Cyber-Freewrite
Recap, review and reflect on research. Why is research important in this information saturated age? How does research or weighing one's options help scholars develop cogent theories? is research just limited to the academy? What specifically did the librarian share with you today that you didn't know? what was different from other orientations you've attended in the past here or elsewhere? What if anything did he leave out?
Visit the librarian, Steve Gerstle's webpage at the College of Alameda (peralta.cc.ca.edu).
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14 comments:
Tia Gangopadhyay
Professor Sabir
English 1B 9-10:50 T/Th
27 September 2011
Information Literacy for Changing Audiences
The importance of research cannot be emphasized enough. Clearly, research plays a role in our daily activities, whether that is us subconsciously using past experiences to make a decision or asking a question to a friend about an unknown topic that we are interested in. Research is clearly not limited to that of an academy. Research is used in every aspect of our lives—what we choose to eat, what clothes we buy, where we go to school or work, and so much more.
Regardless of what kind of research it is, however, the importance of a credible source is evident. Without a credible source, the foundation of your research is flawed. The more time that gets put into evaluating sources, the better your research and analysis will be because you have deliberated and reflected on multiple themes and perspectives, finally choosing the one that is most meaningful or correct to you. In today’s class we went to the library to learn about the tools and methods of research as well as get a tour of the library. The librarian, Steve Gerstle, shared a video with us that gave a brief overview on how to find a credible internet website that I found very useful. I was unaware of how to determine whether or not a website is credible but the video shared that generally if a website domain ends with a .org, a .gov, or a .edu then it is a relatively credible source. Furthermore, you should look for the author, the authority of the author, and the intent of the author to determine whether or not the website is merely trying to sell you something or if the author is indeed an established, legitimate figure of authority that will provide you with credible information.
I found that his lecture lacked a few things. The main glaring issue, I found was that he did not mention how to cite the sources that we are reviewing. In the past, whenever I have gone to library orientations or lectures on researching methods, how to cite sources has always been an integral aspect of the presentation. I thought it was strange that librarian, Steve Gerstle, did not mention anything about citation. Also, his presentation did not flow, as he did not have a list of authors or reviews to look up and so he kept asking us to give him an author or a book to look up. That took up time and ended up being futile many times, as the authors we looked up had no information on it, defeating the purpose of showing us how to use certain databases and research tools.
On the other hand, I found the tour of the library helpful as I learned where other areas of resources are, such as the writing center and the computer lab. Overall, I found that due to the importance of research, there is a vast array of resources available on campus for us to utilize in our writing and beyond.
Jacqueline Diulio
Professor Sabir
English 1B
27 September 2011
Library Evaluation
Today, the class went to the library to learn about the research process from our librarian, Steve Garstle. I thought his presentation of how to find scholarly sources from our academic research center was very informational to our class. Garstle reviewed how to find an author in the database using the title of the book, the author’s name, or even a keyword or phrase. This information is beneficial to many students in the class because it is a good idea to learn about an author’s background before reading the material. Garstle also took time to explain how to figure out whether or not the information we find on the web is liable. Some information posted on the Internet can be an opinion and not a fact. Garstle explained that in order to find if the information is correct we should look at the content within the article to ensure that we are taking from a creditable source.
Although Garstle did an excellent job showing us how to find sources, he did not tell us how to cite them correctly. In most databases there is a button to correctly cite the source in our papers so we are not plagiarizing from the author. It is very important in research to correctly cite the source you are referencing or it would be considered “stealing” from the author. Although citing the source is not a difficult task, I feel that it should have been brought up when discussing how to find research material.
Alastair Vargas
Prof. Wanda Sabir
English 1B
9/27/11
Freewrite: “Information literacy for changing Audiences”
Today in the library we were taken through a course with Steve Gerstle, and the course taught how to find research information for projects or educational reasons. Steve was very knowledgable in his course, and taught me a few things such as; what databases to use depending on the type of research or what class it’s for. (e.g…English,Political Science, Anthropology, etc…)
Some of the things in the research seemed overly saturated and repeatitive, at times it could be boring. The most important thing I got out of it was what databases to use, and the specifics and extra options you can narrow search with if you want to be accurate or find what you’re looking for without wasting time. I’m confident in Steve and his research abilities, because he’s had over 25 years of experience as an Instruction and reference librarian. Steve’s also educated in his work, and operates in the long-standing and modern way of doing research.
Interesting. I have never been to a library orientation where the librarian showed students how to cite. I have been to orientations where students were shown resources for MLA.
At this point, second year college, I think we understand that students who have made it to this level of class, know how to cite. Also, this is something we do in class not in the orientation.
What I found missing were the printed resources, like books which might extend or expand one's search for support documents like specialized encyclopedias which the library owns that you might not know exist except in such an academic class setting.
Some databases have texts on shelves as well, which predate the on-line sources. Some are also more specialized such as those in Literary Criticism and Author Biographies.
Adetona Adewale
Professor Sabir
ENG 1B
27 September 2011 Freewrite Regarding Research Methods
Research is very important in our current era because the technology age is moving very fast and is also very ever changing, so the use of the internet is entirely a must. The library has many research outlets that can give you all the information that you need and the internet is no exception. Today I learned that the librarians are always available to assist you in whatever you need with regard to finding and locating highly desirable information. What the librarian taught me that I never knew before is that there are so many more databases with great information that I never thought off looking at previously. Furthermore, I really that after this experience I have genuinely found a friend in the library that I can always go to for anything when I’m in need. In my opinion the librarian left out nothing because he was extremely through and specific. In conclusion, this whole library research lesson given to my class by the librarian has taught me that good research on the internet really pays off.
Nick Malecek
English 1B
T/Th 9:00-10:50am
Professor Sabir
27 September 2011
Information Literacy for Changing Audiences Freewrite
The thirst for information in contemporary society is insatiable, and these days it seems we are only enabled by the superfluous amount of information we have with the click of a button. However convenient this may be, the danger of following erroneous or misleading information is too great to not consider proper research techniques. We are constantly bombarded with assertions about products, organizations, or services that are designed to manipulate our impulses and turn us into mindless consumers. This is why thorough research methods are required to cut through the mess of advertisements and opinionated sources. It's important to find peer-reviewed sources so the information is more likely to be reasonable and accurate, especially in an academic environment. I have found in my experience that while a Google search is convenient for a casual search, more credible sources such as the College of Alameda library and the resources it provides are far more reliable and trustworthy.
Today’s orientation in the library was very redundant for me. Through various classes here at College of Alameda I have experienced the same process in the library with Steve Gerstle at least three times now. The first time I attended this seminar I learned a little about how to navigate the library’s resources in general, which was helpful, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t figure out on my own either. For someone less technologically adept it may be more helpful. One big thing I think he left out was how to find books or other publications in the physical library. The library contains a great deal of content that the online resources do not have access to. At least to me, this process is far more complicated than conducting an online search.
Dear Class,
After much consideration, I feel it best that I drop this class. I wish you all well and hope to run into you on campus and maybe other classes in the Spring 1012 semester.
Tien (Miss T.)
Angela Stokes
Professor Sabir
English 1B
26 September 2011
Research is not only used in the academic setting, millions of dollars go into market research helping executives determine what products are sold to consumers. Our everyday lives are shaped through advertising; we tend to buy based on what that research has gained. When looking for my most recent car, not only did I visit the dealer’s website, I searched for reviews of previous owners and that information persuaded me to buy. Everyone at some point has used this tactic, even if you are just asking a friend for their opinion, some thought has gone into it and that is research.
Today we visited the library and were given a presentation from Mr. Steve Gerstle, who showed us a different form of research. Although most of what our presentation included was online information, I did learn that the source of the material is very important. Using trusted sites that end in .Gov, .Org and .Edu is one way of choosing a web site for information. Also knowing the authors credentials, agenda and whether the person is basing his or her information on fact or opinion will help us determine if a author is credible or not.
It is a shame that Gerstle’s presentation was a bit on the dull side, our class seemed a little lack luster but I am fortunate enough to have been given the grand tour personally. One thing that I got during my individualized session was how to look up hard copies of books using the call number. Each book in the library has a unique number like a home address, therefore making each book easy to locate. It would seem to me that most people would already know how to do this and it would be a disgrace if it hasn’t been learned before now.
June Yee
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B Tuesday/Thursday, 9:00-10:50 AM
26 September 2011
Research is important in this day and age into almost everything. Research helps provide people with a better understanding of whatever it is they are interested in and helps people draw up their own ideas. Research obviously shouldn't be limited to the academy and can be used for even the little things. Obviously, the importance of research is being able to find things that are from credible source because it should be accurate. Also, the thing about research is that it is also very useful to find things from both sides of the argument so people are able to have a good understanding in what they are arguing against in whatever it is.
The library presentation from Steve Garstle was very straight-forward and brief. Garstle did show us how to find academic articles through various search engines which was obviously very helpful and whether or not the source in question was credible. However, one thing he did leave out was how to cite those sources properly which would have been helpful. The tour of the library was also helpful because it was nice to find out where everything was in case we are in need of it.
Jordan li
Professor Sabir
English 1B
27 September 2011
The orientation in the library about research wasn’t very helpful. It seemed to be missing important parts such as specific key word search compared to general key word searches. Although the many examples were helpful it seemed quite repetitive at the end more than informational. The librarian’s flat tone seemed to increase my boredom making it harder for me to pay attention. His constant attempts to adapt the orientation to specific needs of the class clearly affected his ability to emphasize the vastness of the research material. It was considerate for Mr. Gerstle to attempt adapting his orientation to our class, but I feel it would’ve better if he simply gave us a general introduction to the library database. None the less Mr. Gerstle is appreciated for his help with the library database and although his orientation was disappointing, the condition the library is what disappointed me the most.
The audio and video department is basically gone due to sudden retirement of the previous caretaker and without hiring a new caretaker those resources will be unattainable. Even though math and english are considered the more popular subjects for tutors, this is no excuse for not having tutors in other subjects such as science. The administration should consider the needs of the students more carefully and provide more services to help students. Even with the budget cuts I don’t understand why these problems have occurred since they were previously there only being abandoned this semester, these resources should not impact the budget in such way and should be considered as valuable as the classes themselves.
Alexander Jung
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 201B 9:00-10:50 T/TH
28 September 2011
Recap on Literacy for Changing Audiences
In a society where many people use technology in their daily lives, the use and understanding of research is important. Human beings have a natural sense of curiosity and generally we like to be prepared before we buy or try to accomplish something. Research is not limited just for academics for it is used every day for daily things such as figuring out a new recipe or finding the necessary measurements to build a table.
Research is also important in that it can help shape someone’s opinion on a certain matter. When it comes to controversial topics, research will enable a person to understand the topics and possibly lead a person to pick a side. Research allows people to gain better insight and shape and strengthen people’s opinions.
During our class period the class was taught how to use the school research database. From my personal view I felt that it went well and that it covered enough points to enable someone to use the database and find the research that they would need. Although from my personal experience with these orientations, the librarian left out sites to find scholarly journals, how to cite web sources, or mention any other useful websites outside the school database. Overall I found that this orientation is useful for people who find it hard to find material for research.
Arjmand Khan
Professor Sabir
English 1B
28 September 2011
Information Literacy for Changing Audiences
Research is important for many things. It can be used in everyday lives such as when looking for a product information, background of an author, etc. When someone is researching, they need to be sure that the information that they are getting is credible and not just made up. This especially applies to scholars when they are presenting evidences for their theories. By researching, they gather evidences and they need to make sure that the evidences are credible and not just someone’s opinion or made up facts. Since nowadays, accessing internet has become easy, it is not difficult to find false or biased information. One has look for clues that tells whether the information presented is credible or not.
Steve Gerstle went over a lot of important stuff. The video about what is considered as credible information was something I already knew, including how to access the database. What I did not know how we could narrow down the search by nationality and year. Other than that, not much was different since everything else was pretty similar to what I have heard and seen. He didn't go over citation but that is something that we already knew.
Melvin Arquero
Professor Sabir
English 1B 9-10:50 T/TH
27 September 2011
Information Literact for Changing Audiences
In this information saturated age, the internet's ubiquity has paved way to an infinite archive of various sources. Research is important because is lends itself as the basic foundation to any type of educational, recreational, or personal queries. Through research, one gains insight on a given topic and extracts facts, opinions, criticisms, history and even contradicting ideas which ultimately leads to a dynamic, yet successful purpose. It is by looking at these various soruces that scholars are able to develop cogent threories on a myriad of ideas and purposes. Research is not solely limited to academics. Whether it is not deemed as "research," the common man unconsciously conducts research more often that not. Looking up car information, people, weather, news, and other ideas are all conventional forms of research.
Today, the librarian showed the class a vast database easily accessible to students which are all viable tools in making research more productive, organized, and easier. A student can easily go on the school's website and access the library catalog, information about authors and books, and other array of things pertaining to the sole purpose of research. The librarian also showed the class a step-by-step process on how to properly use the programs and websites that best suits our needs.
In response to Jacqueline Diulio:
I agree that knowing background information about an author is very important, especially when determining if a cite is credible or not. The librarian, Steve Gerstle, emphasized this point.
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