Information Literacy - UNIV101 - Bennett - Library at Shippensburg University

Evaluating Sources

What is Information Literacy?

" Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to 'recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” (ALA, 1989).

Resources for Fact Checking

Polifacts
- "Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy."
FactCheck.org
- "We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding."
Snopes
- "When misinformation obscures the truth and readers don’t know what to trust, Snopes’ fact-checking and original investigative reporting lights the way to evidence-based and contextualized analysis. We always link to and document our sources so readers are empowered to do independent research and make up their own minds."
Media Bias/Fact Check
- "We are the most comprehensive media bias resource on the internet. There are currently 10,000+ media sources, journalists, politicians and countries listed in our database and growing every day. Don’t be fooled by Questionable sources. Use the search feature above (Header) to check the bias of any source. Use name or URL."

Learning How to Research

How do I start my research?

During your time at Shippensburg University, you will likely be assigned a research project by one of your professors. While it can seem like a daunting task to start, research is a process and we at the library are here to help you through it. By going through these steps, it can help to streamline the amount of time that you will need to work and prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed. It can also help to ensure that you are locating sources that fit best for what you have been assigned.

Below, we have included the steps of research as well as relevant questions that you can use to keep yourself on track.

**The Research Process**
Steps	Questions to Ask
1. Identify a Topic	How much scholarship has already been written about this topic? Can I offer a new perspective on this issue? Who would be the audience for this research? Is this topic too broad? How could I narrow down this topic? Is this topic too niche? Will I be able to find enough supporting research?
2. Locate Sources	What kind of sources do I need? Books Articles Videos Images What keywords will help me find the sources I need? Can I access these sources through the library? Is it available digitally, physically or through Interlibrary Loan? How is this source relevant to my research?
3. Evaluate each source	What is the authority of this author? Would they be considered an expert in their field? What is their educational background? What other relevant research have they done? Has their work been peer-reviewed? Did the author provide citations to back up their claims? When was this source written? Has updated information come out since its release? Is there other research that contradicts this source? What is their authority? Is there a potential underlying motive for why this source was written? Does the source use language that reveals bias?
4. Write your research	How will I present my argument? Does each section connect back to my thesis? Do I need more sources to back up my claims? How will I acknowledge counterpoints to my argument? Is the language I am writing in appropriate for my audience? Is it too causal or too rigid? Am I consistent with my formatting?
5. Cite your sources	What format do I need to cite my sources? Did I cite every source that I used?

Recommended Books & E-Books for Research

How to Research by Loraine Blaxter; Christina Hughes; Malcolm Tight
ISBN: 9780335238675

Publication Date: 2010-08-01

"I found this book brilliant, I had never undertaken anything like a dissertation before and this book had everything in it that I needed to know. It is written in 'simple English' which is a bonus as some books are just too hard to understand. Everything you need to know about writing your dissertation is in here. I would recommend this book to all levels." *****Review of the third edition from Amazon.co.uk How to Research is a bestselling, practical book that reassures the first time researcher by leading them systematically through the whole research process; from the initial meetings with a supervisor to critically evaluating their ideas, doing the research and finally writing up the project. The book includes vignettes to help readers relate to research examples and provides both methodological and process information. New features in this edition include: Additional coverage on literature reviews New material on changes in research ethics More detailed information on the use of diaries, internet ethnographies and visual methods Increased coverage of mixed methodologies How to Research 4e is an ideal resource for the first-time researcher doing a small-scale research project in the social sciences whether they are at university or in the workplace. It supports its readers as they develop their skills to become more experienced researchers.
Fundamentals of Research Methodology by Engwa Azeh Godwill
ISBN: 9781634827058

Publication Date: 2015-01-01

Fundamentals of Research Methodology: A Holistic Guide for Research Completion, Management, Validation and Ethics is a rich conceptual, comprehensive and practical text for researchers. A book for beginners and experts, it focuses on research across medical, social, natural and applied sciences. This text aims to fully expose research methodology from a broader prospective, to accompany its readers in research, management and continuity. This book consists of ideas, examples and summary questions as a guide in the following fields:
Successful Qualitative Research by Virginia Braun; Victoria Clarke
ISBN: 9781847875822

Publication Date: 2013-04-05

*Shortlisted for the BPS Book Award 2014 in the Textbook Category* *Winner of the 2014 Distinguished Publication Award (DPA) from the Association for Women in Psychology (AWP)* Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for Beginners is an accessible, practical textbook. It sidesteps detailed theoretical discussion in favor of providing a comprehensive overview of strategic tips and skills for starting and completing successful qualitative research. Uniquely, the authors provide a "patterns framework" to qualitative data analysis in this book, also known as "thematic analysis." The authors walk students through a basic thematic approach, and compare and contrast this with other approaches. This discussion of commonalities, explaining why and when each method should be used, and in the context of looking at patterns, will provide students with complete confidence for their qualitative research journey. This textbook will be an essential textbook for undergraduates and postgraduates taking a course in qualitative research or using qualitative approaches in a research project.

UNIV101 - Bennett

Misinformation/Disinformation Quiz

Evaluating Sources

What is Information Literacy?

Resources for Fact Checking

Learning How to Research

How do I start my research?

The Research Process

Steps

Questions to Ask

Recommended Books & E-Books for Research

Contact the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library