ECC - Information Literacy: Step 2

•   The topic will need to be narrowed for the assignment.  To narrow a broad topic use InfoTrac Newsstand’s Topic Finder in NCLive. (Go to NCLive> Current Issues> InfoTrac> Topic Finder.)

·         Example: “Adoption” becomes specifically “international adoption.”  Type “adoption” into the Topic Finder and click “Search.” A visualization of the subject matter, either a wheel or tiles, will appear.  Zoom in on or click sections of the visualization to see more ideas within each theme area.

•   Keep in mind, a very specific subject or idea may also be too limiting – for example, if the topic focuses closely on one individual such as Beck or a specific baseball team, there may not be as much information as there might be on rock musicians or baseball teams in general.
•   Make your point.  A thesis statement is the focal point for the research, and summarizes the point that the speaker or writer wishes to make. A strong thesis statement is one that supports one main idea, has a clear standpoint, and invites discussion. An example would be:          

·         (Strong) “International adoption is a good way to unite orphaned or abandoned children from other countries with permanent families and homes.”  This thesis explains exactly what will be covered. It also clearly states that the writer is for international adoption.

versus

·         (Weak) “There are many reasons for adopting.” This thesis does not mention international adoption specifically, and is very vague, sounding more like an opinion than a strong argument.

So, now you are ready for the research step of this process. Using the NCC Library's databases helps to ensure that you have reliable, credible sources for your paper. Using legitimate, verifiable information is important to developing students as critical thinkers; it shows that you are concerned with presenting correct information and are knowledgable about your subject.

According to Information Literacy: Lifelong Learning and Digital Citizenship in the 21st Century, a person is more lkely to believe that information is credible if it is consistent with the beliefs they had before beginning research. But what if your belief was misinformed, or wrong? The idea that information is credible because it confirms your assumptions or preconceinved notions is not unusual, but it is not at all reliable. Researching a topic helps the student to read unbiased information and be presented with new perspectives on the subject.

In Step 1 we talked about looking for a broad topic (homelessness) and narrowing it down to a specifc, focused topic (homeless veterans, homelessness and children) and doing some pre-searching.  Pre-searching also helps to know when we've picked a subject that there may not be enough information on for a paper, or when we need to rephrase our search terms. 

Keep in mind when you are searching that there can be many ways to say the same thing, and that words often have more than one meaning. For example, I can use the word "spirits" to describe a gathering of ghosts,

or to describe a liquor beverage. If you do not find information at first, try a different search term and see if that helps.  

**As you search, when you find articles that you think are suitable, be sure to SAVE THEM!!!! Save to a flash drive, Google Drive, email them to yourself, or whatever other method you like. It is SUPER frustrating to locate a perfect article, but then be unable to find it again later. Saving it will help you be able to quote and cite your information later.**

It is possible to locate dependable resources other than those in the library databases; however, as a beginning researcher, it is safest for you to use those known databases as a source of information.

Other places that you can usually trust to publish dependable information would be well known newspapers like LA TImes, Washington Post, New York TImes, etc. Be very careful, especailly if the source is from outside the US, that you are not using a tabloid source.  You may also use sources like Newsweek or Wired that are known to be responsible publications. 

Generally speaking, sources that end in .gov and .edu are safe and reliable sources. Some .org sites are reliable, some are not. If it is a well known site, such as NPR.org, Pew Charitable Trust.org, khanacademy.org, you may feel safe about using it. Be careful with .org sites, because these can be used by any charitable organization and may not always provide correct or objective information.  If you are unsure, ask a librarian or your instructor. 

Depending on the amount of time you have and the subject of your research, you may want to search the library's database for books on the topic. 

The library offers online databases including encylopedic information, databases of periodicals, journals, statistics, videos and more.

Depending on your issue, you may also find newspaper articles in the newspapers available in the library. 

There may also be relevant DVD's on a subject or topic. 

Check out NCC's library resources using the link below.