Information Literacy for MOS

ECS-65100, Lecture 2

Marja Duizendstraal

Session 3, lecture: Evaluation and citing of information sources, publishing 

Keywords: Reviewing and adapting search strategies; evaluating bibliographic references and websites; citing; styles; plagiarism; publishing; impact factors; exam.

After the session: - Prepare for the exam

Illustrations © Loet van Moll 2009

Assignment

Topic analysis concepts, search line

Quick and dirty search search terms,

wikipedia, dictionaries adapted search line

Multidisciplinary database search: Scopus or

Web of Science

Following a thread adapted search line

Subject specific database search: e.g. CAB Abstracts

Evaluation of search process

Reference list EndNote, styles

Topic analysis

Coping with natural disasters in farming practice

Climatic and other environmental catastrophes may result in high losses in agriculture. For instance, droughts, floods, landslides, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions may seriously affect the natural resources that are needed to ensure yields. To adjust for or prevent further disturbing pressure on crops and livestock, farmers apply different coping strategies. In this assignment you have to search for publications on risk reducing steps that farmers apply to deal with the natural hazards that may threaten their yields.

Topic analysis

Coping with natural disasters in farming practice

Climatic and other environmental catastrophes may result in high losses in agriculture. For instance, droughts, floods, landslides, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions may seriously affect the natural resources that are needed to ensure yields. To adjust for or prevent further disturbing pressure on crops and livestock, farmers apply different coping strategies. In this assignment you have to search for publications on risk reducing steps that farmers apply to deal with the natural hazards that may threaten their yields.

Concepts

Relevant concepts

Natural disasters

Farming practices

Coping with

No concepts used Concept(s) missing, or too many concept(s)

All relevant concepts used

Search terms: content coverage

Natural disasters, natural hazards, drought, floods, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fire, …….

less important:environmental catastrophes, natural calamities, earth quake, extreme weather event

no hazard: global warming, snow

No synonyms are searched where relevant; irrelevant or unnecessary search terms are used

Some important synonyms are missing; some irrelevant or unnecessary search terms are used

Many relevant synonyms are used; no use of irrelevant or unnecessary terms

Search terms: content coverage

Farming, farmers, agriculture, cultivation,

object: livestock, crops, cattle

too broad: plant

Coping (with), risk reducing, risk management, prevent, deal with, protect, encounter, adapt

more general: manage, strategy, technique, handle

Search terms:use of thesaurus

Find out the right search terms

Include narrower terms with explode; especially useful for geographic locations

Search specific in keywords field

Not in all databases available

Wildcards: symbols

Symbols: check help or search tips for each database

Examples:

*= 0 or more characters

?= 1 character (Scopus, WoS, EBSCO);

0 or 1 (OVID-SP)

#= 0 or 1 character (EBSCO);

1 character (OVID-SP)

$= 0 or 1 character (WoS);

0 or more (OVID-SP)

No or incorrect use of wildcards where appropriate

Some small faults in the use of wildcards

Correct use of wildcards

Example from WoS

Wildcards: get what you want

Tips: think about variations, check found results and use help/ search tips

right: farm*; crop*; strateg*, manag*, adapt*, flood*; agricultur*; cultivat*; “cop* with”

dangerous: cop*

useful?: copi*; disaster* (some databases find plurals)

Example from Scopus:

Parentheses

Always use them around concepts

Scopus

Web of Science

Operators

Boolean: AND/ OR/ (AND) NOT

Proximity operators

examples W/x Scopus

ADJx OVID

NEAR/x Web of ScienceScopus

Parentheses lacking; operators not correctly used

  Parentheses and Boolean operators correctly used

Phrase searching

Right:

Better two concepts:

Not necessary: “farm*”

Use the

right quotes:

No use of quotation marks when necessary

Unnecessary use of quotation marks

Use of quotation marks when necessary

Scopus: do not cut and paste!

Evaluation of found records

Is the content of this document appropriate for my research topic?

Is it worth the effort of getting the full text and reading it?

Criteria:●type of document

●subject and scope – abstract information

●primary or secondary research

●audience

●date of publication

●author details

Primary versus secondary research

Primary research presents original research methods or findings for the first time. Examples include:

●A journal article or research report that presents new findings and new theories

●A poster presented at a conference

Secondary research provides a compilation or evaluation of previously presented material. Examples include:

●A review article summarizing research or data

●A textbook

Judging bibliographic records

Intended audience

Is the publication aimed at scientists, professionals, policy makers, students or a general audience?

Illustration © Loet van Moll 2009

Peer review

A standard procedure in scholarly publishing, whereby a prospective publisher submits the manuscript of an article to experts in the research field for their critical scrutiny, under conditions of anonymity, with the aim of assuring quality and reliability of findings.

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Journal articles

Scientific journals

Research

Peer reviewed

Professional journalsPracticalNon-peer reviewed

Evaluation of the searchScopus Web of Science Subject specific-

databaseRetrieved % Rel. Retrieved % Rel. Retrieved % Rel.

61 25% 1595 40% Agricola: 8 25%

137 60% 173 45% Agricola: 20 90%

181 75% CAB: 107 50%

82 72.5%     CAB: 122 75%

382 15% OVIDSP: 281 40%

142 33%     Agriculture: 3544

40%

64 50%?     ProdInra: 3151

70%

    Global Search: 14

64%

Science Direct: 12

67%     Scientific journals: 16

80%

Other topic: 97

70% Other topic CAB: 148

90%

Improving your search

To narrow: more specific terms, less truncation, more concepts, add limits like year, field searching .....

To broaden: more (general) terms, more truncation, less concepts …………

Build on what you have found:

●More or better terms (thesaurus!)

●Key authors/ groups

●References (following a thread)

Low percentage of relevant hits; refinement necessary

Moderate percentage of relevant hits; refinement still possible

High percentage of relevant hits; refinement not necessary

Improve your search (example)

Field searching

●Ghana only in title, abstract and/or keyword fields means no irrelevant articles with Ghana in an address, affiliation or institute field

Ghana in all fields

Ghana in title,

abstract, and/or

keywords

Choice of subject specific database

Database chosen is not a bibliographic database, or does not cover the topic

Database chosen is a bibliographic database and covers the topic, but is not the most appropriate one

Most appropriate bibliographic database is chosen

Bibliographic databases

Multidisciplinary• Scopus• Web of Science• Google Scholar

Specific topics• CAB-Abstracts• Biological Abstracts• ASFA• Medline/ PubMed• ……………..

Use portals to find the right ones!

Overlap Additional Use several databases

Overlap and unique records

Web of Science Scopus CAB Abstracts SciFinder

144 157 115 145

After deduplication 73 48 59

Sensitivity of models on leaching of pesticides to groundwater

Search platforms

Search platform is the search interface for searching a bibliographic database

Some bibliographies have their own search interface (e.g. Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed).

In Wageningen, a large number of bibliographies can be searched simultaneously on one of the search platforms EBSCOhost (use for Social Sciences) or OvidSP (use for natural sciences) but there are more platforms.

Each search platform offers specific operators, wildcards, indexing and other search tools: see HELP or Search tips

Evaluating internet resources

Anyone can publishAdvertising can be disguised

as facts.Quality criteria:

●Accuracy

●Objectivity

●Authority (of author and publisher)

●Currency

Example and feedback in exercise herbalife

Illustration © Peter Steiner 1993

Publishing

Publishing: why● contribution to the record of science●part of research process (requirement)●reflection●evaluation (publish or perish)

Publishing: where

●Type of document

●Journal selection, impact factors

●Open access journals: e.g. BioMed Central, PLoS Biology

Plagiarism

Definition: Taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own.

(also known as) Copy and paste

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence

Wageningen University uses Turnitin to check student reports

Avoid unintentional plagiarism by citing correctly

Illustration © Loet van Moll 2009

Plagiarism exercise 1a

Original text

“This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland.”

Text from Mr. Smith

The study of Tanner and Gange (2005) has shown that golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland.

Tanner R. A. and A. C. Gange, 2005. Effects of golf courses on local biodiversity. Landscape and urban planning, Vol. 71, 2-4, 137-146

Plagiarism exercise 1b

Original text

“This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. “

Text from Mr. Smith

The study of Tanner and Gange (2005) has shown that “golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland.” (p.....)

Direct quotations must be quoted!!

Plagiarism exercise 2

Original text

“This study has shown that golf courses can enhance the diversity of three indicator groups (birds, ground beetles and bumblebees), relative to adjacent pasture farmland. “

Text from Mrs. Brown

According to Tanner and Gange (2005) the diversity of birds and some insect groups can be higher on golf courses than on adjacent farmland.

Tanner R. A. and A. C. Gange, 2005. Effects of golf courses on local biodiversity. Landscape and urban planning, Vol. 71, 2-4, 137-146

Plagiarism exercise 3: Secondary source

Is it okay when you cite Mr. Smith for this information originating from Tanner and Gange?

Preferable not.

But in case you cannot get the original publication, it is allowed. You have to indicate that this is a secondary source, e.g. (Tanner and Gange, 2005, as cited in Smith, 2010). In your reference list you should provide the details of the secondary source (the source you read). Whether you have to give the details of the primary source or not, depends on the citation style.

Referring, citing, quoting

To allow readers to find and check your information sources

To give authors of these sources credit for their work

Methods

●In-text citations and quotes

●Reference lists

●Many different styles

●Bibliographic details differ per document type

Examples of styles

Kotir, J. H. (2011). "Climate change and variability in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review of current and future trends and impacts on agriculture and food security." Environment, Development and Sustainability 13(3): 587-605.

1. Kotir, J.H., Climate change and variability in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review of current and future trends and impacts on agriculture and food security. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2011. 13(3): p. 587-605.

Choice of style

Ask your supervisor

Citation guides: Guide to referencing and citations

Journal style: About this journal, Author guidelines

●Journal of Hydrology

Reference list

Completeness of references

Consistency of style

Format of style

Essential elements missing like year, source, pages

  All essential elements are included

Style apparently inconsistent

Some inconsistencies in the style

Style consistent

Used style not indicated; format rules not followed

Style indicated; some minor format mistakes

Style indicated; no mistakes in the format

Rfefernce list-2

Content

Less than 50% of the selected records relevant, current and representative

Not all of the selected records relevant, current and representative, but more than 50%

All selected records relevant, current and representative

Evaluation of the course

Assignment

●Assignment had to be submitted in order to get a grade for this course

Exam

●PC exam on 24 October 2012 (PC 602 / PC 606)

●Re-exam on 14 August 2013 (PC 612 / PC 616) or at the end of the next period

●Final grade is based upon this exam (minimum 5.5)

●Note: the time for the exam is 90 minutes

●Example exam: see Extra Materials in Blackboard

Contact: Marja.Duizendstraal@wur.nl

Learning outcomes

After this course you will be able to:

Identify and understand various information sources

Construct strategies for locating information and data

Locate and access the information and data you need

Review the research process and compare and evaluate information and data

Organise and use information professionally and ethically

Select appropriate publication and dissemination outlets.

End slide

Good luck, and see you at the exam!