INFO 521: Information & User Services

Guris 1

Kelly Guris

INFO 521: Information & User Services

Final Assignment: IPL Project

June 2, 2010

**Question Log**

1) Question: What are the most favorably reviewed books covering religion and politics in western Europe between 1547 and 1611.

From Research Questions TBA

name: DXXX JXXXXXX

from:

location: Honolulu Hi

area: History

reason: I teach a Shakespeare course. I want to give the class

background on the mixture of European religion and politics

affecting England.

school: No

sources consulted: Elizabeth I by Anne Somerset, The Armada by

Mattingly, and a great many Shakespeare biographies.

Question Claimed: Sun, 23 May 2010 08:46:44 AM

Question Answered: Sun, 23 May 2010 11:55:44 PM

Time spent answering question: 3 Hours

My Response

Greetings from the ipl2!

I was pleased to search for your request of books on the effectsof 16th and 17th century Western Europe religion and politics onEngland. Elizabethan history is one of my favorite subjects tostudy!

The best way to find well-reviewed materials is to look at thepublisher. Reputable and authoritative publishers, especially ofacademic institutions, are reliable sources to use for research.

I think I have found several sources that will help answer yourquestion.

World Cat is an online collaborative catalog of many of theworld’s libraries. It is a trusted website for Internetresearch. You can enter your zip code to find a desired title inyour local library. Here is a recommended title from my searchin World Cat:

Asquith, C. (2005) Shadowplay: The Hidden Beliefs and CodedPolitics of William

Shakespeare, New York: Public Affairs.

This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortenedversion for your convenience:

Google Books is an online catalog of thousands of the worldsbooks, some available completely online, and all can be found inthe closest library to your location. Here are three suggestedsources I found through my search on Google Books:

1) Archer, Ian W. & Adams, S. (2003). Religion, Politics, and

Society in Sixteenth-Century England, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press (RoyalHistorical Society series)

This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortenedversion for your convenience:

2) Bulliet, et al., (2009). The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History, Volume II – Since 1500 4th ed., Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, Chapter 15: “Transformations in Europe” pp. 414-441.

This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortenedversion for your convenience:

3) von Greyerz, Kaspar (2008). Religion and Culture in EarlyModern Europe, 1500-1800, New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortenedversion for your convenience:

I found the first suggested book by searching the phrase “WilliamShakespeare + religion and politics” on WorldCat’s home page.

I limited the results to book format by clicking the “Books”subject tab located above the search field. The source is listedsixth in the results set.

The second, third, and fourth recommended books were found by performing a search through Google Books.

Specifically, the second source was found by entering “religionand politics 16th century England” into the search field on thehome page of Google Books. The third and fourth sources werefound by entering “religion and politics 1500s 1600s” in thesearch field. The sources were listed eleventh and twelfthrespectively.

I hope this has helped you in your research. Please feel free tocontact us again should you need further help!

Thank you for visiting the ipl2!

Strategies Used: I started my search in World Cat since the patron asked specifically for books. I thought that World Cat would return the most applicable and trusted results. I searched the phrase “religion and politics 16th century England.” To the left of the results, I clicked the World Cat subject category “Christianity and politics – Great Britain – History – 16th Century. There were four books among those results I thought could be good candidates:

Shagan, E. H. (2003). Popular Politics and the English Reformation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Asquith, C. (2005). Shadowplay: The Hidden Beliefs and Coded Politics of William Shakespeare. New York: Public Affairs.

McCullough, P. E. (1998). Sermons at Court: Politics and Religion in Elizabethan and Jacobean preaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Shuger, D. K. (2001). Political Theologies in Shakespeare’s England: The Sacred and the State in Measure for Measure. New York: Palgrave.

Of these four, I decided on Shadowplay as the publisher description seemed most applicable to the topic and suitable to the audience. The other texts just seemed a bit too dense for a high school history class. I took my search next to Google Books. First I searched “religion and politics 16th century England,” which returned a book that seemed to present a basic historical account of religious, political, and cultural issues present during this time period:

Adams, S. & Archer, I. W. (2003). Religion, Politics, and Society in Sixteenth-Century England. Cambridge, UK: Royal Historical Society, Cambridge University Press.

I liked this text the Royal Historical Society published it, and it seemed like a good textbook that the teacher could use to gather facts and gain more insight into what he was teaching. Staying in Google Books, I modified my search query to “religion and politics 1500s 1600s” in order to get more Western European countries represented in my results. This search returned one book and a chapter from another book that seemed suitable for this answer:

Von Greyerz, K. (2008). Religion and culture in Early Modern Europe, 1500 – 1800. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Bulliet, Crossley, Headrick, Hirsch, Johnson & Northrup et al., (2009). The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History, Volume II – Since 1500. Houghton Mifflin Co., Chapter 15: Transformations in Europe, pp. 414 – 441.

The publishers of both these texts are respected educational publishers.

Critique of Answer: This seemed like it would be tough to search and I was slightly dismayed by the number of people who had claimed and then unclaimed this question. But I knew I would regret not taking on a challenge. The search itself seemed to be pretty easy. It was the refining and sifting through results that seemed to be time-consuming. The patron asked for well-reviewed books, which is what intimidated me about the question. Selecting works with reputable publishers would result in authoritative sources, which is what the patron appears to be really asking as the research is for a high school Shakespearean history class. I am satisfied with the results of my search, and I think they shall be helpful for the patron. The other sources I found but did not share with the patron were also helpful, however the titles I selected for the response seemed more appropriate to my ultimate audience: high school students (via their teacher).

What I would do differently in the future: I’m not sure what I would do differently in this case. Maybe I should have started with the broader topic first? I was very satisfied with this response and enjoyed answering it the most. Overall, I do not think there is much I would change about how I answered this question.

2) Question: what is the red summer of 1919?

From Bounced Question Recycling

area: History

school: Yes

Question Claimed: Mon, 24 May 2010 12:03:11 PM

Question Answered: Tue, 25 May 2010 08:00:45 AM

Time spent answering question: 1 Hour

My Response

Greetings from the ipl2!

Thank you for your question about the “Red Summer” of 1919. Ihave found information that should answer your question.

The Red Summer of 1919 is the name attributed to the race riotsthat occurred in the United States erupting in Chicago, IL onJuly 27, 1919 after an African-American teenager was killed forswimming on the unofficial white side of the beach at Lake

Michigan. The “Red Summer” included about 25 race riotsthroughout the United States ultimately resulting from risingracial tensions following World War I and the mass migration ofAfrican-Americans to the North. In Chicago, where the worst ofthe rioting occurred, 38 individuals were killed, 537 wereinjured, and 1,000 black families were impacted becominghomeless.

You can find this information at the following site:

I used the Encyclopedia Britannica for this search because thissource is a trusted site of accurate information.

You can verify this information by consulting the HistoryChannel’s website:

This source of historical information is a reliable website for factual historical information. We recommend only the freeinformation given on this website. The ipl2 does not endorse anyproducts or services from any profit-making enterprise.

I found the first source using the search engine Google:

I searched the phrase “red summer + 1919” (no quotationsnecessary).

For the second source, I consulted the History Channel website:

The History Channel is a reputable source for informationincluding educational resources. We recommend only the freeinformation given on this website. The ipl2 does not endorse anyproducts or services from any profit-making enterprise. Toaccess the article referenced, I clicked on the Topics tab at thetop of the home page, and then typed in “race riots 1919” in thesearch field on that page (no quotations necessary). The firstresult is the article referenced, titled “The Chicago Race Riotof 1919.”

I hope this response has fully answered your question. Pleasewrite back should you need any further help. Thanks for visitingthe ipl2!

Strategies Used: This was a fairly easy question for me to answer. I have been watching the History Channel’s “America: The Story of Us”, and the recent episode I had watched covered this event. So, I started with a basic search in Google for “red summer + 1919” which returned a link to an Encyclopedia Britannica entry titled “Chicago Race Riots of 1919.” I next went to the IPL2 website and searched resources by subject, subject being Arts & Humanities – History and then limited by era and region. I couldn’t find anything extremely helpful or applicable. So, I decided to consult the source where I had learned the answer originally – the History Channel. I went to the homepage of the History Channel and typed in “Chicago race riots 1919” and the search resulted in an entry discussing the event known as the “Red Summer.”

Critique of Answer: I enjoyed answering this question because I love studying history. I think the answer provided was accurate and helpful to the patron. Although I included the disclaimer for commercial websites in regard to the history.com article, it might have been better to use a site that needed no disclaimer at all. However, the information was consistent with the reputable Encyclopedia Britannica information, and in the end, I felt comfortable providing the History Channel source as verification of the answer provided by Britannica.

What I would do differently in the future: I would have used only academic or professional sites, rather than commercial sites such as BUBL, Digital Librarian, or the Library of Congress’s American Memory Project. That being said, I find that commercial sites such as the History Channel’s can be a great place to stimulate learning and scholarship, and can be fun and interactive as well as informative.

3) Question: How does heat affect air molecules?

From Bounced Question Recycling

location: Italy

area: Science

reason: Science Fair project

school: Yes

sources consulted: Fact Monster, Ask a Scientist

Question Claimed: Tue, 25 May 2010 08:03:04 AM

Question Answered: Wed, 26 May 2010 01:16:02 AM

Time spent answering question: 1 Hour

My Response

Greetings from the ipl2!

Thank you for your question about the reaction air molecules havewhen exposed to heat. I have found information that shouldanswer your question.

When air molecules come in contact with heat, they move. As theymove, the molecules bump into each other causing more moleculesto move. The heat is being transferred through molecular matter.

You can find this information at the following site:

I used Chem4Kids website because it is a good resource forscience information explaining basic concepts.

You can verify this information by consulting this educationalsite:

This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortenedversion for your convenience.

This site provides information from Northwestern University’s

Qualitative Reasoning Group, part of the Electrical Engineeringand Computer Science Department. This academic institution iswell known and reputable.

I found the first source using the ipl2 Resources for Kids:

I clicked on the Math & Sciences topic and then on Physics and

Chemistry. The first link suggested is for Chem4Kids:

For the second source, I used the search engine Google:

I entered the phrase “air molecules + heat” (no quotations necessary). I chose Northwestern’s QRG website from among theresults as I knew it to be a respected academic institution.

I hope this response has fully answered your question. Pleasewrite back should you need any further help. Thanks for visitingthe ipl2!

Strategies Used: I started in Google searching “heat + ‘air molecules’ + reaction,” which returned an ehow.com article. This article referenced a NASA website, which explained the Kinetic Theory of Gases. However, I wanted something more basic and simplistic as my patron is not American, so I’m not sure how good his English is; and the question is for a science fair project indicating a younger audience. So, I visited the IPL2 website’s Resources for Kids page and selected the Physics and Chemistry link. The first result was the Chem4Kids website, which gave an answer I thought was succinct and easy to understand. From there, I went to Google and performed a search for “air molecules + heat” and limited my results to websites ending in .EDU. I found an article titled “How does heat move?” on Northwestern University’s website. Several paragraphs in the article discussed the way heat affects air molecules and applies it to a more tangible context such as a convection oven or the heat given off by the Sun. Although the information was from a higher education website, the text itself was easy to understand.

Critique of Answer: I was somewhat disappointed that it took me an hour to answer this question. I thought it would be quicker than that; however, I made the mistake at starting with Google, when I should have gone straight to the IPL2’s kids’ resources page. A lot of the information from the first search in Google was overwhelming with intimidating scientific jargon and concepts. I needed to start simpler and move my way toward the complex.

What I would do differently in the future: I would take note immediately of my audience and approach the question from that level. In this case, that would mean going to the Resources for Kids section of the IPL2 website.

4) Question: I saw a news story today saying that “insect forecasters” are predicting a plague of grasshoppers in the upper plains states this summer. What credentials and education do you need to be an insect forecaster? Who employs insect forecasters?

From Research Questions TBA

name: CXXXXXXXXX FXXXX

from:

location: Somerville, MA

area: Science

reason: Personal Interest

school: No

sources_consulted: None, but I may ask Slate.com's Explainer aswell.

Question Claimed: Wed, 26 May 2010 9:03:52 PM

Question Answered: Thu, 27 May 2010 7:31:16 PM

Time spent answering question: 2 Hours

My Response

Greetings from the ipl2!

Thank you for your question about insect forecasting and careersassociated with this job. I found it to be a very interestingcareer!

I found research indicating that individuals involved with insectforecasting (also known as pest forecasting, and falling underthe topic of integrated pest management) are entomologists. Ifound a news article about entomologists conducting insectforecasting research projects posted on the United States

Department of Agriculture website. You can access it with thislink:

This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortenedversion for your convenience.

I used the USDA’s website for this source as it is a governmentorganization with reputable scientific information.

Here is another article from Innovations Report, a science,industry, and business forum, referring to insect forecastingperformed by entomologists:

This link is quite long and could break, so here is a shortenedversion for your convenience.

I used Innovations-Report as it is a science-based website thatedits and publishes research articles and works with academic,research, and industry institutions.

Entomologists can earn undergraduate and postgraduate (up todoctorate) degrees in Entomology. Admission to programs isdependent upon the school to which you apply as every school hastheir own admission policies. You can learn more about educationand career opportunities here:

I used the Entomological Society of America website for thisinformation as it is the professional association forentomologists in the United States. Entomologists can earn certification from the EntomologicalSociety of America (ESA), a U.S. professional association ofentomologists. There are two types of certified entomologists:Board Certified Entomologists and Associate Certified

Entomologists. BSEs can be certified in the specialty ofPlant-Related Entomology, which includes insect forecasting. Youcan learn more about the requirements related to thesecertification statuses and the difference between the two on the

ESA website here:

I found the first source browsing the USDA website’s Newsroom andsearched by subject. You can access this site here:

I found the article by searching under the Pest Managementsubject.

I found the Innovations-Report article by using the search engineGoogle.

I entered the search query: “entomologist and insect forecasting”(no quotations necessary).

I found the Entomological Society of America source by alsosearching on Google. The search query I used for that was“entomology professional association” (no quotations necessary).

I hope this response has fully answered your question. Pleasewrite back should you need any further help. Thanks for visitingthe ipl2!

Strategies Used: I started in Google since I did not know much about this subject. I entered the search query “insect forecaster.” I got a lot of results including a Canadian research foundation’s website ( This site gave me some more key words to use but nothing concrete I could use in my answer. I modified by search query in Google to “pest forecasting.” A result from this search was an abstract of a paper that discussed insect forecasting software developed by the Computer Centre for Agricultural Pest Forecasting (CIPRA). So, I performed a Google search of “Computer Centre for Agricultural Pest Forecasting” and found an article titled “Predicting Pests: Combining Meteorology, Biology, and Information Technology” found on the USDA’s website. I trusted this source, as it is a government organization overseeing agricultural issues in the United States. I browsed the USDA website to find a way to the article without using Google. This search also returned a scientific article published by Cornell University in 1997, which mentions the Integrated Pest Management program at Cornell and Northeast Weather Association (NEWA). A search in Google of NEWA did not result in anything useful or applicable. So, I returned to Google and searched “entomologist and insect forecasting.” This returned an article from Innovations-Report, a business, science and industry web forum. The article discusses insect forecasting projects headed and run by entomologists. This gave me the connection between entomologist and insect forecasting that I could present to the patron. For career and education information, I thought that a professional association would be the best place to start. So I searched in Google for “entomology professional association.” The first result was for the Entomological Society of America (ESA) website, which includes information on education, certification, and careers.