LSCI 106 Assignment #2

LSCI 106: ONLINE RESEARCH 1: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE RESEARCH

Assignment #2

TOPIC EXPLORATION & SEARCH PREPARATION 2

DUE: October 25

Reading:

1. Briefly describe the subject or topic of the research you plan to do for this course. Please note if this is the same topic you researched in assignment #1 or if you have changed your topic at all since last week.

Look up at least one book related to your research topic in any PLS library using the PLS Online Catalog. Use the PLS Online Catalog tutorial as needed.
Using the Advanced Keyword Search mode, do an “Any Field” key word search.

[Important: Remember that books are usually on broader topics than articles from periodicals, so when you search for books, you should keep your search broader. For example, if your topic was on: "the effect of illegal immigration on the U.S. economy," you should start your book search with: U.S. immigration but not illegal immigration and the economy because this would probably be too specific for the subject of an entire book.]

Give the following information for your search:

2. What were the exact search words you used?

3. How many titles matched this search for all of the PLS libraries?
Important: Be sure to check that the results given match your complete search. If no records are found that match all of your search words, the catalog will display those records that match just some of your search words and the following message will be displayed at the top of your results: Tried: ((word1 and word2)) no records found... Tried: ((word1 or word2)) x results found. Sorted by Relevance. (In this example word1 and word2 represent the search words that were entered and x represents the number of results found containing any of the search words.)

If no records are found that match all of your search words, you should revise your search with broader search words in order to find books directly related to your research topic. DO NOT select books unless the record matches ALL of your search words. If you have any questions about this, please check with your instructor.

Select one book that looks relevant to your research topic and identify the following information for this book:

4. Author(s) of the book (if no author is listed, give editor(s), if no editors, write “N/A”)

5. Title of the book (Tip: Do not include information after the / in the title field)

6. City where published

7. Name of publisher

8. Year of publication

9. Is this book available at Skyline Library? (Tip: On the full record page for the book, you will probably have to scroll down to find the Location, i.e. library or libraries, call number and status for the book.)

10. If it is available at Skyline, what is the complete call number?
- If it is not available at Skyline, name one library that does have it and give the complete call number of the book at that library.

11. Remaining at the full record for the book, examine the subject(s) (listed near the bottom of the record) carefully. In many cases you will discover subject headings relevant to your research topic that you probably wouldn't have thought of on your own. List the subject headings for the book you selected. (2 points)

12. Select a subject heading that seems relevant to your research topic and click on it. Name the subject heading you chose and list the title and author(s) of one other book related to your topic that you find under that subject. (2 points) (If you don’t find an additional book under the first subject heading you chose, go back and try another.)

REMEMBER TO:

*E-mail: your completed assignment to: brenner@smccd.net

last revised: 10-18-05 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