Summary
Highlights
To effectively use information and avoid plagiarism, proper citation is essential. Most databases offer a citation tool that generates references in various styles (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian). Users are advised to select the correct style and double-check the generated citations against a style guide, as automated tools can have errors. The video also mentions options for saving research, such as Google Drive or bibliography software.
The video points to online style guides, specifically 'Purdue OWL' (Online Writing Lab at Purdue University), found in the grammar category of the databases page. Purdue OWL provides formatting guidelines and examples for citations. Finally, the video strongly encourages students to reach out to librarians for help with research, reference, or any step of information literacy, noting various contact methods like live chat, email, and booking research coaches.
Whitney Snodgrass, the reference and instruction librarian at Southwest Tennessee Community College, introduces the Infonet Library website. She defines 'information literacy' as the ability to recognize, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information for projects, all of which is supported by the library's online resources. The video will guide users through navigating the homepage and finding resources.
The homepage features a search bar called 'Southwest Online Academic Resources' (SOAR), which simultaneously searches all online and physical resources. Other features include live chat with a librarian, featured resources, frequently visited links like 'databases' and 'CyberCAT' (online catalog), and related links to virtual tours, branch hours, and social media.
Databases are where the majority of high-quality, peer-reviewed journals, academic articles, magazines, and ebooks are stored. Southwest members have access to these resources. While 'recommended websites' are open access, databases require a Southwest ID and password for off-campus access. The databases page is organized by categories to help users find relevant information.
The video demonstrates how to use a 'browsable' database like 'Issues and Controversies' in the current events category. This database helps users explore topics, offers starter research on recent issues, and provides advanced search options. Users can browse by topic, such as 'college tuition costs,' to find overviews, pro/con articles, timelines, discussion questions, and bibliographies.
Once a topic is chosen, the next step is locating information using search techniques in SOAR. The video uses 'college tuition costs' as an example, showing how the search bar accesses all online and print resources. It highlights the use of the advanced search option to tailor searches with multiple terms, like adding 'student debt,' to find relevant ebooks and journal articles.
After locating resources, it's crucial to evaluate the information using critical thinking. The video demonstrates using filters to refine search results, such as the 'peer-reviewed' filter for academic resources, ensuring high-quality, vetted information. Other filters include 'full text online,' content type (e.g., magazine article, book chapter), publication date, and open access materials, as well as checking the online catalog for physical books.
When clicking on an interesting article, users may be prompted for their Southwest ID to access it off-campus. An article page typically provides bibliographic information, a digital object identifier (DOI), an abstract (summary), and related items based on an intuitive algorithm. Users can also check references within an article to find additional resources for their research.