LFS CYOA

You are just beginning your research on Cordacae, a subject you know nothing about. Where do you begin? * [[Google]] * Your [[course syllabus]] * [[UBC Library's Summon search]]

Google is a great tool to help introduce you to basic concepts, vocabulary, and current opinions on your topic. Do you want to use any Advanced Search options for this Google search? * [[Yes]] * [[No]] * ...Google has [[advanced search]] options?

Your syllabus is a great place to familiarize yourself with the assignment requirements and to remind yourself about your course materials. When they’re available, recommended or suggested reading can also be a great place to start digging deeper into your research topic. <img src="https://libapps-ca.s3.amazonaws.com/accounts/56093/images/syllabus.png" width="700px" width="335"px> What are you looking for in your syllabus? * The [[assignment]] requirements. Why else would I be researching something I know nothing about? * I think we [[read]] something about Cordacae earlier in the semester. I don't remember what it means, but I'm sure reviewing the material will remind me. * I'm looking for my professor's [[office hours]]. S/he'll know for sure.

What a great answer! Summon is an excellent starting point for your research and has many tools to help you make your search fast, efficient and targeted at scholarly sources. Modules **Finding books** and **Finding articles** will cover how to use Summon to find the books, ebooks, videos, peer-reviewed sources and more. Where would you like to go instead? * [[Google]] * Your [[course syllabus]]

As this is a library tutorial, we would like to emphasize that curiosity and interest are also perfectly appropriate reasons to begin a research project. However, this imaginary project <i>is</i> for an assignment, and the assignment is this: "Write a 3-5 page paper on Cordacae." Where would you like to begin your research for this paper? * [[Google]] * UBC Library's [[Summon search]]

Your professor is a great resource for many things, but don’t you think this part of the assignment you can figure out yourself? * You're right. I'll see what I can find myself with [[Google]] * I guess I'll just [[Google]] it

What a great answer! Summon is an excellent starting point for your research and has many tools to help you make your search fast, efficient and targeted at scholarly sources. Modules **Finding Articles** and **Finding Books** will cover how to use Summon to find the books, ebooks, videos, peer-reviewed sources and more. Where would you like to go instead? * [[Google]] * I still want to use my [[course syllabus]] to look at the readings we read earlier in the term.

You find the citation for some of the readings on Cordacae you did this semester. What are planning to do with these readings? * I want to look at the references page to begin a [[citation search]] * I want to highlight key concepts and subjects to begin [[narrowing]] my topic

A citation search is an excellent place to begin your research. Citation searching typically happens in Summon, which has many tools to help you make your search fast, efficient and targeted at scholarly sources. Modules **Finding books** and **Finding articles** will cover how to use Summon to find the books, ebooks, videos, peer-reviewed sources and more. * Got it. I guess I'll start [[Google]]ing.

That's a wonderful way to begin narrowing your topic. Reviewing your course material can also be a great reminder about what you found most interesting or exciting in your lectures and class discussions. But remember: we're pretending this is a topic you know nothing about. How would you begin figuring out what Cordacae even is? * Honestly? I'd start [[Google]]ing it. * Even in this land of make believe, I cannot pretend I wouldn't have [[done the readings]].

Ok, fine. You remember from your readings that Cordacae is a fictional marine crustacean and that everybody is worried about how global warming will alter its natural habitat. But be honest: at some point in your academic career, you're going to use Google. * Ok, I can suspend my disbelief far enough to pretend to use [[Google]] * Can I use [[Bing]] instead?

Only if you use your ~imagination.~ Every time the tutorial says "Google," you can substitute "Bing" in your mind. We won't know the difference, and you can be as secretly contrary as you wish. * I'm ready. Take me to [[Google]]

Google uses the following operators: <ul><li>AND is the default operator in Google. All queries automatically assume you want to see pages that contain both keywords</li> <li>OR broadens your search by capturing synonyms or variant spellings</li> <li>"" = exact phrase searching. A search for "food security" will find both words positioned next to each other in the text</li> You can also use Google's specialized search functions to filter your results by location, time, or type of media under the "Search Tools," or use Google Scholar to search academic articles only. * [[...I knew all that]] * Where are these "[[Search Tools]]" you speak of? * Are there any more [[search operators]] I should know about? * Can I just do my [[Google search]], now?

That's fair. This is a pretty basic search query, after all. Can we tell you about them anyway? * [[Yes]] * [[Yes]], I might learn something * [[Yes]], but only because this is required

* [[Yes]]!

That's awesome! Would you like to see our last set of Google operators you might not know yet, or would you rather we go a little faster? * I'd love to see if there's something else I don't know [[search operators]] * I guess I'll see if there's something else I don't know [[search operators]] * I'd rather skip to the end [[Google search]]

If you click the "Search Tools" button next to the tabs for Google Images, Maps, etc, the filters pictured below will pop up. * Thanks! Can I still see the extra [[search operators]] you mentioned? * Can I do my [[Google search]] now?

**There's more!** **-** functions as a boolean "NOT," and will exclude sites with that term from your results. A common use of the NOT operator would be Jaguar -car, to indicate that you only want results about the animal. Be careful, though; sometimes using a - will exclude relevant pages because they contain that term: somebody describing how they saw a jaguar from their car would be eliminated. **allintitle:** Ensure that the keywords you're looking for appear in the title of the page, not just in the body of the text, such as allintitle: "drought resistant" **filetype:** Allows you to search for a particular filetype. "food security" filetype: pdf would limit your results on food security to pdf files exclusively. **site:** Get results from certain sites or domains. site:canada.ca "food security" would look for any pages containing the prase "food security" on the Government of Canada's website. **info:** Get information about a web address, including the cached version of the page, similar pages, and pages that link to the site (like citation searching for urls).You can try this yourself with info:thinkeatgreen.ca. * I didn't know you could remove search terms from [[Google search]] queries! This is amazing! * Let me [[write this down...]] * Ok, this is starting to feel more [[overwhelming]] than helpful

Of course! Would you like to use any of the following terms to start researching Cordacae? * [[Boolean operators]] (and or -) * Exact [[phrase search]] * I would like to [[filter]] my results after I see them * Actually, maybe I'll just do a basic [[keyword search]] for now * Can't I use [[more than one at a time]]?

Don't worry - this is all extra information to help you go above and beyond. And it IS a lot of information. As you get more familiar with these search operators you'll find that you can use them in other contexts as well to help you find exactly what you're looking for, but it's always a challenge to master a new way of doing something. For now, we just want you to know what's available, and once you're more comfortable with this kind of advanced searching, you can begin to introduce these options when you need them. And don't forget: you can always get help by talking to a librarian * Thanks. I'm ready to do my [[Google search]] now.

Not to worry - you can always Google Google Search Operators and find a list of supported searches. And remember that searching info: will direct you to all the other search operators Google has available. * Right. That makes sense. I'm ready to do my [[Google search]] now.

You search Cordacae AND habitat On the first page of your Google results, you see the following links. Where would you like to go? * [[Wikipedia ]] * [[Encyclopedia of Marine Cryptozoology]] * [[Journal article]] on the dwindling native habitat of marine Cordacae due to global warming * [[Google Image]] results for Cordacae

You search "Marine Cordacae" On the first page of your Google Results, you see the following links. Where would you like to go? * [[Wikipedia ]] * [[Encyclopedia of Marine Cryptozoology]] * [[Journal article]] on the dwindling native habitat of marine Cordacae due to global warming * [[Google Image]] results for Cordacae

You search Cordacae On the first page of your Google Results, you see the following links. Where would you like to go? * [[Wikipedia ]] * [[Encyclopedia of Marine Cryptozoology]] * [[Journal article]] on the dwindling native habitat of marine Cordacae due to global warming * [[Google Image]] results for Cordacae

Of course you can! ...in the real world. In the real world, if you decided to narrow your search to the impact of climate change on Cordacae, you might search Cordacae AND “climate change” OR “global warming”, which combines phrase searching (“climate change” and “global warming) and Boolean operators (AND and OR). In the world of Choose Your Own Research Adventure, however, we have chosen to focus on one tool at a time to aid your learning and - we'll be honest - to save ourselves some time. Besides, if you're already comfortable enough to combine different tools, you have probably recognized that a search query at this basic level doesn't need that level of finesse. So: which tools would you like to use? * [[Boolean operators]] (and or -) * Exact [[phrase search]] * I would like to [[filter]] my results after I see them * Actually, maybe I'll just do a basic [[keyword search]] for now

Wikipedia, like any reference source, is a great place to get a general understanding of your topic and to learn some of the common vocabulary used to discuss the topic. The information you find here corroborates what you already knew: Cordacae is a fictional barnacle whose population is on the decline. You also learn that it's commonly called the Canadian Salt Barnacle. How will you continue your research? * [[Summon]] * Wikipedia's [[References section]] * I didn't get to look at my [[syllabus]] earlier, but I think I want to glance through it now

Great! You learn that Cordacae is a mythical marine crustacean that resembles a barnacle. The creature was invented in British Columbia in 2015 for the purposes of library instruction. Sightings of Cordacae are extremely rare, and researchers are divided on whether global warming has destroyed its natural habitat or the creature is entirely fictional. Do you trust this source? * Yes. It says [[“Encyclopedia”]] right in the title * I should probably verify this information with [[another source]], just to be sure * I’ll see what [[Wikipedia]] says * I trust it enough to move on with the rest of my research. I don’t really need expertise at this point, just a [[general idea]] of my topic.

What you find is just what it said: a journal article on the dwindling native habitat of marine Cordacae. These authors provide evidence for their theory that the near-extinct population of this mythical barnacle is due to global warming. Do you trust this source? * Yes. My [[professor]] said to use journals. * I should probably verify this information with [[another source]], just to be sure * I’ll see what [[Wikipedia]] says * I want to go back and look at the [[Encyclopedia of Marine Cryptozoology]] * I trust it enough to move on with the rest of my research. I don’t really need expertise at this point, just a [[general idea]] of my topic.

Now we have some idea of what Cordacae looks like, but there's valuable information we're missing if we end our search here. Where should we go next? * [[Wikipedia ]] * [[Encyclopedia of Marine Cryptozoology]] * [[Journal article]] on the dwindling native habitat of marine Cordacae due to global warming

Your professor wants you to use journal articles, but your professor also expects you to use your own judgement in deciding which articles are reliable and worth citing. If you end your search here, you won't have any idea whether the author or journal is reliable, or whether the research is consistent with other work in the field. * I guess I should look for [[another source]] to verify this information * I want to go back and look at the [[Encyclopedia of Marine Cryptozoology]] * I'll see what [[Wikipedia]] says * I [[trust it enough]] to move on with the rest of my research. I don’t really need expertise at this point, just a general idea of my topic.

That's fantastic. What you're doing is known as "source triangulation" and it's important to do with websites and peer-reviewed research alike. How else would you know whether that journal article is offering a new perspective or in line with common consensus? In the real world, you can (and will!) use a variety of sources to cross-reference your information. However, in this tutorial, we're going to take you straight to the Wikipedia content, as Wikipedia is a common place where you might begin to verify information. * I'm ready for the [[Wikipedia]] stuff * I'm ready for the [[Wikipedia]] stuff...and also, I think you should develop that content you mentioned!

You seem to have a great sense of what kind of resources should be used to answer certain questions. In the real world, you might feel comfortable moving on to a Summon Search at this point, but because Wikipedia is such a common place where you might begin to verify information, we're going to take you through the Wikipedia content now. Is that OK? * Yes, take me to [[Wikipedia]] * [[Wikipedia]] is fine * Ugh, I guess we'll go to [[Wikipedia]]

Although reference sources are generally reliable, you DO need to know whether this is an authoritative encyclopedia or something somebody threw together on their personal blog. Although visual cues and layout can be helpful, it's probably best to treat your sources with some skepticism until you know they're trustworthy. * I guess I should look for [[another source]] to verify this information * I’ll see what [[Wikipedia]] says * I trust it enough to move on with the rest of my research. I don’t really need expertise at this point, just a [[general idea]] of my topic.

That's totally fair. I just wanted to check in when you looked at a journal article (generally very high level and specific) instead of one of the broader reference sources. In the real world, you might feel comfortable moving on to a Summon Search at this point, but because Wikipedia is such a common place where you might begin to verify information we're going to take you through the Wikipedia content now. Is that OK? * Yes, take me to [[Wikipedia]] * [[Wikipedia]] is fine * Ugh, I guess we'll go to [[Wikipedia]]

Wikipedia, like any reference source, is a great place to get a general understanding of your topic and to learn some of the common vocabulary used to discuss the topic. Did you know Wikipedia is as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica? A random sampling of both resources found nearly equal quantities of errors. Of course, Wiki vandalism and hacking is something the Encyclopedia Britannica doesn't have to deal with, but either way source triangulation (confirming information from one resource with another) is a good way to verify information you get in reference books. Wikipedia tells you that Cordacae, also known as the Canadian Salt Barnacle, is a mythical marine crustacean. The creature was invented in British Columbia in 2015 for the purposes of library instruction. Sightings of Cordacae are extremely rare, and researchers are divided on whether global warming has destroyed its natural habitat or the creature is entirely fictional. How will you continue your research? * [[Summon]]. I trust Wikipedia enough to move on with the rest of my research. I don’t really need expertise at this point, just a general idea of my topic. * Wikipedia's [[References section]] * I'm going to try this [[Source Triangulation]] thing. * I'd like to review my [[syllabus]] now

That's great! You've reached the end of the Choose Your Own Research Adventure part of this tutorial.

Most Wikipedia articles have references to published research, and can be an easy place to begin a citation search. You can also use Summon to search for the sources that are not freely available online. What are you looking for in the References section? * Just what you said. I'm looking up the [[citations]] to search in Summon. * I want to [[confirm]] the information cited in this article

Great! You head back to your Google results and click on [[Encyclopedia of Marine Cryptozoology]], where the information corraborates what you already knew: Cordacae is a fictional barnacle whose population is on the decline. Do you trust this source? Yep. Now that both sources have confirmed it, I'm ready to move on to [[Summon]] I should probably [[verify]] this information with another source, just to be sure I trust it enough to move on with the rest of my research in [[Summon]]. I don’t really need expertise at this point, just a general idea of my topic.

That's fantastic. You've cross referenced your sources and found consistent information in all of them. This process is important to do with websites and peer-reviewed research alike. How else would you know whether that journal article is groundbreaking or just rehashing what has already been said? How will you continue your research? * [[Summon]] * I want to go back to look at the [[References section]] of Wikipedia * I didn't get to look at my [[syllabus]] earlier, but I think I want to glance through it now

A citation search is an excellent place to begin your research. Citation searching typically happens in Summon, which has many tools to help you make your search fast, efficient and targeted at scholarly sources. In some cases, you may have a list of course reserve articles and books in Connect and can look through the references page for relevent articles; in other cases, you will have a list of citations you can use to launch your search. Modules **Finding books** and **Finding articles** will cover how to use Summon to find the books, ebooks, videos, peer-reviewed sources and more. * Great! Take me to [[Summon]] * Take me to [[Summon]]...and also, I think you should develop that content you mentioned!

That's actually going to be using the same technique as a citation search: you'll use the references page in Wikipedia to identify the cited material and look it up online or in Summon. Then you can examine the material yourself to verify the information. * Great! Take me to [[Summon]]

Now that you know more about your topic and some of the major issues surrounding it, returning to your course material can be a wonderful way to begin narrowing your focus. It can also be a great reminder about what you found most interesting or exciting in your lectures and class discussions. What are you planning to do with the material you've found? * I want to look at the references page to begin searching through [[citations]] * I want to begin a targeted search of key material in [[Summon]]

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