Online Information Literacy: Creating Effective Search Strategies

1. Online Information Literacy: Creating Effective Search Strategies Carla Pfahl pfahl001@umn.edu Minitex Reference Outreach & Instruction mtxref@umn.edu AskMN Coordinator

2. Minitex is: • An Information and Resource Sharing Program of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the University of Minnesota Libraries. • We support all libraries in MN – academic, public, K-12, special… Who we are

3. Minitex Instruction for media specialists, teachers, and K-12 students: • Call us at 1-800-462-5348 or E-mail mtxref@umn.edu • Request On-site or Webinar Instruction • https://www.minitex.umn.edu/Reference/Request.aspx • Upcoming Webinars • http://minitex.umn.edu/Training/ • Self-Paced • http://minitex.umn.edu/Training/Browse.aspx?Filter=SelfPaced • ELM Resources for media specialists: http://www.elm4you.org/librarians What we can do for you

4. Getting started with topics • Learn some search strategy tools to use with students • Identify key concepts from topic questions • Combining key concepts • Searching for information • Where to go to find information Take Aways

5. K-12 students are new to this “research” thing • Research is one part of Information Literacy • Students have difficulty identifying key concepts to use as search terms from their topics The beginner researcher • Students see Google as all-knowing and truthful

6. How to search for information • What is it I’m looking for? • Identify what information you need to look for from your topic question. • Create search terms that will bring back the best results.

7. Get an understanding of a topic by answering the following questions Where do I get started? • Who?: Find a biographical sketch or topic overview • What?: Consider the issues or controversies surrounding the person, event, program, legislation, etc. • When?: Time frame of the person, event, program, legislation, etc. Where?: Location of the person, event, program, legislation, etc. Why?: Impact of the person, event, program, legislation, etc. then and now (connection to present day)

8. Identifying Key Concepts Important Words and Europeans Crusades • What did Europeans demand after the Crusades? • During the Renaissance, which two classical civilizations did the Italians look to for their inspiration? and Renaissance Italians Or: Italian Renaissance

9. Quotes are used to combine multiple words into one concept Using Quotes

10. Quotes are used to combine multiple words into one concept Combing Key Concepts Important Words • What were the events that led up to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794? Don’t: whiskey and rebellion Do: “whiskey rebellion”

11. What effects did the Mayo Clinic have on the health care industry? Combining Key Concepts Important Words Without quotes it is like searching for: Mayo and clinic and health and care and industry “Mayo clinic” and “health care industry”

12. If you use a website make sure you CITE where you got your information. • Include the link/url of the website • Ask yourself: • How reliable is the information from this website? Does the author provide references (citations) for where they got the information, data, and quotes? • Who is the author or creator? Are they reputable? • How recent is the information? • Is the information on the website fact or opinion? • Are there any advertisements on the website? It’s ok to use Google… sometimes

13. Currency • How recent is the information? • How recently has the website been updated • Is it current enough for your topic? • Reliability • What kind of information is included in the resource? • Is content of the resource primarily opinion? Is isbalanced? • Does the creator provide references or sources for data or quotations? • Authority • Who is the creator or author? • What are the credentials? • Who is the published or sponsor? • Are they reputable? • What is the publisher's interest (if any) in this information? • Are there advertisements on the website? • Purpose/Point of View • Is this fact or opinion? • Is it biased? • Is the creator/author trying to sell you something? CRAP Test From: http://loex2008collaborate.pbworks.com/w/page/18686701/The%20CRAP%20Test

14. Identify key concepts from an assignment Exercise

15. Compare search results in library databases and Google Experiment

16. Citing Sources Where did the information come from? • Whenever you read something that you use in a report When to Cite Why to Cite To credit the person who wrote the thing you’re using in your report Provide at least the title of the source and the author’s name How to Cite

17. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBfi8OEz0rA The House Hippo

18. Resources!

19. ELM! • AskMN • School’s library • Public library • Homework Rescue (online tutoring service) • Sweetsearch.com Resources I like promoting with students

20. ELMelm4you.org

21. We are real librarians • Chatting with a librarian – NOT a chat room • Librarians help find best resources, develop search strategies, and much more • One or two at a time, please! AskMN: The Librarian Is In!

22. Don’t copy and paste assignment in chat form When to use AskMN • Whenever you need help with an assignment • Have a good understanding of what you need to do for an assignment

23. Tutorials

24. Thank you! Carla Pfahl pfahl001@umn.edu