MLA and APA

Today in class we talked about creating citations and creating a bibliogaphy. We went over how to set up a bibliography in the form of MLA as well as APA. We did a puzzle in class where we were to arrange certain phrases and words into MLA or APA form, and then record them. We then were to bring the sources that we used for our review assignment and to put them into a bibliography using Noodlebid, which we learned how to use in class as well. Noodlebid is an extention of Noodletools, and it is a perfect tool for creating a bibliography of a paper, essay, review etc. You simply choose what type of source you used, and enter the information into the boxes that appear. Then you click submit and Noodlebid creates the appropriate bibliography. You can also choose if you want to use MLA or APA format while creating you bibliography.

There are a few differences between MLA and APA, but two main ones are that APA itilicizes the title and doesn't capatilize the first letter of each word. MLA on the other hand, shows titles the way that it appears meaning that the appropriate letters are capatilized, and also the titles are underlined. A second difference is that APA format is more for logging purposes and records use, whereas MLA format is to help someone's audience be able to easily find the source that is included in the bibliography. APA format is for more official works, whereas MLA is used for more recreational purposes, such as general research papers and essays. MLA format may be the more popular and more used of the two formats, however both are very useful and helpful when creating a bibliography.

Review

As we have been going through the quarter, we were told to listen closely in our classes, and come up with a an issue relevant to our cluster, a "cluster topic." I decided to use the topic of ice, liquid, and gas molecules and how their molecules are arranged and related in the three different phases as my cluster is "How Things Work." We have been using different databases and using the University catalog to search for things relevant to our topics. For this Review assignment, we were to find material while utilizing a variety of databases and then to evaluate our searches and discussing our thoughts on a blog.

The first research tool that I used was the EBSCO database which was a part of the Academic Search Premier. I used this first, because it is a generic database and it gave me a wide variety of results to work with. Also this database helped me to narrow my searches later in my review as I tried multiple searches and realized that I needed to be more direct in finding articles and other materials for my cluster topic. I initially got a wide base of results, and from this I could refine my search and use more specific terms to find my results, so therefor using this database was a good research tool to use first as it gave me a good start and allowed me to brainstorm some ideas. After I found some material from this database, I then used a database specific to science as I used Science.Gov, where they have a search engine to find specific databases. This was by far the most difficult part of my research. I tried many different ways to such my topic and I altered the words 'ice, water, and molecules' in a variety of ways. I also used Boolean operators in my searches, but even when I found databases that catered to my needs in this search, the information that I found gave me minimal relevant information. Using Science.Gov gave me many choices, but for the most part I ran into dead ends. In the end, I found some material on the site itself, rather than find material on one of the databases that it found for me. The article actually came from mms.gov which is the site for Minerals Management Service, and there I found material that was helpful to my search.

I searched just the word 'ice' to find this result, as I grew frustrated from my other searches. The engine on Science.Gov gave me complex results when I searched multiple words or terms, so I decided to try and just search a single word. That is how I found the most relevant topics to my cluster. Like I mentioned earlier, I also tried to incorporate Boolean operators into my searches as this can help, especially when using EBSCO.

As far as evaluative techniques is concerned, I mainly looked at its URL if it was an online source, and if it was in a text, I looked at the author. I found a few articles on my topic, however the author didn't seem credible, so I didn't use it. So if I found an article by a professor, I looked at what school he or she taught at. With the URL, I looked to see if it stemmed from a credible source, such as science.gov, or mms.gov, the Minerals Management Service. This way I knew that the material presented came from an expert or experts on the issue.

As my search continued, I tried using different terms and words to find results. I also changed the database that I used frequently. I was having a tough time with some databases, so I used a variety, especially on science.gov, as they gave me many databases to choose from, some of which were completely unhelpful. I found that with certain branches from Science.gov not every database was even a useful one to my search, so that's when I had to go back to my results page, and start a whole new search in a new field. Science.gov actually gives you a broad topic to browse through, such as 'Environment' and that is where you will find an appropriate database to use.

With each database I found different material to use. I searched through EBSCO, Applied Science, Anthropological Literature Online, Science.gov, databases within USGS, and Google. I chose these databases as the seemed to be the most relevant and helpful as they are specific to science and my cluster topic as a whole. EBSCO was the most helpful as I have used it in other assignments, so I was familiar with it. The other databases were a little more confusing, so I didn't get a whole lot of help from those databases. Science.gov was good as it is a search engine for other Government funded databases that were specific to my topic. USGS was broad, but helpful, and Google was obviously easy to use, but also not a search engine specific to my cluster topic. Here's the list of what I found in my searches.

1. In EBSCO Host, I found an article called Thermophysical Properties of Ice, Water, and Steam

• The Author is Liley, P.E.
• International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education Jan 2005
• Article
• General database

2. Mechanical Properties of Sea Ice

• Minerals Management Service, Dr. Gordon F. Cox
• June 30, 1987
• http://www.mms.gov/
• Specific subject database

3. Combined Ice and Water Balances

• Wendell V. Tangborn, Lawrence R. Mayo, David R. Scully and Robert M. Krimmel
• United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 1977
• Haystac catalog

4. Fire & ice - methane hydrate, made of natural-gas molecules trapped in ice

• Chana Freiman Stiefel
• Science World, March 21st, 1997
• findarticles.com
• Article
• World Wide Web source

For the sources that I used material on, I logged the title of the article, authors, publishers, and its date of publication as well. I feel that these facts are the most important and relevant information to keep on a bibliography as they give you what it is called, who wrote it, where it is from, and when it was written. These characteristics are the standard for most bibliographies as well, and they help you a lot when you need to go back and find the material again.

With this assignment, I learned that there is a lot of difference in the chemical makeup, characteristics, and molecular arrangement between the phases of ice, liquid, and gas. Before I started working on this cluster topic, I assumed that ice, liquid, and gas would be very simple and similar. However as I did my research I found that the three phases are quite different and complex in their own specific way.

My two new research questions are "How can ice bergs coexist in water while gas molecules exist as well," and also, "Can the molecules of each phase be affected by pollution and global warming."

In the future, I would like to use Technology Abstracts, as I didn't us that database with this review. I would also like to take advantage of some more of the databases on Science.gov by using the databases that aren't necessarily generated towards the environment. For example I would like to use some of the databases under the technology section, as I might be able to find something about melting ice by using technology, or maybe even something about vehicle omissions and how they can affect the phases of ice. liquid, and gas, and maybe if they can affect the molecules of each of these phases. I would also like to look into Lexis-Nexis. I like that database, however I didn't use it for this assignment as I was overwhelmed with the other databases, and once I found one thing, I found another so I got side-tracked with some of my searches, so therefor I didn't get to use this database. All in all this was a good review. This review assignment displayed me to a plethora of sources of information and materials, and many databases that I will use in the future. It also helped me to see what databases help you the most and the least when doing an assignment involving a lot of research and sorting through informative material.

Library catalog...

During class on Friday, I found a book in the reference stacks, and for this blog, I found a book in the book stacks. The book that I found on Friday is called Water, Ice, and Stone by Bill Green and the one that I found for this blog is called Combined Heat, Ice, and Water balances at selected glacier basins by Lash Unesco. Since my cluster topic for the most part is focusing on water and ice, I think that these books are relevant to my topic.

I tried using different searches to find these books, and I tried to incorporate broad words to find my books, as the database could give me multiple choices in a variety of forms. For the book that I found in the book stacks, I searched 'ice to water,' and found a few answers. The title of this book seemed to fit the best, so that is the one that I chose. For the book that I checked out during class last week, I searched 'ice molecules' and 'water and ice' so that's how I found that book. When I did this search, I only got a few results, but to my luck I found a book that was related to my cluster topic and one that was available.

I ran across some problems such as the fact that the database gives a wide range of answers, and that only certain searches yielded quality answers, so that's why most of my searches were related and shared common search terms. Also, I had trouble finding my book in the library. I looked for the book by using its call number, and made sure that it was "on the shelf" but I started downstairs when my book was upstairs. Once I realized that I wasn't even on the right floor, I of course felt like a true freshman, but I tried to hide the slight embarrassment and find the book. I ventured upstairs to the second floor and found it there. So now that I know how to find a book by its call number, I should have no problem finding this next book...hopefully.

I learned that I needed to be more specific than just one word searches if I wanted quality books that were relevant to my search. You can get hundreds of results if you search 'ice,' but how many of those will be sufficient to your cluster topic. I also learned to scan all of my results You may get 2-3 pages of results, but if you give up after looking at just the first two titles, you may miss a good book. I also learned that you can find a book besides just searching the title. If you know the author, or just simply looking for the works of a specific man or woman, you can search the library catalog that way. You can also search a book by is call number. This will help kids like myself who don't understand at first if a book is in the reference stacks or somewhere else. You can find a books general location if you know its call number as the two levels of our library are sorted by call number.

Call number for Combined Heat... GB651 .T4 no.5
Call number for Water, Ice, and Stone GB 1798 .V53 G74

In Library class..

In class we went over different ways to a find a book in the school library. We used a database that allows you to search the author, title, etc. Also, we discussed how to find books while utilizing the call number, which is located on the spine of the book. We were to look up a book relevant to our cluster topic, and then find that book in the library if it was "on the shelf." I found a book that was relevant to my cluster topic, and then I found it in the library. I was ecstatic to find my book for several reasons. For starters, I learned how to search the school library, and I felt a sense of accomplishment when I found the book. Second, I was excited because the book I got hasn't been checked out since 2000, so I was happy to get the book some credit and get it back into the library's computer system...The differences between "words" and "subject headings" is that when you search "words" you will get generic words within your search, whereas if you search "subject headings," the database will isolate the results that only contain your search words in the form of a subject heading. "Words" obviously apply to any form of letters, whereas "subject headings" is a specific type and arrangement of words. Some advantages are that you can target and pin point certain database searches with the strategies that we talked about in class. For instance you can look enter Edgar Allan Poe as an "author" and get results that will include books that he wrote. If you use a generic database, Edgar Allan Poe may have results that include articles or analytical pieces that his name was brought up in. Some disadvantages are say that you have any idea of what you are looking for, but don't know how to search it. On Google or Yahoo, you can search a word and get different results. However with specific databases, the results will omit possibly the result that you are looking for as you may not be as specific as possible.