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CRICOS No.00213J

BEB100Introducing Professional Learning

Researching for the Built Environment and

Engineering Professions

QUT Library

CRICOS No.00213J

EMBEDDED MEDIA CLIP INSERTED IN THIS SLIDE

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Today’s Learning Objectives

• What is Information Literacy & why is it so important?

• Planning for research

• Search Strategies

• Search Tools

• Evaluating Information

• Referencing

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What is an Information Literate Person?An Information literate person can:

• Identify their information needs

• Find information using a range of print and electronic resources

• Evaluate information

• Use information effectively for problem-solving and decision-making; and

• Communicate information in various formats to other people

“To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”ALA, 1998

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CRICOS No.00213J

Planning for Research(week 2 reading pages1-5)

• Define your information need

– Analyse your project brief / assignment

• Identify key concepts / synonyms / alternatives / plurals

• Make use of a search planning tool / concept mapping

Example:• Sustainable - sustainability, ecological, renewable, recycle, “energy

efficient”

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Search Strategies(week 2 reading pages 6-12)

Effective Search Statements“Phrase Searching”

Boolean (AND, OR, NOT)

Truncat* (hous*, sustainab*)

Think about the type of information you require

Think about the source of your informationJournal, Conference Proceedings, Newspaper, Website, Podcast

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Where would you start looking for information for your assignment?

A Google

B Library Catalogue

C Databases

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Search Tools – The library tools(week 2 reading pages 13-23)

• The Internet (Google, Google Scholar)

• QUT Library CatalogueBooks, DVD’s, Journals, Websites, Reports, CD’s, Newspapers, Magazines, Maps, Databases, Standards, – over 724,000 items– 36,000 Fulltext e-Journals– 5000 Journals

• Database – over 500 databasesJournal Articles, Reports,

DEMO OF INTERNET, CATALOGUE AND DATABASE

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What criteria might you use to evaluate information?

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Evaluating Information(week 2 reading pages 24-26)

• author authority

- qualifications, experience, institutional affiliation, other publications

• currency of the material/document • for journals - is there an abstract, references, is it

refereed? • for books - "scholarly", publisher, series? • proof - is there evidence to support the proposition • source of the information in the document, is there a

bibliography?

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Referencing(week 2 reading pages 27-33)

• Why Reference?– Validation, Credit, Access, Added Value, Avoid Plagiarism

• What should be referenced?– Direct & Indirect quotes– Any information or data from another author

• Harvard (Chicago Manual of Style)– Author-Date system (others include APA, AGPS)

• Refer to your unit information and “Researching for the Built Environment and Engineering Professions” - Week 2 Reading

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Where to now?

• Read your week 2 reading:

Milne, C. and Thomas, J. 2008. Researching for the Built Environment and Engineering Professions. NSW: Pearson Education Australia

• Complete Week 2 Tasks (on Blackboard)• Complete the Week 2 Quiz• Attend the Week 2 Tutorial• Start researching for your assignment it’s due in Week 5

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Further HelpLibrary Homepage - http://www.library.qut.edu.au/

Library Help Desk (level 3, V Block, Gardens Point)(where you check out your books)

Ask-A-Librarian

Week 2 Reading – Researching for the Built Environment and Engineering Professions.

Blackboard – Your BEB100 Site

PILOT – Visit for additional information on researching