For TECH 1130
March 2020
Library Research and Resources
Kate Gibbings
Librarian, Engineering Technology & Skilled Trades
kate.gibbings@durhamcollege.ca
Outline
Top things to know about the Library �…and how it can help you
Covid-19 Updates
Covid-19 Updates
Library Website
Accessing online resources: articles, e-books, etc.
1. For any online resources, select Available Online
Accessing online resources: articles, e-books, etc.
2. Under View Online, click on a database
Accessing online resources: articles, e-books, etc.
3. Log in with your student number and Network password
This is the same login you use for:
Your Library Account
My Account:
askON Chat
Get help from home through our online chat service.
The chat button is located at the bottom of most pages of the Library website.
What kind of help can you get?
askON Chat
Research Guides
1. On the Library home page, select Research Guides
Research Guides
2. Find your School (Science & Engineering Technology) and then your program
Recommended databases, for article searching
Recommended databases, for article searching
Recommended books and
e-books
Under Articles & Databases, you’ll find trade (industry) magazines with information aimed at professionals in the field. Good for industry news, trends and technical information.
Omni Search:�Get books, articles and more
Omni Search
Type in a title, author, words related to a topic, etc.
Omni Search
Filters help narrow down your results. For example, Available online
Here are my results with two filters chosen:
Articles and Publication Date: 2010-2020
If I just want to see e-books from the last 5 years, I’ll select:
Books & eBooks, Available online, and 2015-2020
You can sign in and start saving resources to a list, which you can email to yourself. Use the pin icons.
Citation help
Library Citation Guides
Library Citation Guides
Click on a resource and get a citation
Omni Search
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
These tools will create a citation for you, but it’s important to check for errors. Search for the source or fill in a form with all the details.
EasyBib
Online Citation Tools
Online Citation Tools
Choosing the best information sources
Choosing the best internet sources
When writing a report, you want to use information that is relevant, reliable, well-researched, and unbiased.
Better research sources = Better reports
Wikipedia
(Popular Source)
Journal Article
(Scholarly Source)
What other kinds of research sources are there?
What other kinds of sources are there?
Scholarly sources – Journal articles
De Andrade, M.F.C., Souza, P.M., Cavalett, O., & Morales, A.R. (2016). Life cycle assessment of Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA): Comparison between chemical recycling, mechanical recycling and composting. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 24, 372-384. doi: 10.1007/s10924-016-0787-2
How can you tell if a source is a scholarly journal article?
Abstract – A summary of the article
Original research / experiment
Cites other research
Trade/industry sources
Popular sources
How do you choose the best information sources?
Sample research topic
How are robotic arm and leg devices
being used to in health care right now?
Book
Journal Article
Magazine – Trade/Professional
Website – Trade/Professional
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Magazine – Popular
Website – Popular
Reports – Government, Organizations, Business
Evaluating a source – Author
One way to evaluate the quality of an information source is to take a close look at the author.
Author Ranking Activity
On the Google form:
Evaluating Google Search results / websites
Let’s compare some Google search results.
Our topic:
PLA (polylactic acid) is a corn-based plastic used for 3D printing and other purposes. It is described as biodegradable, but how easily does it break down?
Is it really environmentally friendly?
Makerbot manfacturing by Steve Jurvetson. CC BY 2.0.
PLA filament for 3D printers by Marco Verch. CC BY 2.0.
Four polylactic acid cups by Cmglee. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Let’s compare some Google search results.
1.
2.
3.
Based on your first impression, which source looks like the best one for your topic?
De Andrade, M.F.C., Souza, P.M., Cavalett, O., & Morales, A.R. (2016). Life cycle assessment of Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA): Comparison between chemical recycling, mechanical recycling and composting. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 24, 372-384. doi: 10.1007/s10924-016-0787-2
Google result #1
Silkoord, J.W. (2015, May 28). Is recycling PLA really better than composting? Retrieved from https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/is-recycling-pla-really-better-than-composting-49679/
Google result #2
Hatzitolis, C. (2020, 7 January). PSA: biodegradable plastic isn’t compostable or recyclable. Retrieved from https://www.theloop.ca/psa-biodegradable-plastic-isnt-compostable-or-recyclable/
Google result #3
Questions?
Contact me
Kate Gibbings
kate.gibbings@durhamcollege.ca
Use the chat service available on all Library pages.
Feedback Form: https://uoit.libinsight.com/tech1130