LSC 150 Fall 2008 Handout 21

Instructions for Bibliography/Searching Homework Assignment to be completed and submitted on 12-1-08

Create a Bibliography

[THIS ASSIGNMENT DEMONSTRATES THAT STUDENTS HAVE ASSIMILATED THE PROMINENT POINTS AND TECHNIQUES PRESENTED THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER]

  • Using the information covered in class (e.g., how to create effective search statements, how to search databases, including CONSULS and WorldCat, and how to write citations), compile a bibliography on one of the Research Questions below using correct APA style. The bibliography must include only 3 (three) sources. The three sources must include:

**One book (you must find the book through either CONSULS or WorldCat)

**One journal or magazine article (discovered through a subscription database search – see restrictions that follow)

**One newspaper article (discovered through the New York Times subscription database)

  • FIRST, choose ONE of these Research Questions for your assignment:

Choice #1:Does telecommuting increase productivity?

Choice #2:What impact does violence in media have on children?

Choice #3:Is fast food to blame for rising obesity rates?

  • SECOND, use the attached Search Strategy Machine(page 4) to translate your chosen research question into a search statement. Refer to handouts from Meeting 3 (handouts 9 and 10) for information on search strategies. For each key concept you extract from your original research question, you must identify and list at least ONE additional term. When you write out your search statement, you must also demonstrate that you are adept in using these search techniques: TRUNCATION, NESTING, and the BOOLEAN OPERATORS “AND” and “OR”
  • THIRD, locate one book on your topic using your search strategy. Use CONSULS or WorldCat. Print the catalog record for the book you choose.The catalog record gives the title of the book, the author, the publisher, the place of publication, and may give other information.
  • FOURTH, locate ajournal or magazine article on your topic. You must use a subject database and notthe general databases we have used.

Restrictions:DO NOT use any of the following general databases:

Academic Search Premier

Academic OneFile

Expanded Academic Index

"FOURTH" (continued from first page)

To find your subject database, click (from the Library’s home page):

Articles (via databases)

Then scroll down until you see Or, Search for a Database by Subjectand, from the drop down list, choose a subject area that covers the research question you have selected.

Before you choose a subject area or database, think in terms of which subject area would most likely cover your research question. For example:

  • Is obesity a communications topic? No. What type of topic is obesity? Choose an appropriate subject area.
  • Is telecommuting a computer topic? No. Which area would be likely to discuss telecommuting and work productivity? Choose an appropriate subject area.

Once you’ve chosen a subject area, look at the scope of the databases that are listed. Be sure to choose a database that contains journal articles – if you choose a database with electronic books or dissertations, you will lose points because your retrieval will not be journal articles.

Using the strategy you designed (see SECONDabove), search the database and locate one journal article. (As always, go to the Advanced Search interface of the database; try the strategy you designed; if it doesn’t work, modify it). Then, while you are using the database, print the bibliographic record for the journal article and at the top of the bibliographic record write your name and the name of the database you used(a bibliographic record includes the author, article title, journal name, volume, issue, pages, and date but may include more information).

FIFTH,search the current file of the New York Times for an article that is relevant to your research question (as always, go to the Advanced Search interface of the database; try the strategy you designed; if it doesn’t work, modify it) . Print out the bibliographic record for the newspaper article you choose and please write your name at the top of the printout.

On December 1, 2008 you must turn in:

  • The bibliography containing 3 sources. The references must be correctly cited using APA format (see Handout 13). At the top of your bibliography indicate which research question you chose. This part of the assignment is worth 6 total points – each correctly cited source is worth 2 points, any errors on any citation loses 2 points.
  • The bibliographic records for the 3 sourcesONE HALF POINT EACH; TOTAL = 1.5 points
  • The completed Search Strategy Machine page showing that you identified the key concepts of your research question and also found at least one additional term for each key concept. In the bottom box of the Search Strategy Machine write out your search strategy – be sure you have used NESTING, TRUNCATION, and the BOOLEAN OPERATORS “AND” and “OR”

On the Search Strategy Machine pagealso note which subject database you used to identify the journal/magazine article you included in your bibliography.

THE CORRECTLY COMPLETED SEARCH STRATEGY MACHINE IS WORTH 2.5 POINTS

  • Put your name on all pages of whatever you turn in

Use APA format for your bibliography, which is the format we have practiced all semester.

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Consider:

  • The references in your bibliography MUST be alphabetized by the last name of the authors of each work. If no author is given, alphabetize by the first word in the title of the anonymous work (but disregard the words “A,” “AN,” OR “THE.”) Remember, when using APA style, you only use the initials of the authors first name and middle name (if given).
  • If you need an extra hint on how to complete the Search Strategy Machine page, look at this example.

Nick Tomaiuolo, Search Strategy Machine page for Bibliography Assignment

I chose “do electromagnetic fields cause cancer?” as my research question

I chose the subject database MEDLINE to perform my journal article search in.

page 3 See the next page!!

Complete this form and hand it in with your project.

Student’s Search Strategy Machine Page for Bibliography Project LSC 150

Student’s name ______

I chose this research question: ______

I searched this database for my journal article ______

Write your search strategy in the box above – be sure to identify not only the key concepts but at least one additional alternate term for each key concept.

Your final search strategy must show you know how to use the Boolean operators AND and OR, truncation, and nesting.

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