysis, or how to think critically as a writer and researcher, is very important at the college and scholarly level. What you are doing when you are critically analyzing

p. 22

information is questioning it and how it re- lates to your topic. At the college level, you are expected to think outside your bound- aries of personal judgment, knowledge, and social conditioning (Capella University, 2012). Because you are pursuing a higher degree in a career field, it is your responsibility as a learner at this level to break away from your comfort zones and own prior knowledge and experiences and look into a broader spec- trum to gain insight and information, as this is where the real learning and thinking takes place. There is a whole world out there, full of information and willingness to share, and it is all at your fingertips, literally…go find it!

Some tips to help you critically analyze and organize your research include:

Consider whether your topic and selected journal article correlate to one another. Utilize the abstract in the journal articles; this is a time- saver and helps you to see what the entire article will cover. If it is not helpful to your cause, move on.

Have questions already formed in your mind or written down on what you wish to find in your article. You need to be actively using the in- formation given to help you find the support for your claims made in the thesis statement.

Highlight key terms, words, or phrases you are not familiar with; this helps you understand and retain information as well as increase your vocabulary in the subject area.

Read the article more than one time! In order to fully understand in- formation, one needs to review, review, and review.

Use the References section in your journal article as a follow-up to other articles and authors, if needed. This is helpful if you find a great citation or supportive fact in the article.

If you are not sure what the article is stating, go find another one; there is a ton of informative research out there, but you must take the time to look. Do not rush research.

Create a Word document with all your references, especially the per- malink and APA citation of the article. It is also helpful to copy and paste the abstract, so you can go back and review the summary of the article if needed. Save this and create a Research Folder or place the document in the folder already created for the online course.

The reason you should research support- ive information from peer-reviewed journals is to help you find claims that professionals have made to back up your arguments. It is good to have your own original thoughts and ideas in your writing, but you also have to have accurate, reliable, current, and credible sources to help you prove your point.

The purpose of critical analysis is to keep you thinking and using your own intellect to form ideas and opinions of your own that you can apply to your writing and learning. Good writing and learning is a never-ending jour- ney of pursuing knowledge, and this should be reflected in not only your learning but also in your writing. Therefore, you should see your writing change from each step of the writing process; that is when you know you are pushing yourself and becoming a critical thinker and writer.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Evaluating Your Research and Putting It to Use So, you have your thesis and the research

you have gathered. Now what? What you need to do before you move on to writing your outline is to see what you have and if it will fit as solid support for your arguments. At this time, you need to have all your re- search or your article readily available and follow the guidelines below.

Ask yourself whether your article matches your topic area. If yes, you are set; if no, you need to go back and locate an article that is supportive of your topic and arguments in the thesis statement. Remember the key is to support your thesis arguments; if you have found good information on the topic and want to keep it, talk with your instructor about changing the thesis direction. It is not too late to change the thesis around, but you will want to do so now as op- posed to farther down the line.

A Highlight the important information and start pulling important ci-

tations from the author(s). Use the organizational chart on page 25 or another chart or method that works for you. The key here is to stay organized with what you have and make it easy to go back and see what you have pulled from the article(s).

B

C Ask yourself if you have enough information. If all points of your ar-

guments have been supported, you are good to go; if not, you may need to locate another peer-reviewed article on your topic. If you are struggling with locating information, ask your librarians.

Double-check whether your information is peer reviewed (credible), current, accurate, and relevant to your content. You do not want old or outdated information or information that has nothing to do with the direction of your essay. Remember that you need to stay focused and on target with your topic and arguments.

D Save your research. Do not waste time or get frustrated by not sav-

ing and documenting your research. Create a research folder now or make sure to save in the current course folder. Remember: you want to work smarter, not harder.E

THESIS

If at any time during the gathering resources stage you are con- fused and not sure what to do, use the resources available to you, such as communicating with your instructor, reaching out to a librarian, or using resources in the Student Success Center, such as the Center for Learning Advancement (CLA).

Pulling Your Information and Organizing It for the Rough Draft On the next page you will see a graphic or-

ganizer for documenting your citations. This is just one method; another method is to simply create a blank Word document for all citations. What you want to be sure you are saving is the actual citation or paraphrased information (i.e., the parts of the article that you will be quoting directly or referring to), the entire APA citation that is noted, and the permalink; the abstract can be helpful too, if you are using multiple articles, as it will help refresh your memory on what the entirety of the journal article was discussing. Here is more information on each component: