Thursday, May 28, 2009
Blast!
I really was going to write that paper I missed. It was nice of you all to offer the time to make it up. But what can you do with students who, despite all your efforts to make class easy, still miss assignments? Of course I was doing very important things with my time. Such as writing a paper on that Julie Taymor production of Titus. And wishing I had joined the drill team. Oh well. I kind of wanted to take the final anyway.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
my greedy enjoyment is now del.icio.us
Here is my del.icio.us account: http://delicious.com/seejanedough
- How might an individual use del.icio.us?
Personally, my bookmarks were getting terrible disorganized. I would bookmark a page, but not want to take the time to properly file it at that time. Now I have a huge mess of unsorted bookmarks. Del.icio.us seems to be a bit easier to mark at sort at the time. I will have to use it a bit more to form an opinion, though.
- What is tagging? What are its advantages and disadvantages?
I followed your resource reference to your del.icio.us article “Tagging meets subject headings.” I think an interesting point is raised in the subject heading meets tagging link.
Tagging is useful in del.icio.us for me because I can tag bookmarks with why I included them. Sometimes when I have ten minutes and need a laugh, my tag “funny” is useful to me. This does not a subject heading like “humor” could be. But usually websites, blogs, other things that I find funny just are funny and are not like an Erma Bombeck book that is written as a “humor” piece. Things I link to online are fluid and change. Tags allow me to give a bit of information that makes sense to me, but may not be as useful in a static category system.
This is where some disadvantages that I see exist. It becomes a bit less useful to outsiders who view my del.icio.us account. One of the options is about public or private access to the account. So if I let it be public, my tag of “family” is not applicable to outside viewers.
- How does del.icio.us embody the principles of the Web 2.0 philosophy?
It fits in perfectly with Wikipedia’s explanation of Web 2.0 ideals of: “facilitate(ing) communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web.” I hate to use Wikipedia, but it concisely said what I wanted. Del.icio.us allows users to share what they are doing and interacting with. Which seems to be very important in current thought, as explained in “The Machine is Us/ing Us” that you had assigned us to watch earlier this term.
And yes, I totally searched your del.icio.us to see if you had it stored there, too.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
RSS feeds
1. How would you explain RSS to a friend?
RSS feeds are great. RSS feeds are like setting my DVR verses live TV. If I want to watch something, with live TV I have to either watch whatever is on and immediately available, or wait around until a favorite show starts. Or I have to check the listings to see when it is on. Just like before, I would check my favorite blogs regularly to see if anything new was posted. Or, if nothing new was posted, I would surf, looking for something good.
With a DVR, I can set it to record shows I want. After the initial set-up (just like RSS – but RSS is easier!) I no longer have to constantly check when a show will be aired, I can simply set the DVR to record on it’s own. Then all my programs are waiting for me in the same spot when I have time for them. With my RSS – now all the newest posts of my favorite blogs are in one place waiting for me when I have time.
2. What feeds did you subscribe to?
I subscribed to two raw food community sites, and one recipe site. These ones are blogs/sites I have not spent a lot of time on before, so I will need to watch what comes up on my feed. I may take some off if they produce too much superfluous junk too often.
I also subscribed to Not Always Right – a hilarious site that has constant new posts that don’t arrive at any scheduled time or date. The feed is particularly good for this one because I like the new posts, but don’t always want to bother to check it if nothing new is up.
Oh - and of course I subscribed to the class site!
3. What might you use RSS feeds for in your school/personal life?
My sisters and their spouses have recently started family blogs. I will now subscribe to theirs – or encourage them to get a feed so that I can subscribe. As we are all moving away from each other geographically, we are also getting busier and busier. Already my oldest sister always asks “Did you read my latest post?” Now I will know when she posted as soon as she does.
Academic Search Premier
There are 6 main types of published works you will find in Academic Search Premier
1. empirical research articles (in which experimental research is documented) [academic journals]
2. theoretical or review articles [academic journals]
3. commentary/response articles [academic journals]
4. magazine and newspaper articles [popular literature]
5. book reviews [both academic and popular]
To answer the following questions, you will need to find each article in Academic Search Premier using the information provided. You may need to limit by specific fields and explore other limiters from the Refine Search menu in order to do this, take your time. Once you find each article, read its abstract and answer the questions.
1. Which of the above types of published works would be considered primary sources?
empirical research articles, theoretical or review articles, and some magazine and newspaper articles
2. The author is Tripathi and the article title is “Land of the blessed.” What type is it? Cite it in correct APA format.
It is a book review.
Tripathi, S. (2008, January 21). Land of the blessed. New Statesman, 137(4880), 55-56.
(indent)Retrieved May 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
3. The author is Carpenter and it was published in “Prevention” in 2008. What type is it? Cite it in correct APA format.
I found two:
both are magazine articles (popular literature)
Carpenter, S. (2008, December). Is your parent over-medicated?. Prevention,
(indent)60(12), 142-151. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
Carpenter, S. (2008, February). Joy: how to make it last. Prevention, 60(2), 182-187. Retrieved
(indent)May 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
4. The author is Boehm and it was published in “Journal of Career Assessment.” What type of article is it? What is the main conclusion of the article? Cite it in correct APA format.
I was a little unsure at first, but I did a search and found that the “Journal of Career Assessment” provides “methodologically sound, empirically based studies.” But the author is looking at and drawing a conclusion from specific studies. So I will label this: theoretical or review article.
The main conclusion of the article is that achievement in one’s career can be shown to follow a person’s happiness, and that when “positive affect(s)” are introduced, that success will often document-ably follow.
Boehm, J. (2008, February). Does Happiness Promote Career Success?. Journal of Career
(indent)Assessment, 16(1), 101-116. Retrieved May 14, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
5. The author is Farmer and it is published in “Foreign Affairs.” What type is it? Cite it in correct APA format.
It is a commentary/response article
Farmer, P. (2007). From Marvelous Momentum to Health Care for All. Foreign
(indent)Affairs, 86(2), 155-159. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
6. The authors are Levin, Reysen & Ganz and the article title is “The kindness of strangers revisited.” What type is it? Cite it in correct APA format.
This is an empirical research article.
Levine, R., Reysen, S., & Ganz, E. (2008, February). The kindness of strangers revisited: a
(indent)comparison of 24 US cities. Social Indicators Research, 85(3), 461-481. Retrieved May (indent)13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
1. empirical research articles (in which experimental research is documented) [academic journals]
2. theoretical or review articles [academic journals]
3. commentary/response articles [academic journals]
4. magazine and newspaper articles [popular literature]
5. book reviews [both academic and popular]
To answer the following questions, you will need to find each article in Academic Search Premier using the information provided. You may need to limit by specific fields and explore other limiters from the Refine Search menu in order to do this, take your time. Once you find each article, read its abstract and answer the questions.
1. Which of the above types of published works would be considered primary sources?
empirical research articles, theoretical or review articles, and some magazine and newspaper articles
2. The author is Tripathi and the article title is “Land of the blessed.” What type is it? Cite it in correct APA format.
It is a book review.
Tripathi, S. (2008, January 21). Land of the blessed. New Statesman, 137(4880), 55-56.
(indent)Retrieved May 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
3. The author is Carpenter and it was published in “Prevention” in 2008. What type is it? Cite it in correct APA format.
I found two:
both are magazine articles (popular literature)
Carpenter, S. (2008, December). Is your parent over-medicated?. Prevention,
(indent)60(12), 142-151. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
Carpenter, S. (2008, February). Joy: how to make it last. Prevention, 60(2), 182-187. Retrieved
(indent)May 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
4. The author is Boehm and it was published in “Journal of Career Assessment.” What type of article is it? What is the main conclusion of the article? Cite it in correct APA format.
I was a little unsure at first, but I did a search and found that the “Journal of Career Assessment” provides “methodologically sound, empirically based studies.” But the author is looking at and drawing a conclusion from specific studies. So I will label this: theoretical or review article.
The main conclusion of the article is that achievement in one’s career can be shown to follow a person’s happiness, and that when “positive affect(s)” are introduced, that success will often document-ably follow.
Boehm, J. (2008, February). Does Happiness Promote Career Success?. Journal of Career
(indent)Assessment, 16(1), 101-116. Retrieved May 14, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
5. The author is Farmer and it is published in “Foreign Affairs.” What type is it? Cite it in correct APA format.
It is a commentary/response article
Farmer, P. (2007). From Marvelous Momentum to Health Care for All. Foreign
(indent)Affairs, 86(2), 155-159. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
6. The authors are Levin, Reysen & Ganz and the article title is “The kindness of strangers revisited.” What type is it? Cite it in correct APA format.
This is an empirical research article.
Levine, R., Reysen, S., & Ganz, E. (2008, February). The kindness of strangers revisited: a
(indent)comparison of 24 US cities. Social Indicators Research, 85(3), 461-481. Retrieved May (indent)13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Authority
Authority is a tricky subject. Is the person who has the most applied experience with a subject the expert because they are familiar with it on a practical level? Or is the person who has the most intellectual knowledge of a subject more reliable because they can discuss it academically?
Both approaches to authority have their merits and their weaknesses. Someone who has spent their entire professional life as a driller would be better informed on things like how to run the machine, or idiosyncrasies of the effects weather on soil textures and drill bit interaction that an academic source would simply not be familiar enough with the equipment to ask.
However, the “expert” approach gives accountability and therefore credibility to information. If one wanted to research the life story of Karl Marx, one wants to be sure that the source of their information is reliable. If anyone can author resources, it is far to easy to change information to suit one’s bias.
I think that it is important to use both expert and laymen information to gather information about the entirety of our human knowledge. But I like to be choosey about who I ask about what. Depending on the context of what information I am looking for, that is how I decide what source would give me the best – the most useful information for my circumstances.
For example, when I write a paper on the cinematic style choices in Julie Taymor’s production of Titus, it is important that I refer to experts on cinematic theory as well as Shakespearean interpretation. If I were to ask the video store clerk what he thought about the significance of the toy solders in the opening scene, the information I receive would not be usable for a critical, academic essay. The clerk’s response may be interesting and even theoretically sound. However, he is not an established authority on either subject, and therefore not a reliable source for accurate information.
But if I were to write an essay on the general public’s reaction to Taymor’s production, the clerk would be an excellent source. He would be able to give information because he is now the actual primary source of information. He is an expert on his own experience.
When evaluating the usefulness of a source, even academic ones, it is always important to keep in mind how relevant, reliable, and connected that source is to their subject. Each one of these three areas can change how the source evaluates their subject. A source can fall anywhere within the spectrums of spectrum of relevance, reliability, and connection. Depending on where they land, it changes how I, as the consumer, should evaluate the information I am given.
Both approaches to authority have their merits and their weaknesses. Someone who has spent their entire professional life as a driller would be better informed on things like how to run the machine, or idiosyncrasies of the effects weather on soil textures and drill bit interaction that an academic source would simply not be familiar enough with the equipment to ask.
However, the “expert” approach gives accountability and therefore credibility to information. If one wanted to research the life story of Karl Marx, one wants to be sure that the source of their information is reliable. If anyone can author resources, it is far to easy to change information to suit one’s bias.
I think that it is important to use both expert and laymen information to gather information about the entirety of our human knowledge. But I like to be choosey about who I ask about what. Depending on the context of what information I am looking for, that is how I decide what source would give me the best – the most useful information for my circumstances.
For example, when I write a paper on the cinematic style choices in Julie Taymor’s production of Titus, it is important that I refer to experts on cinematic theory as well as Shakespearean interpretation. If I were to ask the video store clerk what he thought about the significance of the toy solders in the opening scene, the information I receive would not be usable for a critical, academic essay. The clerk’s response may be interesting and even theoretically sound. However, he is not an established authority on either subject, and therefore not a reliable source for accurate information.
But if I were to write an essay on the general public’s reaction to Taymor’s production, the clerk would be an excellent source. He would be able to give information because he is now the actual primary source of information. He is an expert on his own experience.
When evaluating the usefulness of a source, even academic ones, it is always important to keep in mind how relevant, reliable, and connected that source is to their subject. Each one of these three areas can change how the source evaluates their subject. A source can fall anywhere within the spectrums of spectrum of relevance, reliability, and connection. Depending on where they land, it changes how I, as the consumer, should evaluate the information I am given.
Catalog assignment
1. Go to the library home page (http://library.csueastbay.edu).
Run a Keyword search on the following term: Colonialism
How many hits did you get? 352 hits
Who is the author of the first work on your results list? Cohen, Benjamin B.
What type of work is this? E-book an electronic book that can be accessed online.
2. Click "modify search" to go to the library catalog’s Advanced Search page. Add United States to the second search box. Leave colonialism in the first box.
How many results did you get? 47 results
Find the result authored by Kharem, Haroon.
What's the title of this work? “A curriculum of repression : a pedagogy of racial history in the United States”
What is the Call Number? LC2741 .K53 2006
Where in the library would you go to get this book? (hint--check the library floor plans by following the Maps link at the very bottom of the library home page)
The book would be on the second floor, Upper-Mall, in the east book stacks that range from DA-PQ.
Use the information in the record for this work to create an APA citation.
Refer the APA Citation Guidelines handout from week 2 for help.
Kharem, H. A curriculum of repression : a pedagogy of racial history in the United States.
(2006). New York : P. Lang.
3. Click "back" on your browser, then "modify search." In the search box, add Britain to create the statement (United States OR Britain). Remember that OR widens your search results, instructing the library catalog to return all results with "united states" or "Britain" somewhere in the record, and also the term "colonialism."
How many results did you get? 24089 results
What is the title of the first work on your results list? Mental health in a multi-ethnic society : a multidisciplinary handbook
List two subject headings for this work: a) Minorities-Mnetal Health Services-Great Britain b) Social Psychology-Great Britain
Look carefully at this record. Why did the library catalog pull up this book (where did it find a match for your search phrase?) In each of the three subject headings, one of the secondary headings was Great Britain.
Use the information in the record for this work to create an APA citation. Refer to the APA Citation Guidelines handout from week 2 for help.
Fernando, S., Keating, F. (2009). Mental health in a multi-ethnic society : a multidisciplinary
handbook. London ; New York : Routledge.
4. Return to the main Haystac search page (you can click Another Search). Type the following into the first search box: global warming
Under Limits, choose "Reference Collection" from the location menu.
Under Sorted By: Search and Sort, choose "sorted bv date"
What is the title of the most recent work (top of the list) Endangered species
Where in the library would you find this? It is in the reference section. This is on the first floor, Lower Mall, in the west section labeled Reference.
5. Now start over and run a search for a video about global warming (search and sort by date).
What is the most recently produced video in the library? An inconvenient truth
What is this video's call number? DVD 572
Where in the library would you go to get this? You would have to ask for it at the Media/Reserves desk on the second floor, Upper Mall.
Boolean assignment
Boolean Searching Strategies
The following candies are records in your database. They have the following properties:
Twix contain chocolate, cookie, and caramel
Caramel Kisses chocolate and caramel
Snickers contain chocolate, caramel, and nuts
Kit Kat contain chocolate and cookie
Caramels contain caramel (!)
What would be the results of the following search statements?
1. Caramel NOT Nuts = Twix, Carmel Kisses, Caramels
2. Chocolate OR Caramel = Twix, Caramel kisses, Snickers, Kit Kat, Caramels
3. (Chocolate AND Caramel) NOT Cookie = Caramel Kisses, Snickers
4. Chocolate OR Nuts = Twix, Caramel kisses, Snickers, Kit Kat,
5. Cookie AND Chocolate = Twix, Kit Kat
6. Chocolate NOT Caramel = Kit Kat
7. Nuts OR Caramel = Caramel Kisses, Snickers, Caramels
The following candies are records in your database. They have the following properties:
Twix contain chocolate, cookie, and caramel
Caramel Kisses chocolate and caramel
Snickers contain chocolate, caramel, and nuts
Kit Kat contain chocolate and cookie
Caramels contain caramel (!)
What would be the results of the following search statements?
1. Caramel NOT Nuts = Twix, Carmel Kisses, Caramels
2. Chocolate OR Caramel = Twix, Caramel kisses, Snickers, Kit Kat, Caramels
3. (Chocolate AND Caramel) NOT Cookie = Caramel Kisses, Snickers
4. Chocolate OR Nuts = Twix, Caramel kisses, Snickers, Kit Kat,
5. Cookie AND Chocolate = Twix, Kit Kat
6. Chocolate NOT Caramel = Kit Kat
7. Nuts OR Caramel = Caramel Kisses, Snickers, Caramels
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
