For our final we were given the option to choose a topic from our cluster or a general topic. I grabbed “equations” for my cluster topic, and “rain forests” for the general topic. I am familiar with equations however rain forests sounded very intriguing so I went with that topic and researched into that field. Rain forest is a broad noun, so I focused my research into the concern of where the major rain forests are located. I also looked at how global warming is affecting the rain forests, as it is commonly known that the plants and trees in the forests not only are coined as “the lungs of the world.” Also these forests house thousands of different types of living organisms and life, and since global warming has become a major issue I wanted to research it for this final review.
The very first thing that I wanted to search was the location of the rain forest throughout the globe. I first tried using Academic Search Premier, as it is a very good database that has a lot of material to offer. Then I entered “rain forest” and “locations,” to see if I could find some material as to where the areas of tropical rain forests are. However I only got large articles that weren’t exactly relevant to what I was looking for. I got some articles on the different soil types in the different rain forests, and I also got some articles about the different moisture levels in some rain forests. So although this information is important and vital, it was quite helpful to my search of the location of rain forests throughout the world. I then realized that I could use the World Wide Web tool to find my answers, as I could enter longer phrases such as “location of rain forests in the world.” Using the Web was very helpful and precise in my research as I also came upon pictures of the rain forests in the different regions in the world. This is where I found one of my sources of www.trific.msu.edu. Here I found a website dedicated to rain forests, and the site even offered a map that had colored in the sections of the world where the major rain forests are located. The site even had the title heading, “Rain Forest Report Card.” I learned from this site that rain forests are located close to the equator due to the abundance of rain and hot, humid temperatures.
I then looked into the global warming effects on the rain forests, and I felt that Academic Search Premier would offer some material directly related to this subject as this database is very specific. So I searched “rain forests” and “global warming.” I used rain forests as the main entry in the majority of my searches on Academic Premier, because when I entered the words, “global warming” first, I got some articles that pertained mainly to global warming, and maybe mentioned the word ‘rain’ here or there. So I found it much more affective to enter ‘rain forests’ as the first set of words as the articles that I found all focused on the rain forests as the main theme, rather than an article about global warming that mentioned one of the other words in my search. Also, I tried changing the words I used in my search by entering “rain forests’’ and “effects of global warming.” By simply entering just the phrase, “effects of,” I found a plethora of different options that were relevant and helpful to my topic. So while conducting these searches on Academic Search Premier, I found an article from National Wildlife about the effects of global warming on the residents of the rain forests, the animals. This was a very good article as it came from a reputable source, and was quite relevant and recent as it was only a year old. I then moved on to search a Disciplinary database from the A-Z list of databases. As I was still interested in the subject of the global warming and its effects on the rain forests, I decided to use a scientific related database. At first, I made some mistakes and failures as I used databases that were of little help, such as GeoBase and GeoRef. They offered some quality articles, just not ones about global warming. I then tried Safari Books Online database, as I got caught up in the whole jungle theme, and the word ‘Safari’ lured me in. I quickly realized that although it has a relevant name, Safari Books wasn’t too helpful in my research. So I continued to look for a database that would be helpful and satisfy my research needs, so I found Science Direct. This database was very helpful and it gave me another source, an article titled, “Ecological impacts of different harvesting scenarios for temperate evergreen rain forest in southern Chile.” I learned a lot from this article, as it analyzed the rain forests as a mean of ecological impact such as strip-cutting, which is a way to harvest trees. Although I am a business major, I found this article interesting and very complex.
I then moved on to find the last source, a book from the school library. I did this last, as I feel that finding articles and other such information will help me to be more specific when searching for a book. So after conducting my several searches and finding the different articles and papers, I felt confident to find a helpful book from the catalog. I clicked on the catalog, and decided to search by subject. I then entered rain forests and global warming into the database, and I found a variety of books to choose from. I then decided that some of my results were too direct and I wanted to use a book with a wider range of information concerning rain forest. So I then altered my search to just the words, “rain forests,” and I found a book titled The Last Forest by Mark London and Brian Kelly. I then proceeded to find this book in the library, by using its call number, a procedure that I learned during the duration of being in the LIBY 1210 class. I felt that the book was a good one and had a lot of quality material, so I used it as my catalog source.
I selected sources that were relevant to my topic, and at the same time weren’t too complicated and covered the ideas that I was concerned about, such as the locations of rain forests, and the effects of global warming on the rain forests. I feel that I learned a lot about the rain forests, and although it may seem pretty basic, I didn’t realize that rain forest thrive near the equator, and this is why they are located in countries that are close to the equator. This is also why the green and tropical countries lie on the equator, there is a lot of rain, and a lot of sun thus plants grow in abundance. I found that researching a topic can take a while, and it can test your patient and work ethic, as it feels easier to give up on a database rather than alter your search. If I didn’t stick to my goals and if I gave up on a database, then I would never have found the quality material and information that I did find. I also found that just slightly changing your search can give you thousands of more results, and these results can most definitely be the result from finding something useful, to finding something that you may feel is useless.
I would continue my research by focusing on two questions, “How much (impact wise) of the world’s rain forests are affected by global warming,” and also, “How can we help to protect and preserve these rain forests.” I think these would be two questions that I would be interested in finding more information on, and would be relevant to the research that I did today. As far as additional databases is concerned, I would like to use Lexis-Nexis to find information as I feel that this is a good database, and I really like using it. Also I would like to find information on the database on the Britannica online website, as Britannica online is a well respected site, and one that I think would offer a lot of useful and helpful material.
Bibliography
1. www.trfic.msu.edu
“Rain Forest Report Card”
2. Academic Search Premier database
Tangley, Laura
National Wildlife article Aug/Sep 2006 Vol. 44 Issue 5
3. London, M. & Kelly, B.
The Last Forest 2007
4. Science Direct database
Ecological impacts of different harvesting scenarios for temperate evergreen rain forest in southern Chile
Nadja Rüger, Álvaro G. Gutiérrez, W. Daniel Kissling, Juan J. Armesto and Andreas Huth
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Self-Assessment Essay
Introduction to Information Literacy, Library 1210, one of the most helpful classes a freshman can take in his or her first semester of college. This class helped me not just with basic library knowledge, but also showed me different strategies to research topics and issues that pertain to anything that you would need information on. I also learned how to use this information, and learned how to properly classify it so I can use it in the appropriate contexts.
Now that I have gone through the past 11 weeks working in my LIBY class, I look back and I see the list of things that I have done in this class. The first Course Objective, is to "recognize and articulate an information need." I think that now after taking this class, I have gotten better at recognizing the different types of information that are needed for the different types of situations. Before the class, I would just use generic information on everything that I completed. However now I understand when a certain type of information is needed, and when it is properly applicable. I also now know where I can find such material, as there are databases that are generic, as well as specialized in a certain field of study. For example, if I am looking for information about Beethoven, I can use the Classical Music Library, which can be found in the library list of databases.
The second objective was to formulate a research question. This was the objective in which I experienced the greatest change. At the beginning of the quarter, I had no idea what a research question was, however as the year went on, I made some failures as well as successes to develop my research question regarding to my cluster topic. At first, my research question was very simple. It was about phase changes, but then developed into the specific phases of ice, water, and steam. After a few blogs and some work in class, I came up with my final research question of "What are the differences between the molecules of ice, water, and steam, and how are these molecules arranged differently in these three phases." I saw a major change because I had to use many different search ideas to find information and develop this main question. As I used different search ideas, I used different databases, such as Academic Search Premier, Lexis-Nexis, and EBSCO Host within the library catalog, and thus I saw the greatest and most notable change within this Course Objective as I was using more resources and a variety of research themes.
Prior to taking this class, the only search strategies I used was going onto Goggle and entering words that pertained to my topic or desired information. I did have a strategy from senior year in high school where you tried to use the least amount of words to get quality results. However that was more of a game than a search strategy. In my library class, I first learned how to use the different databases on the library catalog. Then from there, I learned how to effectively use different search strategies to get the most relevant results. I learned which databases were appropriate for which situations, and I learned how to correctly use these databases. Without this class, I would have no idea how to use these databases. When using these databases, I also furthered my search strategies in that I learned how to use Boolean Operators as well as shorter, more direct search terms and phrases. These newly acquired skills have only helped my search arsenal, and I will continue to use these strategies for future assignments. Also, this is how I progressed in the fourth objective of "evaluating strategies and results, and revise them as needed." This was one of the simpler objectives, as you get instant feedback. As soon as you enter a search into a database, you get your results right away. I did a lot of revising during this quarter, mostly with my research question. If you look at my first blog concerning my research question, I started out with a very simple question. However, as the year continued, I developed better search strategies and thus got better results. Instead of just searching one word such as "ice," I searched a group of words such as "ice and their arrangement of molecules." This evaluation and realization of the need to alter my search strategies stemmed from the fact that I was getting inadequate search results.
The next Course Objective is "how to make effective use of traditional and new library resources and tools." This was the most fun of all of the objectives. This is where I was introduced into the library catalog, and the databases within it. I learned which databases were appropriate for which topics. A majority of the time you can tell when to use which databases by simply looking at the database title. For instance, you are not going to use PubMed to find an article on luxury cars. I did make some mistakes by not using the appropriate database, and so I had to learn the hard way. I would use the database, but after a few searches I would realize that the particular databases that I was using wasn’t helpful to my topic. So to overcome this, I would take note of this database and remember it, so the next time I used that database I would only be using it when necessary. Taking note of situations like this one allowed me to have more effective searches on future assignments, and helped me to avoid making the same mistake twice. The Internet can be a very helpful thing, and this is definitely the case with the school library. The students today have a great blessing in that we can use the Internet to see if a book is available in our school library. 20 years ago, when my parents went to school, they didn’t have this luxury. It is really helpful being able look up a book in the library from the comfort of my dorm room. Also with these fancy databases, it is much easier finding an article or source on whatever it is that you are looking for. Also let’s not forget the Haystac catalog, which allowed me to look up the call numbers of books, and using the call number is a traditional tool for finding information. Call numbers organize the books in the library and one class period I used a call number to find a book that was relevant to my research question and cluster topic. I have definitely used these resources and tools to my advantage and these resources and tools are the main reasons as to why I was able to succeed in my searches, and also why I was able to overcome my failures.
The research process and the results come from a series of trial and error searches. When I didn’t get adequate results, I had to think of different ways find results. As was the case in my second to last blog, I used a variety of databases to finally come up with the actually articles that I used. I found that you have to be very patient and creative when using different databases, as you may spend a lot of time searching through one database and then you come up without any results for what you were looking for. When I was looking for information for my first blog about ice, water, and steam I used a variety of databases and went through a lot of trial and error events just to find the couple of articles that I actually used for me blog. However, taking your time and thoroughly using the databases, you create a good understanding of each database, and the way I overcame these failures was to develop this knowledge for each database. So even though I may have failed in the beginning, I succeeded in the long run.
The final Course Objective was to "understand and apply principles of information ethics." For me, this was a tough objective, as it was hard for me to find the ethics and background of some of the information that I found. Sometimes I would just find the material that I was looking for and without looking at its origin or ethics, I would include it in a blog, or whatever I needed the information for. I have since learned during my time in class to look more deeply into the meaning of information, as you can get yourself into some trouble if you don’t. While doing my blog on MLA and APA format, I searched information on the two types of formats, and I didn’t look deeply into its ethics. I would take information that came from sources that weren’t credible, rather than to look for information that came from a quality source. I did understand copyrights and I did apply those to my searches. I am very good at quoting and citing whenever appropriate. As this class progressed, so did my skills at quoting and giving credit where credit is due. I have never really had a problem with plagiarism, and this class only helped me to further develop my skills in ability to avoid plagiarizing and using someone else’s work as my own. When I did need to use a large bulk of information from an author or whoever it may be, I did a good job of breaking that information down and as Professor Soules showed us, and I used only the main points from that author. Matter of fact, this understanding of information ethics helped me in my Public Speaking class. I did a speech on presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani, and used some of his quotes in my speech. I was able to only use the main points from his quotes, and I cited him very clearly and distinctively.
This class has been instrumental in my growth as a freshman in college. I now know how to navigate myself through the rather large library, I know how to use the databases, which can be found in the A-Z list of databases, and I have also effectively used the Course Objectives stated in the class syllabus. Not only have I gotten better as a student in the LIBY 1210 class and have met and understood the objectives, but this class has also helped me in some of my other classes as well. I have already used the skills and information that I have learned in the class in my other classes, and I plan to continue this. Although this class may be over, it will always be a part of me as a student and as a person. Whenever I am doing research or just looking up silly information, I will use the skills that I have acquired in this class in the future days to come.
Now that I have gone through the past 11 weeks working in my LIBY class, I look back and I see the list of things that I have done in this class. The first Course Objective, is to "recognize and articulate an information need." I think that now after taking this class, I have gotten better at recognizing the different types of information that are needed for the different types of situations. Before the class, I would just use generic information on everything that I completed. However now I understand when a certain type of information is needed, and when it is properly applicable. I also now know where I can find such material, as there are databases that are generic, as well as specialized in a certain field of study. For example, if I am looking for information about Beethoven, I can use the Classical Music Library, which can be found in the library list of databases.
The second objective was to formulate a research question. This was the objective in which I experienced the greatest change. At the beginning of the quarter, I had no idea what a research question was, however as the year went on, I made some failures as well as successes to develop my research question regarding to my cluster topic. At first, my research question was very simple. It was about phase changes, but then developed into the specific phases of ice, water, and steam. After a few blogs and some work in class, I came up with my final research question of "What are the differences between the molecules of ice, water, and steam, and how are these molecules arranged differently in these three phases." I saw a major change because I had to use many different search ideas to find information and develop this main question. As I used different search ideas, I used different databases, such as Academic Search Premier, Lexis-Nexis, and EBSCO Host within the library catalog, and thus I saw the greatest and most notable change within this Course Objective as I was using more resources and a variety of research themes.
Prior to taking this class, the only search strategies I used was going onto Goggle and entering words that pertained to my topic or desired information. I did have a strategy from senior year in high school where you tried to use the least amount of words to get quality results. However that was more of a game than a search strategy. In my library class, I first learned how to use the different databases on the library catalog. Then from there, I learned how to effectively use different search strategies to get the most relevant results. I learned which databases were appropriate for which situations, and I learned how to correctly use these databases. Without this class, I would have no idea how to use these databases. When using these databases, I also furthered my search strategies in that I learned how to use Boolean Operators as well as shorter, more direct search terms and phrases. These newly acquired skills have only helped my search arsenal, and I will continue to use these strategies for future assignments. Also, this is how I progressed in the fourth objective of "evaluating strategies and results, and revise them as needed." This was one of the simpler objectives, as you get instant feedback. As soon as you enter a search into a database, you get your results right away. I did a lot of revising during this quarter, mostly with my research question. If you look at my first blog concerning my research question, I started out with a very simple question. However, as the year continued, I developed better search strategies and thus got better results. Instead of just searching one word such as "ice," I searched a group of words such as "ice and their arrangement of molecules." This evaluation and realization of the need to alter my search strategies stemmed from the fact that I was getting inadequate search results.
The next Course Objective is "how to make effective use of traditional and new library resources and tools." This was the most fun of all of the objectives. This is where I was introduced into the library catalog, and the databases within it. I learned which databases were appropriate for which topics. A majority of the time you can tell when to use which databases by simply looking at the database title. For instance, you are not going to use PubMed to find an article on luxury cars. I did make some mistakes by not using the appropriate database, and so I had to learn the hard way. I would use the database, but after a few searches I would realize that the particular databases that I was using wasn’t helpful to my topic. So to overcome this, I would take note of this database and remember it, so the next time I used that database I would only be using it when necessary. Taking note of situations like this one allowed me to have more effective searches on future assignments, and helped me to avoid making the same mistake twice. The Internet can be a very helpful thing, and this is definitely the case with the school library. The students today have a great blessing in that we can use the Internet to see if a book is available in our school library. 20 years ago, when my parents went to school, they didn’t have this luxury. It is really helpful being able look up a book in the library from the comfort of my dorm room. Also with these fancy databases, it is much easier finding an article or source on whatever it is that you are looking for. Also let’s not forget the Haystac catalog, which allowed me to look up the call numbers of books, and using the call number is a traditional tool for finding information. Call numbers organize the books in the library and one class period I used a call number to find a book that was relevant to my research question and cluster topic. I have definitely used these resources and tools to my advantage and these resources and tools are the main reasons as to why I was able to succeed in my searches, and also why I was able to overcome my failures.
The research process and the results come from a series of trial and error searches. When I didn’t get adequate results, I had to think of different ways find results. As was the case in my second to last blog, I used a variety of databases to finally come up with the actually articles that I used. I found that you have to be very patient and creative when using different databases, as you may spend a lot of time searching through one database and then you come up without any results for what you were looking for. When I was looking for information for my first blog about ice, water, and steam I used a variety of databases and went through a lot of trial and error events just to find the couple of articles that I actually used for me blog. However, taking your time and thoroughly using the databases, you create a good understanding of each database, and the way I overcame these failures was to develop this knowledge for each database. So even though I may have failed in the beginning, I succeeded in the long run.
The final Course Objective was to "understand and apply principles of information ethics." For me, this was a tough objective, as it was hard for me to find the ethics and background of some of the information that I found. Sometimes I would just find the material that I was looking for and without looking at its origin or ethics, I would include it in a blog, or whatever I needed the information for. I have since learned during my time in class to look more deeply into the meaning of information, as you can get yourself into some trouble if you don’t. While doing my blog on MLA and APA format, I searched information on the two types of formats, and I didn’t look deeply into its ethics. I would take information that came from sources that weren’t credible, rather than to look for information that came from a quality source. I did understand copyrights and I did apply those to my searches. I am very good at quoting and citing whenever appropriate. As this class progressed, so did my skills at quoting and giving credit where credit is due. I have never really had a problem with plagiarism, and this class only helped me to further develop my skills in ability to avoid plagiarizing and using someone else’s work as my own. When I did need to use a large bulk of information from an author or whoever it may be, I did a good job of breaking that information down and as Professor Soules showed us, and I used only the main points from that author. Matter of fact, this understanding of information ethics helped me in my Public Speaking class. I did a speech on presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani, and used some of his quotes in my speech. I was able to only use the main points from his quotes, and I cited him very clearly and distinctively.
This class has been instrumental in my growth as a freshman in college. I now know how to navigate myself through the rather large library, I know how to use the databases, which can be found in the A-Z list of databases, and I have also effectively used the Course Objectives stated in the class syllabus. Not only have I gotten better as a student in the LIBY 1210 class and have met and understood the objectives, but this class has also helped me in some of my other classes as well. I have already used the skills and information that I have learned in the class in my other classes, and I plan to continue this. Although this class may be over, it will always be a part of me as a student and as a person. Whenever I am doing research or just looking up silly information, I will use the skills that I have acquired in this class in the future days to come.
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