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8/10/2019 Engl 3323 Fall 06
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Information Sources forEnglish 3323:
Technical Writing
Kevin Drees
Engineering Librarian
Created June 2004
Updated March 2005
Edmon Low Library Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK
KD 6/04
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Content of this instruction: Critical thinking skills
Keyword vs. subject search Information Cycle: scholarly vs. non-scholarly
material
Primary vs. secondary sources
Subscription databases from Library via theweb vs Web search engines
Knowledge base of the library Discipline/Subject Specific Databases
FormatArticle,
technical reports
government documents
Availability (Print/Electronic)
Subject experts
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Disciplines
Business/Financial
Engineering
Agriculture
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Formats
Articles
Technical Reports
Government Documents
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Availability
Electronic
Note: using both the print and electronicwill increase the odds of finding useful
information and better composite
sketch of the topic, company, orindustry
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Critical Thinkingdeciding about
how to search and what types ofsources to usedriven by
audience analysis.1. Keyword vs. subject search2. Information Cycle: scholarly vs. non-
scholarly material
3. Primary vs. secondary sources
4. Subscription databases from Libraryvia the web vs Web search engines
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Critical Thinking1. Keyword vs. subject search
keyword searchSynonyms: targeted, exact, specific
Example:
company name
subject searchuse whenkeyword fails.
Synonyms for subject search:classification, category, broadenedsearching
Example:
industry, product type
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Critical Thinking
2. Information Cycle:Analysis increases along the
cycle
scholarly vs. non-scholarlymaterial
Web (scholarly/non-scholarly) vs
subscription database (scholarlyexcept for news accounts)
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Critical Thinking
3.Primary vs. secondary sourcespreference of primary source materials
over secondary
Primary source material: the article, speech, etc., verbatim
a good approach to get exactlywhat was said
Secondary source materialA summary someone wrote by
looking at the primary source.May contain an analysis in the
context of the discipline.
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Critical Thinking
4. Subscription databases from Library
via the web vs Web search engines
Understanding the distinction
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Knowledge Base
Subject Specific Databases
Business/Financial
Engineering
Agriculture Format
article,
technical reports
government documentsAvailability (Print/Electronic)
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Business/FinancialGoal: to increase your searching ability
in business and financial sourceskeyword search
company name
Subject search
Industry
Product type
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Electronic
Hoovers
Factiva
Business Source EliteProQuest Direct
Edgar
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D & B Million Dollar Directory
NAICS (North American Industrl Class.System) 2000
SIC (Standard Industrial Class.) Manual
Standard and Poors Register Corporations
International Directory of CompanyHistories
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Print cont.definitely consult:
Value line investment survey.
Stand & Poors Industry Surveys
Oklahoma Manufacturers RegisterOklahoma Directory of Manufacturers
and Processors
D & B Regional Business Directory
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Summary - Business/Financial
keyword (specific) vs subject (category)searching
Subject searching
Value line investment surveycomposite stats S&P Industry Surveymany tables and graphs
Articlesdescription of the industry orthe company itself
Further assistanceLibrarians, referencedesk.
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Engineering
Electronic Compendex
EBSCO
Acad Search EliteASTA (Applied Science and Technology)
Biological Abstracts (multiple years)
Medline
INSPEC
IEL (IEEE Electronic Library) Science Direct
Web of Science
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Agriculture
Electronic
ASAE (American Society of Agricultural
Engineers)
CAB Abstracts EBSCO
Agricola - compiled by the U.S. National Agricultural
Library (NAL)
Biological Abstracts (multiple years)
Biological & Agricultural Index
USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
www.usda.gov
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Technical Reports - defined
Are written to convey new developments orfinal results of scientific and technicalresearch.
Are usually funded by governmentdepartments or corporate bodies.
Deliver technical information to the fundingorganization.
Provide a forum for peer informationexchange.
Anne Graham, Barker Engineering Library, MIT, [email protected],
http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/types/techreports/definition.html, Accessed August 14, 2004
T h R t l ti
mailto:[email protected]://libraries.mit.edu/guides/types/techreports/definition.htmlhttp://libraries.mit.edu/guides/types/techreports/definition.htmlmailto:[email protected]8/10/2019 Engl 3323 Fall 06
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The most important resources for locatingtech reports and other info produced by the
Government for this technical writing course. Library Catalog
Regular search
Limited to gov docs
Science.gov site searches 30 Government agency databases and
makes use of 1700 agency selected websites pertainingto science.
May not be able to pull the full text from this source.Contact Gov Docs
Gov Docs Dept5thFloor of Library Gov Docs Librarians
Print vs electronic over date ranges
Identify agencies relevant to your topic
Tech Reports - locating
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Tech Reports - locating
NTIS http://www.ntis.gov/All (nearly) government publications are
available from NTIS (National Technical
Information Service)
OSU Gov Docs will request the item inMicrofichetake the NTIS record(abstract and other data) to Gov Docs- 2weeks- patron photocopy the mf copy
Government documents defined
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Government documents - defineda record of activities of governments
numerous agencies, regulatory bodies,
and departmentscontent ranging from agriculture to
zoology and impact on all academicdisciplines.
Authorship by agency, a uniqueclassification system, and a variety ofoutput formats often confound users,
Primary source materials readilyavailable from government sourcesincludeverbatim testimony obtainedfrom congressional hearings andenvironmental impact statements.
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Government Documents
identifying relevant materials
Search the following in this order Library Catalog
Regular search
Limited to gov docs
GPO Access from the OSU Library Indexes and Databases Page
GPO Monthly Catalog from the OSU Library Indexes and Databases Page
Google UncleSam from the OSU Library Indexes and Databases Page
Gov Docs Dept5thFloor of Library
Gov Docs Librarians
Print vs electronic over date ranges
Identify agencies relevant to your topic
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Government Documents Primary source material:
Example: Congressional hearings appear Congressional LexisNexisvia Indexes and Databases
page. Science.gov www.science.gov Thomas - (legistative information on the Internet
http://thomas.loc.gov/
Secondary source material Example: search for Congressional hearings in a
source with major newspapers like New YorkTimes ProQuest
http://thomas.loc.gov/http://thomas.loc.gov/http://www.science.gov/8/10/2019 Engl 3323 Fall 06
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How can I tell it is a Gov DocA government agency: EPA, etc
Found the publication in the GPO Monthly(Catalog of US Gov Pubs) http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.html
Call numbers in Gov Docs 5thfloor Libr SuDocs (slashes and colons)
Jackson numbers (3 letters)
OSU catalog limited to Gov Docs on the limittab
_____________________________
Exception to the abovesometimes non-Govpublisher items are placed in Gov Docs _
G
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.htmlhttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.html8/10/2019 Engl 3323 Fall 06
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Government websites via
agency or service
Thomas http://thomas.loc.gov/
Catalog of US Gov Pubshttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.html
EPA www.epa.gov Science.gov www.science.gov
NTIS (National Technical Information Service)www.ntis.gov/
USDA (US Dept of Agriculture)
www.usda.gov
Dept of Labor http://www.dol.gov/
Business stats
http://thomas.loc.gov/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/http://www.science.gov/http://www.ntis.gov/http://www.usda.gov/http://www.dol.gov/http://www.dol.gov/http://www.usda.gov/http://www.ntis.gov/http://www.science.gov/http://www.epa.gov/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.htmlhttp://thomas.loc.gov/8/10/2019 Engl 3323 Fall 06
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Summary
Search respective databases & print
sources
subject (category) searching as well asKeyword (specific)
Locate primary sources as needed
Visit Gov DocsLibrary, 5th
Floor