Econ 101 Methodical Approach to Finding Scholarly Information
The following is a methodical approach to finding scholarly information given any level of expertise at the outset.
Ask these six questions. In answering them, the necessary resources to meet your defined need will emerge.
- What information resources or tools are provided via Cornell that can help me perform efficiently and effectively? And, how do I use these both on campus and off?
A. Scope of resources.
1. BearAccess
2. Internet
a. Assorted browsers recommended for what purposes?
b. Deep Web
3. Library Catalog and Gateway
a. Databases
b. e-Journals
c. more
4. Data sets CISER and more.
B. Campus contacts and networks
1. Library Reference Service
2. CIT
3. School, Department, and Administrative Offices
4. Associations, clubs, and more.
- Is there a way to pose a question when seeking information that is more likely to get me a desired result in a timely manner? What is it that I have to know or think about before asking my question?
A. Knowledge of how information is organized and made available is sometimes a necessary requisite
1. Types of publications and how they differ
a. Articles
b. Books
c. Reference material encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.
d. Data Sets
e. Law & Public Policy
f. more
2. Types of publishers and how they differ
a. Government
b. Associations
c. Educational Institutions
d. Commercial Publishers
e. More
3. Types of controlled or controlling vocabularies or codes associated with the information
a) Subject Headings
b) Thesaurus Terms
c) Codes for data
d) Classifications for Legal Material
e) more
B. Determining what type of material and publisher can best answer a particular kind of question
C. Knowing in advance what the desired or acceptable outcome possibilities might look like and the audience to whom the information needs to be presented (If you do not know what you need, it is difficult for anyone to provide assistance)
- How can I make a distinction between reliable, authentic, scholarly information and information that is less trustworthy?
A. Original source documentation what is it and who produces it?
1. Fundamental sources government documents, etc.
2. Newspapers, radio, television, Internet, personal contacts (interviews), etc.
B. Peer Reviewed materials what are these and how to recognize them?
C. Reputable publishers who are they and how to recognize them?
1. Finding aids
2. Government, Associations, Educational Institutions, more
3. Bias? (For example, Think Tanks)
D. Reliable methods of producing data who does this and how to recognize it?
- Once I find desirable information, how do I determine which formats are most easily accessible and/or appropriate for what purposes and why?
A. The audience to whom the information will be presented often dictates the format.
B. Sometimes the ease of manipulation of data or literature determines the format.
C. Knowledge of formats and their differences are important competencies.
1. Print
2. Digital Versions of Print (electronic)
3. Digital information with no print equivalent (examples: Internet, more)
4. Databases for data
5. CDs
6. Video
7. more
- How do I acknowledge or credit the resources that I choose to use so that others may check my work or verify my facts if necessary?
A. Know the standard citation practice in your field APA, MLA, Blue Book, etc.
B. Know how to add information that helps identify, distinguish, and locate the material that you have found for others (for example adding URL and/or date found ) in a consistent manner.
- How do I use the material that I find in a legal and ethical manner?
A. Plagiarism as an issue
B. Copyright as an issue
