In this workshop we will :
• Consider what critical searching means?
• Start to develop critical searching skills
• Learn how to evaluate information
• Use these skills to find quality information
Coursework marking criteria
Individual guided literature review: Task 1
Marks will be awarded for:
• Quality of reference
• Quality and detail presented in the reason for selecting
• Range and focus of the search techniques used to
identify and select the reference
What does ‘critical’ mean?
Finding fault: negative comment e.g. ‘Not good enough’.
Key, decisive, crucial: ‘a critical moment’, ‘critically ill’, ‘a
critical decision’.
In your University work being ‘critical’ means: being
thoughtful, asking questions, not taking things you read and
hear at face value.
When searching for information ‘critical’ means: thinking
carefully about the information you find, evaluating it, asking
questions, considering its authority, reflecting on it etc.
Williams, K. 2014 Getting critical. 2 edn. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
“We can describe a book or a journal
article as an artefact, a published and
describable entity: you look for it, you
find it, you’re done. Or we can describe
information in terms of its contribution to
knowledge…….you find it, you read it,
you start answering back to it.”
Emma Coonan, 2014
Critical searcher: questions to ask
• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why Marking criteria:
Describe the reference….include information
on what it shows and why you trust it or
believe it to be useful.
Marking Criteria:
Higher marks will be awarded for an ‘open’
search technique.
Marking Criteria:
Explain your search method including search
engine or database used, search terms used
and the aim of the particular search.
Broaden: USA OR America or comput*
Exclude: Apple NOT fruit or -Amazon
Narrow: network AND security
Phrase/exact match: “human computer interaction” or +Ideo or “IDEO”
Academic sources: “project management” +ac or +edu
Get answers: Define: “paper prototyping” or Alan Turing developed*
Streamlining your search
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/Computing/SearchTips
A critical look at URLs
http://www.nice.org.uk
In the URL What it means
.com (US or anywhere)
.co.uk (UK)
Commercial organisation or company
big or small
.fr .au .uk .sa The country where the
organisation/company is located
.org A non profit organisation
.edu (US)
.ac.uk (UK)
Academic institutions
.gov A government agency
Williams, K. 2014 Getting critical. 2 edn. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
Marking criteria:
Any reference where a Web address is provided rather than a correct
reference will automatically be ignored and not marked.
Marking criteria:
Provide the reference in the Harvard format.
Avoiding Plagiarism: find out more
My Library > MySubject > Science & Technology > Computing > Skills
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/computing/skills
Guided literature review
Description: Describe the reference, include information on what it
shows and why you trust it or believe it is useful.
Reason for selecting: How does this reference fit into the ‘story’ you
are telling about how your innovation became successful.
In the URL What it means
Summarise: what is it about? • The author’s purpose, aim or
question
• Main argument, central idea,
findings or conclusions
• What sort of text is it? General?
Specific?
Evaluate: What do I think about it? • Who is it written for?
• Particular strengths or points of
interest
• Similarities or differences with
other things you have read, or
ideas you hold yourself
• Any weaknesses or limitations?
Reflect: How might I use it • Has the text helped you
understand the topic better?
What?
• How useful is it? How?
Williams, K. 2014 Getting critical. 2 edn. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
With reference to coursework marking criteria, discuss how using library resources can enhance project marks.
Quality of the information is important, so need to find trustworthy and reliable sources.
Therefore you need to be Critical.
The word ‘critical’ has several meanings in everyday life, most commonly: finding fault and key.
However ‘critical’ has a slightly different meaning in the context of University work: being thoughtful, asking questions, not taking things at face value.
Being a critical searcher means that you ask questions of the information you find.
Hand out Authority game.
10 mins.
Feedback.
Discuss:
Which resources you think are most reliable and trustworthy.
What effects the reliability and trustworthiness of each source?
Are there times when the same type of source might differ in reliability and trustworthyness?
What factors should you take in to account?
How might the following change the order you have placed the resources in?
Discuss.
Give each group paper with and ask them to think of the questions they might ask of information that they find based on the exercise just carried out using the headings on the screen i.e. who, what, where, when and why?
10 mins.
Followed by feedback.
Who
Who is the author….individual, organisation?
Can you contact them?
Who has produced this information?
Are they a reliable authority, expert, qualified to produce this material etc?
Has it been checked, reviewed by another expert?
What:
What type of source is it?
Is it a source that can be trusted on this topic?
What is being said?
How do you know if it is correct?
Where did they get their information?
Is it someone’s opinion?
Based on what evidence?
Do you need to check it against different source?
Where:
Where was it published?
Where is the organisation/person located?
Is this context relevant to you?
Are there contact details (websites)?
When:
When was it published?
Is it current?
Does the material/data and its sources have dates?
When was it last updated (websites)?
Is it kept maintained (websites)?
Do the links work (websites)?
Does the view still hold value/weight?
Why:
Why was this written?
What is the purpose of it? Political or financial game, bias, opinion, promote debate, explain, persuade, sell etc
In your groups have a look at this journal article and ask the same questions.
Feedback.
This is what you need to do with all information that you find.
i.e. Finding information that builds on your existing knowledge through new ideas etc.
Your finished product (or essay, project etc) is just the tip of the iceberg.
Below it is should be loads of research ie. looking at theory and facts, being inspired, getting ideas, expanding your knowledge, stimulating your imagination etc.
The Internet gives us access to huge amounts of information.
Need to be able to streamline our search.
Introduce ways that we can streamline searches on the Internet.
Give it a go on the Internet with your topic.
It is easy to move from good quality information to a random website without being aware.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
The URL for a website gives an indication about the nature of the site.
What other questions might you consider when looking at websites?
Last updated
Do links work
Contact details/maintained by etc
About us
More information on Library Subject Guide on how to be an effective Internet searcher.
Need to ask lots of questions of the information you find, especially the Internet.
Using our resources are safer:
The information has been selected for academic purposes
Many of the articles will have been checked and reviewed by other experts
Still need to ask questions of it though……not everything you find will be relevant to you e.g. different context of the search terms you have used, not close enough to the focus of your work to be worth reading etc.
Abstracts can help you decide.
Go to website and click on the links.
Use Cite them right to correctly reference the 4 items.
Feedback.
Referencing and Plagiarism libguide includes information on how to reference material correctly.
Also information about Plato, LDU support and links to helpsheets.
Don’t forget: Computing LibGuide bring together all the resources for your subject area.
Things you need to consider in your literature review.