Following this week's team activities in class, we have come up with some advice on interviewing clients in order to assist them with their information needs. Many of the questions we chose to ask our client were compatible with those suggested by Buckley Owen, T. (2012).* For example, we addressed the "six questions" (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?) whilst negotiating the query with the client. However, there were some potentially useful details we missed through not being specific enough in clarifying their requirements. We made sure to follow up and ensure that the query had been resolved to the client's satisfaction.
Our key advice would be to communicate clearly and thoroughly with the client in order to establish their needs and respond appropriately.
* Buckley Owen, T. (2012) 'What do you really want?', in Successful enquiry answering every time. (6th Ed.)
London, England: Facet. pp. 1-22.
Saturday 17 November 2012
Thursday 15 November 2012
The using of Wikipedia among college students
Last week, we had a seminar about "How today's college students use Wikipedia for course-related research" written by Alison J. Head and Micheal B. Eisenberg.
From the seminar, we learned that 70 percent of students that were interviewed used Wikipedia in the beginning of their course-related researches in order to get general ideas. On the contrary, rare students ended their coursework with Wikipedia because of the lack of academic. These can explain why Wikipedia is a great place to start, but a horrible place to end.
As for me, I haven't used Wikipedia before, but I usually got ideas from BaiduPedia that is similar to Wikipedia. I used BaiduPedia because it provided me many different aspects of the research. Because both Wikipedia and BaiduPedia can be edited by all users, the knowledge mentioned is common and general. To college students, Wikipedia is not good enough to cite in their course-related researches.
From the seminar, we learned that 70 percent of students that were interviewed used Wikipedia in the beginning of their course-related researches in order to get general ideas. On the contrary, rare students ended their coursework with Wikipedia because of the lack of academic. These can explain why Wikipedia is a great place to start, but a horrible place to end.
As for me, I haven't used Wikipedia before, but I usually got ideas from BaiduPedia that is similar to Wikipedia. I used BaiduPedia because it provided me many different aspects of the research. Because both Wikipedia and BaiduPedia can be edited by all users, the knowledge mentioned is common and general. To college students, Wikipedia is not good enough to cite in their course-related researches.
Wednesday 14 November 2012
College students use of Wikipedia
Last week we read an article on how students use Wikipedia* in preperation for a seminar on the topic of Wikipedia.
The discussion we had on the subject was interesting. The study itself was, to me, fairly reassuring (in a way) in that it shows young people today do know how to use the internet for research and recognise the importance of verifying facts through use of more than one source. This is, in fact, exactly how I use Wikipedia; indeed, how I have used it since I first came across it about 10 years ago.
However, the question was raised during the session as to whether it is right that students should be told not to cite Wikipedia: is it really as untrustworthy a source as (it is assumed) many lecturers think? Even sources found through 'trustworthy' sites or databases may be suspect: you still have to go through the same process of checking citations and facts for any information you find. So the question is, why should Wikipedia be treated any differently? It's definitely something worth thinking about!
*Head, A. and Eisenberg, M. (2010) How today’s college students use Wikipedia for course-related research. First Monday, 15(3).
The discussion we had on the subject was interesting. The study itself was, to me, fairly reassuring (in a way) in that it shows young people today do know how to use the internet for research and recognise the importance of verifying facts through use of more than one source. This is, in fact, exactly how I use Wikipedia; indeed, how I have used it since I first came across it about 10 years ago.
However, the question was raised during the session as to whether it is right that students should be told not to cite Wikipedia: is it really as untrustworthy a source as (it is assumed) many lecturers think? Even sources found through 'trustworthy' sites or databases may be suspect: you still have to go through the same process of checking citations and facts for any information you find. So the question is, why should Wikipedia be treated any differently? It's definitely something worth thinking about!
*Head, A. and Eisenberg, M. (2010) How today’s college students use Wikipedia for course-related research. First Monday, 15(3).
Tuesday 13 November 2012
Wikipedia and College students
This entry discusses last week's seminar session and Head and Eisenberg's study on how college student use Wikipedia for course-related research.
The results show that many students who participated in the study use wikipedia in combination with other resources to gather background information on certain subject areas. The article further explains that though Wikipedia meets the needs of many college students because of its varied mix of coverage, currency, convenience and comprehensive , it is not solely relied upon as it only helps at the research phase. It states that students recourse to other reliable sources afterwards including scholarly articles.
Many students who use the tool, are very aware of its many limitations, and as such, have learned not to rely upon it completely. However, it is recognized as a good starting point.
Personally, my wikipedia use is never intentional. Each time I make a general search, I do so via Google search engine. Incidentally, Wikipedia always appears amongst the top 5 results on every search made probably because of the PageRank algorithm used by Google. In any case, this always forces me to subconsciously click on the Wikipedia link.
The results show that many students who participated in the study use wikipedia in combination with other resources to gather background information on certain subject areas. The article further explains that though Wikipedia meets the needs of many college students because of its varied mix of coverage, currency, convenience and comprehensive , it is not solely relied upon as it only helps at the research phase. It states that students recourse to other reliable sources afterwards including scholarly articles.
Many students who use the tool, are very aware of its many limitations, and as such, have learned not to rely upon it completely. However, it is recognized as a good starting point.
Personally, my wikipedia use is never intentional. Each time I make a general search, I do so via Google search engine. Incidentally, Wikipedia always appears amongst the top 5 results on every search made probably because of the PageRank algorithm used by Google. In any case, this always forces me to subconsciously click on the Wikipedia link.
How I use Wikipedia
A few thoughts reflecting on last week's seminar discussion and Head and Eisenberg's study "How today’s college students use Wikipedia for course–related research":
My own Wikipedia use is probably fairly similar to that identified by Head and Eisenberg amongst college students in the US. I do not get much use from Wikipedia in studying Librarianship or Information Literacy, but I would often turn to it during my undergraduate degree in English Literature to obtain "a summary about a topic [...] in addition to a small set of other commonly used information resources at the beginning of the research process". These days, I prefer to begin my information search using the recommended reading lists provided by the iSchool, but I may still rely on Wikipedia for providing a concise and (usually) up-to-date background on an unfamiliar subject.
I am more inclined to use Wikipedia outside of academic work, for looking up information on books, authors, musicians, or films (although I used to rely on sites like IMDb and AllMusic.) Perhaps unsurprisingly, articles on "Culture and Arts" make up almost a third of Wikipedia's content:
* Head, A.J.; Eisenberg, M.B. (2010) 'How today’s college students use Wikipedia for course–related research'. First Monday, 15 (3).
My own Wikipedia use is probably fairly similar to that identified by Head and Eisenberg amongst college students in the US. I do not get much use from Wikipedia in studying Librarianship or Information Literacy, but I would often turn to it during my undergraduate degree in English Literature to obtain "a summary about a topic [...] in addition to a small set of other commonly used information resources at the beginning of the research process". These days, I prefer to begin my information search using the recommended reading lists provided by the iSchool, but I may still rely on Wikipedia for providing a concise and (usually) up-to-date background on an unfamiliar subject.
I am more inclined to use Wikipedia outside of academic work, for looking up information on books, authors, musicians, or films (although I used to rely on sites like IMDb and AllMusic.) Perhaps unsurprisingly, articles on "Culture and Arts" make up almost a third of Wikipedia's content:
 |
| Wikipedia content by subject as of January 2008 Fair usage rights are detailed at Wikimedia Commons |
* Head, A.J.; Eisenberg, M.B. (2010) 'How today’s college students use Wikipedia for course–related research'. First Monday, 15 (3).
Monday 12 November 2012
Using social media: the iTeam on Twitter
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| Twitter logo: guidelines on fair usage are detailed here |
Following last week's class on using Social Media, we decided to start an iTeam Twitter feed. This will enable us to engage with more readers, connect with new followers, and provides opportunities to communicate with a wider audience via Microblogging. We are able to follow various other existing University of Sheffield-related feeds, and have gained a couple of 'followers' already!
Friday 2 November 2012
The IL in our careers exhibition (and our poster!)
Seven Wonders of Information Literacy (our poster)
This week we took part in the 'Information Literacy in our Future Careers' poster display at Firth Hall. Along with the other teams on the module, we created and displayed a poster about what we thought would be important information literacy skills to use in our future careers. We decided to focus our poster on the SCONUL 'Seven Pillars' skills model of Information Literacy, choosing the 'Seven Wonders of Information Literacy' as a basis for our design.
Having identified two different future career paths between the four members of our team (Academic Librarian and Information Analyst) we then put our minds to identifying the professional skills we may have in common. This was a useful exercise, as we were given an opportunity to reflect on our own professional aspirations in relation to Information Literacy, and the skills we might be able to bring to the workplace.
It was very impressive to see the kinds of ideas that other team members had come up with; some groups had clearly put in a great deal of effort. It was interesting to see how Information Literacy could be represented through different visual ideas and perspectives (including a superhero, a Monopoly board, a world map, Snow White, and others). It encouraged us to think about our own IL skills in new ways.
The iTeam
Thursday 25 October 2012
Legal and Ethical use
Next week our team will be contributing to the poster display in Firth Hall. When making our poster, we had to consider certain issues regarding legal use of images and other intellectual property. Specifically, we had to make sure that the material was usable under copyright. To do this, we only used images from certain sources, such as Flickr and Wiki Commons, which show whether images are available under Creative Commons licenses (as detailed in Sheila Webber's blog post). In the end, we elected to use the image below; its about the seven wonders of the ancient world. We got it via the public domain of Wikipedia.
We also had to make sure to attribute other intellectual material, such as the text descriptions of SCONUL 7 Pillars.
the iTeam
From Wikipedia public domain
We also had to make sure to attribute other intellectual material, such as the text descriptions of SCONUL 7 Pillars.
the iTeam
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Thing 9: My coursework topic
This entry introduces my coursework topic and my reason(s) for selecting the particular subject area.
At the moment I am split between two broad subject areas namely; "Teaching and Learning" and "Information Behaviour". What I do know for certain is that I have chosen to relate it to "Web 3.0".
My decision to go with Web 3.0 is borne out of a personal desire to understand what is supposed to be the next generation of the World Wide Web and its impact on either Teaching and Learning or Information Behaviour.Whichever subject area I eventually select, my choice would be influenced by my access to resources that can support my work.
My decision to go with Web 3.0 is borne out of a personal desire to understand what is supposed to be the next generation of the World Wide Web and its impact on either Teaching and Learning or Information Behaviour.Whichever subject area I eventually select, my choice would be influenced by my access to resources that can support my work.
Thing 9: Identifying my need---Chang
Chang's topic of INF6350 assignment is "How did the Internet affect students' information seeking behaviour?". Nowadays, it is an important way to seek information from the Internet such as digital libraries and Google Schoolar. As a result, students' information seeking behaviour have been affected by the Internet. Based on this situation, my essay will focus on the changes of college students' behaviour affected by the Internet.
Identifying an assignment topic
My topic of choice for the assignment will be microblogging, with reference either to information seeking and exploration (such as information encountering) or teaching and learning (such as the use of Twitter in the classroom).
This topic is highly relevant to our current information context and I am keen to learn more about the nature of microblogging and the opportunities it may provide. My choice of topic will probably become more specific as I proceed to gather information and determine the scope of the subject.
This topic is highly relevant to our current information context and I am keen to learn more about the nature of microblogging and the opportunities it may provide. My choice of topic will probably become more specific as I proceed to gather information and determine the scope of the subject.
Thing 9 - Indentying your need - INF6350 Assignment Topic
We've been asked to come up with a topic for our assignment in the Information Resources and Information Literacy module. After some consideration of the broad areas, I focused in on the area of 'information behaviour'.
Specifically, my topic will be to do with Wikis (not necessarily Wikipedia itself), and how they can be used in learning environments (e.g. sharing information and knowledge, collaborative work etc).
Specifically, my topic will be to do with Wikis (not necessarily Wikipedia itself), and how they can be used in learning environments (e.g. sharing information and knowledge, collaborative work etc).
Tuesday 16 October 2012
Our Information Literacy in context
This blog entry discusses our common map of changes as regards every member's information literacy context.
We felt that as a group, we all share a changing technical context to get familiar with the University's online learning resources such as MUSE and MOLE2. None of us have used these systems before except Ben who used MOLE1 and MUSE as part of his undergraduate degree here at the University of Sheffield. Nonetheless, he also agrees he has to get used to the new interface.
We all use some social media tools including Facebook, QQ, Twitter etc. On the one hand these tools are very important as agreed by all us, on the other hand, the rate of technical changes and trends make them difficult to keep up with.
Our group comprises two UK nationals and two over-seas students. The over-seas students have found life in Sheffield somewhat different to what they are used to in their home countries. Nevertheless, they have found the culture shocks to be very pleasant, because they found that a good way to adjust involves going out, finding more about the local community from various sources like the Internet, exploring the area, reading newspapers, talking to people as well as Skype-ing to keep in-touch with relatives.
the iTeam
We felt that as a group, we all share a changing technical context to get familiar with the University's online learning resources such as MUSE and MOLE2. None of us have used these systems before except Ben who used MOLE1 and MUSE as part of his undergraduate degree here at the University of Sheffield. Nonetheless, he also agrees he has to get used to the new interface.
We all use some social media tools including Facebook, QQ, Twitter etc. On the one hand these tools are very important as agreed by all us, on the other hand, the rate of technical changes and trends make them difficult to keep up with.
Our group comprises two UK nationals and two over-seas students. The over-seas students have found life in Sheffield somewhat different to what they are used to in their home countries. Nevertheless, they have found the culture shocks to be very pleasant, because they found that a good way to adjust involves going out, finding more about the local community from various sources like the Internet, exploring the area, reading newspapers, talking to people as well as Skype-ing to keep in-touch with relatives.
the iTeam
Sunday 14 October 2012
Week 3: Google or database searching --- Chang
In the last two weeks, we have learn Google and Database from Alastair. Today I am going to share one tip about Google and Database searching with you. In the second session, Alastair showed us a useful tool called Thumbshots Ranking which can compare site ranking in different seach tools such as Google, Yahoo and Being. The results are interesting. When we search a same keyword in Google and Yahoo, the ranking of results is completely different between these two popular search engines. After that, we changed the sequence of the keywords and searched again in the same search tools. We found that the rankings were totally different. This meant the sequence of key words had impact on the ranking. When I went home, I wanted to find if the plural of noun could affect the result of ranking. I tried the keyword Car and Cars in Google and found that the plural could also affect the result of ranking. But unlike changing sequence, the plural only affected the part of the result. From these there different types of seaching, we found that one interesting thing was Wikipedia always occurred in the top of the first page.
From this experience, I learn that I need to try different search strategies when searching information.
From this experience, I learn that I need to try different search strategies when searching information.
Thursday 11 October 2012
Databases & Athens login
This entry is about the new thing I learnt about Google and Database
searching.
There are several academic databases with viewing access to millions
of articles, journals and books. Some of them give readers the opportunity to
view the full text material while others allow readers just a preview. The one
common thing about these databases is that, unless you are a member of an
institution/university community your access to their resources is limited at
best. Plus, it is also considered advisable to use more than one database, as
this increases your resource pool. Does this mean subscribing with as many
databases? Not necessarily, with the ‘Athens login’ (Athens is an authentication
system which controls access to subscribed online databases) you have access to
several databases online; although, the Athens subscription and a university
does not guarantee full text viewing in some cases. This brings me to proffer
an alternative-GOOGLE, which would suit users with neither a university nor an Athens
membership.
Google is the next best thing after the Internet. I do acknowledge
that there are several shortcomings with its search algorithm (which I shall
discuss later). But, for people who know little about using databases and are
not members of universities nor hold an Athens login, it is very useful. I
certainly do not mean the ordinary Google Search, try the Advanced search (do
remember to change the parameters though). You could also try other products like Google Scholar and Google Books which allows users to search full
text of books scanned by Google, converted to text and stored in its digital
database. It makes access to information resources readily available at no cost
to you.
So, every other Internet user
without access to databases yet, do NOT just ‘google it’, try the Advanced search,
Google Scholar or Google Books.
Top tip: pay attention to the abstract!
As we discovered in Week 2, an essential addition to any reputable research paper (and the third element of the 18 Things framework) is a well-written abstract. By capturing the essential qualities of a text in a concise and structured manner, the abstract can invaluably assist information-gatherers in their task.
How many journal articles can you gather, read, and consider in one hour? If you're like me, then probably just one or two (depending on prior familiarity with the subject.) Usefully, Emerald allows users to view full, structured abstracts for every document in their list of search results (just click the "Show all abstracts" link in the top-right corner.) I find this to be incredibly helpful, allowing me to process entire pages of articles swiftly by scanning through the basic ideas and arguments of each piece. Articles which lack a full abstract tend to be insubstantial, and not very useful. If an article is going to be of interest to my research topic (and therefore worth downloading) then I can usually find out in seconds by reading the abstract.
As far as I can tell, this feature is actually unique to Emerald. Google Scholar and ACM Digital Library only display the first ~50 words of the abstract or introduction on their search results page, whilst LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts) will only offer a 25-word snippet unless you click for the full 'Citation/Abstract' page (or open the 'Preview' pop-up window) for each result. Can we measure our information-gathering-efficiency according to the number of clicks and hyperlinks it takes to access the information we actually need?
Obviously you can't limit your search to Emerald; seasoned information-gatherers know to make use of a wide variety of different online resources for finding articles. There's a lot out there, so save yourself some time and make the most of what the author has helpfully provided. Have a quick read through the abstract and decide if the article is actually relevant to your study (before filling up your desktop with dozens of unread .PDFs.)
How many journal articles can you gather, read, and consider in one hour? If you're like me, then probably just one or two (depending on prior familiarity with the subject.) Usefully, Emerald allows users to view full, structured abstracts for every document in their list of search results (just click the "Show all abstracts" link in the top-right corner.) I find this to be incredibly helpful, allowing me to process entire pages of articles swiftly by scanning through the basic ideas and arguments of each piece. Articles which lack a full abstract tend to be insubstantial, and not very useful. If an article is going to be of interest to my research topic (and therefore worth downloading) then I can usually find out in seconds by reading the abstract.
As far as I can tell, this feature is actually unique to Emerald. Google Scholar and ACM Digital Library only display the first ~50 words of the abstract or introduction on their search results page, whilst LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts) will only offer a 25-word snippet unless you click for the full 'Citation/Abstract' page (or open the 'Preview' pop-up window) for each result. Can we measure our information-gathering-efficiency according to the number of clicks and hyperlinks it takes to access the information we actually need?
Obviously you can't limit your search to Emerald; seasoned information-gatherers know to make use of a wide variety of different online resources for finding articles. There's a lot out there, so save yourself some time and make the most of what the author has helpfully provided. Have a quick read through the abstract and decide if the article is actually relevant to your study (before filling up your desktop with dozens of unread .PDFs.)
Google & database searching - top tip!
Hello all
Today I'd like to share with you my top tip for database/google searching, based on my own experience and on what we've learnt from Alastair Allan in the past 2 weeks.
This may seem obvious to people with much experience using databases but I think it is still worth mentioning - make use of advanced search functions! Don't just type in whatever your query is into the first search box you see - always use 'advanced search' if it is available. You're not missing out on anything by using Advanced, and you may find much more (and more importantly, you stand a better chance of finding useful information). Advanced Search gives you a lot more options - for example (depending on the database you're using), it may have options to search only for certain types of information (journal articles, e-book chapters, etc); search in article title, abstract or full text; or search between certain dates only - and most databases 'advanced search' will include multiple text boxes seperated by boolean operators (AND/OR/NOT) making it easier to construct a good query. Most databases will give you a chance to 'refine' or 'edit' your search after your initial attempt - at this point you can start experimenting with different query terms - but always start from Advanced.
So to summarise - always use 'Advanced Search' in databases - you have nothing to lose by doing so!
Today I'd like to share with you my top tip for database/google searching, based on my own experience and on what we've learnt from Alastair Allan in the past 2 weeks.
This may seem obvious to people with much experience using databases but I think it is still worth mentioning - make use of advanced search functions! Don't just type in whatever your query is into the first search box you see - always use 'advanced search' if it is available. You're not missing out on anything by using Advanced, and you may find much more (and more importantly, you stand a better chance of finding useful information). Advanced Search gives you a lot more options - for example (depending on the database you're using), it may have options to search only for certain types of information (journal articles, e-book chapters, etc); search in article title, abstract or full text; or search between certain dates only - and most databases 'advanced search' will include multiple text boxes seperated by boolean operators (AND/OR/NOT) making it easier to construct a good query. Most databases will give you a chance to 'refine' or 'edit' your search after your initial attempt - at this point you can start experimenting with different query terms - but always start from Advanced.
So to summarise - always use 'Advanced Search' in databases - you have nothing to lose by doing so!
Monday 8 October 2012
The Information Universe: a trip to Edinburgh
My past experiences of casual information searching have often relied on making unconscious decisions; automatically turning to familiar, tried-and-tested web resources for reliable information. Earlier this year I planned a last-minute trip to Edinburgh and, to some extent, I already knew exactly where to find the information I would require for arranging the weekend.
The first step was to organise both accommodation and travel. I have always relied upon Trainline for finding and purchasing cheap train tickets, especially at the last minute. I also used Google Maps to calculate how long the journey would take by car, and how much it would approximately cost in petrol. It turned out that rail would be the cheapest (and fastest) option.
I used TripAdvisor to find a reasonably priced and conveniently located hotel for the weekend, then reserved the room using the hotel's own website (which I probably found through a simple Google search). We had some vague ideas for things to do in the city, but I also consulted WikiTravel for some additional suggestions. I then consulted Last.Fm, a 'scrobbling' music recommendation service, to see if any familiar bands were playing gigs whilst we were there.
My final online resource was Happy Cow, an online directory which I have used to find vegetarian and vegan restaurant suggestions on several occasions before. Although useful, the website suffers from its rather basic design and sometimes outdated information. Regardless of this, I was pleased to find many tempting veggie options in Edinburgh.
Perhaps the most valuable source of information that weekend turned out to be my copy of the Edinburgh Encounter Lonely Planet guide. Sometimes the traditional, physical guide book turns out to be the most reputable and trustworthy source of information when visiting a new place, perhaps moreso than any user contribution based website.
Ben
The first step was to organise both accommodation and travel. I have always relied upon Trainline for finding and purchasing cheap train tickets, especially at the last minute. I also used Google Maps to calculate how long the journey would take by car, and how much it would approximately cost in petrol. It turned out that rail would be the cheapest (and fastest) option.
I used TripAdvisor to find a reasonably priced and conveniently located hotel for the weekend, then reserved the room using the hotel's own website (which I probably found through a simple Google search). We had some vague ideas for things to do in the city, but I also consulted WikiTravel for some additional suggestions. I then consulted Last.Fm, a 'scrobbling' music recommendation service, to see if any familiar bands were playing gigs whilst we were there.
My final online resource was Happy Cow, an online directory which I have used to find vegetarian and vegan restaurant suggestions on several occasions before. Although useful, the website suffers from its rather basic design and sometimes outdated information. Regardless of this, I was pleased to find many tempting veggie options in Edinburgh.
Perhaps the most valuable source of information that weekend turned out to be my copy of the Edinburgh Encounter Lonely Planet guide. Sometimes the traditional, physical guide book turns out to be the most reputable and trustworthy source of information when visiting a new place, perhaps moreso than any user contribution based website.
Ben
Saturday 6 October 2012
Thing 5: The New Information Universe ---Chang
Recently I had an experience to find an
authentic Chinese restaurant in Sheffield. Because I never had meal in a
Chinese restaurant of Sheffield before, I had to find some information on the
Internet.
Next, I used Google to find some common evaluation about these restaurants. First of all, I typed the text ‘ ”evaluation” “Chinese restaurant” “Sheffield” ’ into the search box and the results were some PDFS about Chinese restaurants in Sheffield which were not what I wanted. Then I removed the words ‘Chinese’ and ‘Sheffield’, added the word ‘UK’ into the search box and searched again. This time, I found a website called Tripadvisor. After finding out Tripadvisor, I searched Wong Ting Restaurant in its database and there were more than 60 comments written by customers.
Firstly, I posted a question about the good
Chinese restaurants to the internet forum of the Chinese Students and Scholars
Association in Sheffield. Later, someone recommended a restaurant called Wong
Ting to me. But I didn’t know if this restaurant was his personal preference.
So I had to find some common evaluation about this restaurant.
Next, I used Google to find some common evaluation about these restaurants. First of all, I typed the text ‘ ”evaluation” “Chinese restaurant” “Sheffield” ’ into the search box and the results were some PDFS about Chinese restaurants in Sheffield which were not what I wanted. Then I removed the words ‘Chinese’ and ‘Sheffield’, added the word ‘UK’ into the search box and searched again. This time, I found a website called Tripadvisor. After finding out Tripadvisor, I searched Wong Ting Restaurant in its database and there were more than 60 comments written by customers.
Finally, I decided to have dinner in the
Wong Ting Restaurant after reading all the comments. And the foods were delicious.
The Information Universe & me
Good day everyone!
I want to share a couple of examples of my experience with 'the information universe'
Firstly, when I was working as a Graduate Trainee in a library at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), students would naturally come to library staff for help with various research problems. Most commonly it was simply a case of showing the student(s) how to make best use of the library's physical and electronic resources. The campus where I worked taught healthcare subjects (nursing, phsyiotherapy etc) so it was also important to find the most up-to-date information possible. Let's say in this example I am showing how to research a Nursing question.
The first port of call would be the library's OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue). Using variations on the search terms, and then where necessary filtering results by site (e.g. searching only at our campus would be more likely to locate relevant books/journals) and by date (if we want only recent material).
Next, if the student then wanted to find journal articles relevant to their subject, I could show them the subject-related databases subscribed to by MMU. One option would be to use 'search it', a service which searches multiple databases at once. This makes a good first choice for some queries, but the search options there are limited, so I could also show them the individual databases - such as ScienceDirect and Internurse. I would give a demonstration of how to use these, especially how to use the search functions effectively.
Secondly, as part of the Graduate Trainee programme at MMU, we had training in Presentation Skills which required us to prepare 2 practice presentations on any topics we liked. Now, I hate to give people incorrect information about anything, so one I had chosen my topic I researched it as best I to make sure everything was factually correct! In these cases though I had to use information freely available online - the subjects were a bit obscure for MMU libraries! I'll focus on just one of them here - a place known as 'Thornton Abbey' in Lincolnshire.
Some people may frown on this, but once I had chosen my subjects, my first action was to look them up in Wikipedia. This was just to get a good starting point for the subject! Next, I checked out the links given in Wikipedia - in this case, to English Heritage and to a local history blogger. Next, some more Google searching led me to other websites (such as the University of Sheffield's own site - turns out the archaeology department were carrying out a dig last year and this year - this was before I knew I wanted to apply to Sheffield myself!). Finally, I wanted to use some pictures in my presentation, and I had to make sure they were usable under copyright law. Wikimedia Commons and Flickr were useful for finding pictures usable under Creative Commons licenses.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to point out two fairly different aspects of the information universe! If you want to know more about the Abbey, here's the University of Sheffield Archaeology Department's website for it.
I want to share a couple of examples of my experience with 'the information universe'
Firstly, when I was working as a Graduate Trainee in a library at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), students would naturally come to library staff for help with various research problems. Most commonly it was simply a case of showing the student(s) how to make best use of the library's physical and electronic resources. The campus where I worked taught healthcare subjects (nursing, phsyiotherapy etc) so it was also important to find the most up-to-date information possible. Let's say in this example I am showing how to research a Nursing question.
The first port of call would be the library's OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue). Using variations on the search terms, and then where necessary filtering results by site (e.g. searching only at our campus would be more likely to locate relevant books/journals) and by date (if we want only recent material).
Next, if the student then wanted to find journal articles relevant to their subject, I could show them the subject-related databases subscribed to by MMU. One option would be to use 'search it', a service which searches multiple databases at once. This makes a good first choice for some queries, but the search options there are limited, so I could also show them the individual databases - such as ScienceDirect and Internurse. I would give a demonstration of how to use these, especially how to use the search functions effectively.
Secondly, as part of the Graduate Trainee programme at MMU, we had training in Presentation Skills which required us to prepare 2 practice presentations on any topics we liked. Now, I hate to give people incorrect information about anything, so one I had chosen my topic I researched it as best I to make sure everything was factually correct! In these cases though I had to use information freely available online - the subjects were a bit obscure for MMU libraries! I'll focus on just one of them here - a place known as 'Thornton Abbey' in Lincolnshire.
Some people may frown on this, but once I had chosen my subjects, my first action was to look them up in Wikipedia. This was just to get a good starting point for the subject! Next, I checked out the links given in Wikipedia - in this case, to English Heritage and to a local history blogger. Next, some more Google searching led me to other websites (such as the University of Sheffield's own site - turns out the archaeology department were carrying out a dig last year and this year - this was before I knew I wanted to apply to Sheffield myself!). Finally, I wanted to use some pictures in my presentation, and I had to make sure they were usable under copyright law. Wikimedia Commons and Flickr were useful for finding pictures usable under Creative Commons licenses.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to point out two fairly different aspects of the information universe! If you want to know more about the Abbey, here's the University of Sheffield Archaeology Department's website for it.
My Information Universe
The examples cited below are in preparation for Thing 5. They
discuss the different information resources I used and the underlying
decisions which informed my choices when making particular searches in the
past.
The first instance that comes to mind is when I had to
submit an International Economics term paper during my undergraduate
studies. It was a group work and our
task was to analyse the development challenges facing Africa, using Nigeria,
Kenya and South Africa as case-countries. The course tutor insisted that we built
our argument on resources gotten from Government Ministries in each respective country.
This made our task herculean, as we found it challenging to verify most of the
data we generated. However, we eventually decided to compare the data we got
from the ministry websites of each country with World Bank Development Reports
for each respective country, as this United Nations agency was common to all our
case-countries. Adopting this approach helped us finish our term paper with
minimal challenges.
The second instance that comes to mind and one which has
proven to be cost effective over the years is what informs my choice of air
travel. The past two years saw me do a lot of air traveling. In the beginning, spending
so much money on air tickets and airport-to-city commuting took its toll on my
wallet, until a colleague advised I used a travel search engine to compare
prices before making my decision. This search engine allows customers to compare
prices of flights and car rental, it works by posting prices of several travel
websites (for any specified route) simultaneously, thereby giving customers the
opportunity to select a choice that suits their wallet and time schedule.
Sometimes, it even has links to review sites where consumers can rate the
travel vendors on particular routes based on their individual travel experiences.
So, before you commit to traveling with your favourite airline, you might want to
check out travel search engines.
Michael Lewis
Monday 1 October 2012
Our Favourite Blogs
Larry Lang's Blog
Larry is one of the most famous economist in China. In 2007, he predicted that a worldwide economy depression which began from the US would occur in 2008. Now he is focusing on the problems in Chinese economy such as economic inflation and the gap between the rich and the poor.
Now, let's look at his blog. In the top of his blog, there is a search engine which can help us find the posts he has written. Under his own photo, we can see a link to his micro blog which spreads information faster than the blog. Readers also can subscribe his blog and as a result they will receive his new posts immediately.
The Bookseller Blogs
The Bookseller website collects blog posts from various contributors working in the UK publishing industry. It is a good way to keep up-to-date with publishing news and the content is always high-quality, but I think the website design could be improved by being made easier to navigate. Some areas of the Bookseller's site are only accessible to subscribers, and are therefore withheld from casual users. Compare this to a service such as Blogger, which allows information and opinion to be shared easily and freely.
the iTeam
Larry is one of the most famous economist in China. In 2007, he predicted that a worldwide economy depression which began from the US would occur in 2008. Now he is focusing on the problems in Chinese economy such as economic inflation and the gap between the rich and the poor.
Now, let's look at his blog. In the top of his blog, there is a search engine which can help us find the posts he has written. Under his own photo, we can see a link to his micro blog which spreads information faster than the blog. Readers also can subscribe his blog and as a result they will receive his new posts immediately.
The Bookseller Blogs
The Bookseller website collects blog posts from various contributors working in the UK publishing industry. It is a good way to keep up-to-date with publishing news and the content is always high-quality, but I think the website design could be improved by being made easier to navigate. Some areas of the Bookseller's site are only accessible to subscribers, and are therefore withheld from casual users. Compare this to a service such as Blogger, which allows information and opinion to be shared easily and freely.
the iTeam
Friday 28 September 2012
Considering the Seven Pillars of Information Literacy
In relation to our own experiences, we would consider our strongest of the Seven Pillars of Information Literacy to be GATHER, PRESENT and PLAN.
Ben believes that PRESENTING is his strongest Pillar. Being able to synthesise and appraise information from various sources and to communicate and share knowledge in a variety of forms is an essential skill for successful essay-writing. He is also familiar with some of the processes of publication, having briefly worked in this field.
James believes that GATHER is his strongest Pillar at the moment. Experience as a Graduate Trainee Library Assistant at a University has given him a better understanding of the types and range of information retrieval tools available as well as how to find help when required. His Graduate Trainee role also required good use of Information Literacy skills in general, most often when helping students to find information and showing them how to find things for themselves using the tools appropriate to their course and level of study.
Chang also thinks that his strongest Pillar is GATHER. During his undergraduate period, he has used many different kinds of information retrieval tools to gather information. For example, he helped students search information by using Kngine which is defined as the smartest search engine in the world. He has also used a content-based retrieval tool called Baidu Picture to gather images.
To sum up, our team is good at PRESENTING, GATHERING and PLANNING.
the iTeam
Ben believes that PRESENTING is his strongest Pillar. Being able to synthesise and appraise information from various sources and to communicate and share knowledge in a variety of forms is an essential skill for successful essay-writing. He is also familiar with some of the processes of publication, having briefly worked in this field.
James believes that GATHER is his strongest Pillar at the moment. Experience as a Graduate Trainee Library Assistant at a University has given him a better understanding of the types and range of information retrieval tools available as well as how to find help when required. His Graduate Trainee role also required good use of Information Literacy skills in general, most often when helping students to find information and showing them how to find things for themselves using the tools appropriate to their course and level of study.
Chang also thinks that his strongest Pillar is GATHER. During his undergraduate period, he has used many different kinds of information retrieval tools to gather information. For example, he helped students search information by using Kngine which is defined as the smartest search engine in the world. He has also used a content-based retrieval tool called Baidu Picture to gather images.
Michael believes his strongest pillar is PLANNING. He comes
to this conclusion because his previous job as a part-time lecturer required
him to be a tutor-teacher to many international students (considered to be ‘digital
migrants’) whose entire learning structure was based on an e-learning platform.
This contrasted to what they were accustomed to in their home-countries. He helped them
by adopting an approach which showed them how to construct personalized
strategies for seeking information.
To sum up, our team is good at PRESENTING, GATHERING and PLANNING.
the iTeam
Tuesday 25 September 2012
Introducing the iTeam
Welcome one and all to our new blog for the Information resources and Information literacy module at the University of Sheffield's Information School. Let's meet our team:
James - from the town of Grimsby on England's east coast, recently completed a Graduate Trainee year at Manchester Metropolitan University. Just now embarking on the MA Librarianship course at Sheffield.
My name is Chang Guo. I'm from Shenzhen in the south of China. I have been in the UK more than 2 months. Now i'm a postgraduate in Sheffield Ischool.
This is Ben - I am also studying for MA Librarianship, having previously studied English Literature as an undergraduate here at Sheffield.
My name is Michael, I am from Lagos, Nigeria. I studied Business Managment at undergraduate level in Finland after which I worked as Part-time lecturer. Now , I am pursuing my Msc programme in Information Management at Sheffield.
James - from the town of Grimsby on England's east coast, recently completed a Graduate Trainee year at Manchester Metropolitan University. Just now embarking on the MA Librarianship course at Sheffield.
My name is Chang Guo. I'm from Shenzhen in the south of China. I have been in the UK more than 2 months. Now i'm a postgraduate in Sheffield Ischool.
This is Ben - I am also studying for MA Librarianship, having previously studied English Literature as an undergraduate here at Sheffield.
My name is Michael, I am from Lagos, Nigeria. I studied Business Managment at undergraduate level in Finland after which I worked as Part-time lecturer. Now , I am pursuing my Msc programme in Information Management at Sheffield.
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