LSCI 106: ONLINE RESEARCH 1: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE RESEARCH

Assignment #1

TOPIC EXPLORATION & SEARCH PREPARATION

DUE: October 18

Reading:

1. Selecting a preliminary research topic:
Briefly (but clearly) describe the subject or topic of the research you plan to do for this course.

If you have an assigned research question from another class that you want to use for this course,
write out the question and what--if anything-- about the question that you want to focus on.
Please include the class title (not just course number) and the name of the instructor.

It's good to try to be specific, but since this is just the beginning of your research process, you can start by just telling us what you are generally interested in researching.

(Note: You will not be required to write a paper for this course. You will just be finding, evaluating and documenting the sources that would be used to write a paper.)

2. Preliminary periodical search on your topic using the InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database:
Look up at least one article related to the your research subject or topic using the InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database. 
Use the Basic Keyword Searching on the InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP Database directions as needed.
Do a keyword search and give the following information for your search:

a. What were the exact search words you used?

b. How many citations were retrieved for your search?

3. Choose one article that's relevant to your topic (NOTE: please do NOT select a book review article or news service article), display the full record by clicking on the article title, and provide the following information: (Click here to see an example of the elements of a citation)

a. Title of article

b. Author(s)

c. Source (name of the periodical)

d. Date

e. Volume # and issue # (if given)

f. The beginning page of the article and the number of pages of the article

g. Is there an abstract for the article?

h. Is the full-text of the article available on the database?

i. Click on "Links" on the blue task bar on the left side of the page and list all of the subject headings assigned by InfoTrac to your article that seem especially relevant to your topic

k. Name one of the subject headings that seems especially relevant to your topic:

l. Click on the heading you've chosen and you'll be brought to more articles on that subject. Write the article title and publication name of one additional article that you found by clicking on the subject heading you chose.

REMEMBER TO:

*E-mail: your completed assignment including:

  • answers to all questions
  • be sure to include the full record for the article, including the citation of the article

to: brenner@smccd.net

| Home | Syllabus | Assignments | Text | Instructor |

last revised: 10-10-05 by Eric Brenner, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA

These materials may be used for educational purposes if you inform and credit the author and cite the source as: LSCI 106 Online Research. All commercial rights are reserved. Send comments or suggestions to: Eric Brenner at brenner@smccd.net