Research
| Plagairism |
Students are encouraged to use a wide variety of resources (electronic media, books, encyclopedias) when researching for assignments.
To help with the process of research for assignments, this form may be useful: VELS Research Sheet
For note-taking this sheet might be useful: Note-taking Grid
Internet Search Strategies
These sites are useful for advice on how to do Internet research:
- Searching the Internet: Tips and Tricks
This site provides information about search engines, Boolean logic and how do you find quality information online. The page also shows students how to assess quality information. http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/searching/default.htm - Finding Information on the Internet
This outstanding site by the University of Berkeley has a tutorial on the Internet and the WWW, search engines and search strategies, how to use Google effectively, how to do Boolean searching, meta-search engines and subject directories. It also provides guidelines on how to evaluate web pages and how to cite Internet and electronic sources. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html
top
Search Engines
The Internet is a distributed computer network. Its content is contained on the hard drives of millions of computers which share a standard computer language to communicate with each other. The content on the hard drives of these millions of computers can change at any time. There is no central repository which keeps track of every single page of every single computer on the network.
Instead we have Search Engines. These actively trawl the internet, reading and categorising web-sites and individual web pages, and indexing them into giant databases. All search engines work by cross-referencing your enquiry with the database of knowledge they have accumulated. Different search engines trawl and index in different ways and have different collections of the total content available online, so if you can't find what you are looking for with one, try another.
Good Search engines for educational purposes:
- All the Web
A fast and effective search engine with Boolean search capability. http://www.alltheweb.com/ - Ask for Kids - Ask Jeeves, the children's search engine, has been replaced by Ask for Kids. A bright, simple interface which has a search box and links to News Resources, Fun and Games as well as ten reference tools including Word Central (the Merriam-Webster kids' dictionary), Encarta atlas and homework helpers. Search results provide a definition, a number of possible questions about the topic and results from Fact Monster but also contain some sponsored links. http://www.askkids.com/
- Ask Now - A pilot project of the national and state libraries of Australia, Ask Now, provides a virtual research service. Staffed by professional librarians the service operates via chat session and the narration is later emailed to the user. http://www.asknow.gov.au
- Copernic is a multi-search engine that uses the best US search engines simultaneously. It brings up results ranked by relevance, with summaries. These searches can be stored for later use. http://www.copernic.com/
- Education Network Australia
Australian education sites can be found using this site's search facility. http://www.edna.edu.au/ - Scirus : for Scientific Information
Scirus is a search engine that searches only science-specific web pages, locating journal content, scientists' homepages, courseware, patents and website information. The Advanced Search allows results to be limited by discipline. http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/ - MetaCrawler
A useful multiple search engine. http://www.metacrawler.com/ - Yahoo! Kids
A search engine for kids, providing sites for countries around the world: flags, celebrations, calendars, food, history, religions etc. http://kids.yahoo.com/ - Studysearch This Google custom search engine has been developed in Australia to give results that are tuned for students and educators. http://www.studysearch.com.au
top
Evaluating Internet Sites
How reliable is this information you have found on the Internet?
Things to look for:
What TYPE of site?
These type of sites are usually good -
Government sites: look for .gov, .mil, .au, or another country code; eg.:http://www.act.gov.au/
Educational sites: look for .edu or another country code; eg.:http://www.anu.edu.au/
Non-profit organisations: look for .org; eg.: http://www.salvationarmy.org/
Who PUBLISHED the page?
In general, the publisher is the agency or person operating the "server" computer from which the document is issued. The server is usually named in the first portion of the URL (between http:// and the first /)
http://www.abc.net.au/ (The Server here is ABC)Is it somebody's PERSONAL page, or is the server a COMMERCIAL ISP or OTHER PROVIDER of web page hosting (like aol.com or geocities.com)?
Look for a personal name (e.g., jbarker or barker) following a tilde ( ~ ) or the word users or people.
Who wrote the page?
Look for a name and e-mail. Often at the bottom of the page, or in a section called something like About us or Contact us.
It is usually not the same person as the webmaster or page designer (except in personal pages). This person is a technician or may have been hired to put the content on the web.
Are the author's credentials provided? Does this person seem to be a reliable authority on the subject? Look all over (top, bottom, side bars, etc.) for a link to an About us or Biography section, a Philosophy, etc.? Or try the Home Page.
Is it up to date information?
When was the page updated last? Can you tell how much was updated? Is this important for the timeliness of what you want to know? (Look at the bottom of the page, usually. ) Individual pages may be updated at different times; look at more than one.
Is information cited authentic?
If the page claims to be from an established newspaper, journal, organisation, institution, agency, is it the real one? Check if the domain name corresponds to the source. Most companies and institutions own their own name. Check the owner of the domain name if in doubt.
Does the page have overall integrity and reliability as a source?
What's the purpose of the page? Why was it created? To inform or explain? For facts or data? To persuade or promote? To sell, share and disclose? Or simply to rant or entice? Who else links to the page? Where is it "cited"? What do they think of its quality and integrity?
What's the Catch?
Who sponsors the page? Might the sponsors have a vested interest in the viewpoint presented? Look for links to Sponsors, About us, Philosophy, etc. Could the points of view be constrained or bent to keep or attract advertisers?
Could the page or site be a comical site?
Think about the tone of the page. Is it humorous, satirical, exaggerated or express overblown arguments? Does it contain outrageous photographs or juxtapositions of unlikely images? How about arguing a viewpoint with examples that suggest what is argued is ultimately not possible.
Perform all the other tests above on the page, and, if you do not find other information to explain the tone, question whether the page is an irony that you might feel foolish to cite as if it were factual or straightforward.
From: Searching the Internet: Tips and tricks - ABC Science Online.(2002) http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/searching/default.htm
top
Writing a Bibliography
A bibliography of information used must be attached to each assignment. Resources listed must be in alphabetical order.
Generally speaking all items in bibliography contain:
1. Author’s surname, then given name. eg. Whelan, Bob
2. Year of publication put in brackets. - (2002)
3. Title, underlined. - The History of Australia
NB: If author is unknown, put title first, then date. If date is unknown, use (n.d.)
Additional information is required depending on the resource used.
Book 1. Author Example: |
Internet site 1. Author Example: |
Encyclopedia article 1. Author Example: |
Magazine article 1. Author Example: |
DVD, film, tv/radio program, video
Examples: Gallipoli 2007, video recording, ABC television, Sydney, 26 April. OR Australia: a way of life 2006, DVD, Marcom, Loganholme, Qld
|
Newspaper article 1. Author – surname then first name 2. Year, in brackets 3. Title of article in inverted commas, 4. Name of newspaper underlined, 5. Date of publication, 6. Page number/s. Example: Hansen, J 2002, ‘On a thin edge of death’, Herald Sun May 4, p106.
|
For further detail and information, use “Guidelines for Referencing and Bibliographies” published by St Paul’s College, Frankston, held in both libraries.
Example of a Bibliography
‘Ancient Egypt’ (1999) (Internet) <www.ancientegypt.co.uk >accessed 12 Mar 2004.
Australia: a way of life 2006, DVD, Marcom, Loganholme, Qld.
Classic poems (1996), (CD ROM), Andromedea Interactive, Oxfordshire.
‘Egyptian pyramids’ (2001), The World Book Encyclopedia, vol 5, World Book Inc., Chicago.
Gallipoli 2007, video recording, ABC television, Sydney, 26 April.
Hetherington, Nicole (2001), ‘Tutankhamen’s tomb’, Time, vol. 20, no. 7, pp 30-36.
Jones, Michael (2003), Dawn of a new era, Herald Sun, April 7, p 2.
Kester, Dana R. (2003), ‘Ocean”, World Book Encyclopedia, Vol 14, World Book Inc., Chicago.
Macauley, David (1975), Pyramid, William Collins, London.
Print Bibliography summary 7th edition (hand-written)
Print Bibliography summary 9th edition (computer-written)
Useful Web Sites
Use Weblinks for a wide range of good quality web sites.
Plagairism
What is "plagairism"?
Plagairism is copying someone else's writing and calling it your own. It's like stealing someone's thoughts. People who plagairise other people's writing can get into very serious trouble.
(Roche, Naomi: Research wise, classroom strategies that build information skills.)
How can students avoid plagairising?
- When doing research, take notes, then put writing into your own words.
- Read the information, put it away, then write down what you are thinking.
- If you don't understand the information, ask someone, eg. a teacher, to clarify it for you.
- Don't expect to finish an assignment instantly. Make sure you allow enough time to read properly, think about it, then write some answers.
