Researching Issues

RESEARCHING ISSUES Maity Schrecengost

Researching Issues Maity Schrecengost Edited by Helen Adams

Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin

Contents 1: Getting Started

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7: Using Indexes

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2: Choosing A Topic

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8: Using Electronic Resources

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3: Preparing for the Research

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9: Using Other Sources

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4: Touring the Media Center

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10: Taking Notes

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5: Using the Materials Catalog

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11: Putting It All Together

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6: Using Special Collections

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Acknowledgments The author wishes to thank Harriet Moulten, Media Specialist at LaVilla School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida for permission to use her student instructions for writing bibliography note cards.

UpstartBooks W5527 Highway 106 P.O. Box 800 Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538-0800 1-800-448-4887 © S. Maitland Schrecengost, 2002 Cover design: Frank Neu The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Science — Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Material. ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. The purchase of this book entitles the individual librarian or teacher to reproduce selected pages for demonstration use in the library. The reproduction of any part for an entire school system or for commercial use is strictly prohibited. No form of this work may be reproduced or transmitted or recorded without written permission from the publisher. Materials in Researching Issues were used with permission from: Chapter 7. Sample index entry from Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature. © 1999, The H. W. Wilson Company. Chapter 10. Article by Sharon Cromwell, “Banning Books from the Classroom: How to Handle Cries for Censorship,” Education World, 1997. Chapter 10. Poster by Harriet Moulton, “Bibliography Note Cards for Internet,” 2001.

Getting Started

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In a popular Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, Calvin asks Hobbes for help with a homework assignment. Calvin is supposed to write a paper presenting both sides of an issue and then defend one of the arguments. In response to Hobbes’ question, “What’s your issue?”, Calvin says that’s the problem. He can’t think of one, because he’s always right and everyone else is always wrong. So— what’s to argue about? Perhaps you’re feeling a bit like Calvin. Not in feeling that you’re always right, but that you just don’t know how to begin your Researching Issues project. Relax! If, unlike Calvin, you go into the project with an open mind and take one step at a time, it will all come together for you. Before you begin though, you must understand the term issue . The Merriam Webster™ dictionary defines issue as “a point, matter, or question to be disputed or decided upon.” The key word is disputed. Students sometimes confuse problem with issue. For example, cancer is a problem—no one would argue with that. But whether it’s right to use marijuana to treat the nausea that accompanies some cancer therapies is hotly debated. That makes it an issue. Another issue is whether enough federal money is being spent to fund cancer research. People have differing ideas about both of these questions, making them issues which can be argued from opposite sides.

What are some issues? There are many different kinds of issues. These are some types you will want to think about:

Bio-ethical Issues may be bio-ethical having to do with ethical problems arising from advances made in science, especially in the fields of medicine and biology. • Is it right to conduct stem cell research using stem cells taken from human embryos? Should scientists clone human embryos?

Business Business issues are ones that deal with laws and practices in the world of commerce or trade. • Should the government ban tobacco advertising? Is telemarketing an invasion of privacy?

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Children’s Children’s issues are concerned with anything that affects the health and well-being of children. • Does divorce always have a bad effect on kids? Is film and TV violence harmful to children?

Crime Issues having to do with crime may range from causes of crime and/or crime prevention, to punishment issues. • Does listening to rap music increase the incidence of teen crime? Is capital punishment a crime-stopper?

Drugs Drugs may be defined as substances that cause change in the human body. Drug issues may involve the effects, proper use, legalization, or control of drugs. • Should the use of herbs for alternative medical therapy be regulated by the Federal Drug Administration? Should the use of marijuana to treat nausea caused by chemotherapy be legalized?

Educational Issues may be educational, that is, they have to do with anything that affects the educational processes of individuals or groups. • Does social promotion (passing students on to the next grade because of their age and/or size) have good educational results? Would the use of vouchers, which allow money normally spent in public schools to be used for tuition in private schools, raise educational standards?

Environmental Environmental issues deal with such things as air and water pollution, population growth, the use of natural resources, or practices that may be harmful to the world we live in. • Should the U.S. drill for oil in the Arctic wilderness? Is global warming a real threat?

Health Health issues can range from causes of health problems, the proper treatment of certain problems, to the availability of treatment for all segments of society. • Does the use of insecticides cause cancer? Do we need a national health care program?

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Legal Legal issues have to do with rules of law. • Does the death penalty reduce the incidence of violent crimes? Should young people who commit violent crimes be tried as adult criminals?

Mass Media Mass Media issues pertain to questions about all means of communication that reach large numbers of people, like newspapers, magazines, radio, T.V. and the Internet. • Should government take a more active role in regulating TV programming during early evening hours? Are the results of national elections affected by mass media?

Moral Moral issues have to do with the distinction between right and wrong conduct. • Is euthanasia, often called “mercy killing,” such as taking the life of the terminally ill, a moral option? Should there be a market in body parts for organ transplants?

Political Political issues are those having to do with government, the state, or politics. • Does limiting the length of time an elected official can remain in office contribute to more accountability and better government? Should we do away with the electoral college?

Psychological Psychological issues pertain to anything that affects or is intended to affect the mind. • Is alcohol addiction a disease? Should mental illness be considered a brain disorder?

Racial Racial issues involve concerns common to a group of people having the same ancestry or the interactions between groups of people having different ancestries. • Should the word “minority” continue to be used to describe populations of people? Should college admittance requirements be lower for minority students?

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Social Social issues have to do with people living together as a group. • Should we be an English-only society? Is rejection by peers a cause of teen violence?

These are not all the possible kinds of issues you might consider. You’ll think of others. The categories also overlap. For example: euthanasia might be a moral issue, a civil rights issue, a legal issue, or a bio-ethical issue. All the issues listed are posed as questions. As you think about issues as possible topics for your research project, try to put each topic in the form of a question, keeping in mind that an issue is “a point, matter or question to be disputed or decided upon.”

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Choosing a Topic

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As you weigh various issues as potential research project topics, there are several things to consider.

1. Does the topic meet the definition of an issue? Is the topic one that can be disputed? In other words, is it one that could be debated, or argued, from opposing viewpoints?

2. Be sure you understand the assignment. Will your topic choice meet the requirements of the assignment? The assignment may be to look at a current issue from different viewpoints and draw your own conclusions, based on your research. Or, perhaps you are to examine a past (historical) issue. In that case, your task may be to show both sides of the question and describe how your research shows the issue was resolved.

3. Does the topic interest you personally? Not only must the topic meet the requirements of the assignment, but it must be one you care about. You may not be real interested in the ethics of euthanasia, but I imagine you could get pretty excited about teen curfews! Even though you must examine both sides of the issue and come to an unbiased conclusion based on your findings (meaning that your own personal feelings don’t affect your thinking) your interest and enthusiasm for the project should be reflected in your writing. That can only happen if you choose a topic in which you have a personal stake or you are at least very interested.

4. Will you be able to find enough information? Not only must you be interested in the topic, but others must be as well. You want to choose an issue that has enough public interest to generate resources, such as books, magazine articles, TV and radio reports and Internet sites. For example, you may be intensely interested in whether or not your town passes an ordinance requiring a curfew for teens. But, apart from your local newspaper, you would find few resources. Rather than pose the question, “Should our town have a teen curfew?”, a better choice would be, “Do teen curfews reduce teenage crime?” By not limiting the question to your local community, you increase the chances of finding information related to your topic.

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As I considered topics that I might use to demonstrate research skills, I first chose Censorship in Schools for these reasons: 1. It meets the definition of an issue because people do have conflicting views about it; 2. the topic is of great interest to me personally since I was a teacher and I am an author; and 3. there should be many sources of information because censorship is a timely and widely debated issue.

After you have made your choice, what’s next? I could have chosen “Censorship” to research. But that would have been too broad. Censorship can apply to written material found on the Internet, in public libraries, in bookstores, in schools—even in grocery stores. Films, music, and art might be open to censorship. Each of these would have its own set of considerations and couldn’t all be addressed within the scope of one project. I decided to focus on “Censorship in Schools.” Then, because there could be different considerations for private schools as opposed to public schools, I narrowed the choice even more to “Censorship in Public Schools.” You need to focus your topic in the same way. Look carefully at your topic choice, keeping in mind the scope and length of the project. Be sure to narrow the topic to one that is workable; one that you can reasonably expect to thoroughly research within the time frame you have planned.

Now, start thinking. A good way to get started thinking is to create a mind map by listing various paths your thinking might take as you explore possible connections to other kinds of issues your topic might have. Brainstorming like this will help you see the “big picture” and will also help you to identify search terms before you begin your research. For example, “Censorship in Public Schools” might be… …a civil rights issue

…a student rights issue

…a freedom of speech issue

…an intellectual freedom issue

Another way to brainstorm connections is to do a keyword search in your school’s online catalog or on the Internet. Using my PC, a search engine keyword search for “Censorship in Public Schools” showed the matching categories Youth Rights and Internet Issues. This alerted me that I needed to refocus my topic again; this time to “Book Censorship in Public Schools,” since censoring books and censoring sites on the Internet that students have access to are two different issues. At this point, I also decided to change the title to “Book Banning in Public Schools,” because the alliteration made a nicer title! When you have chosen and focused your topic, and have begun thinking about possible connections, you are ready to prepare to do your research.

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Planning for the Research

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A research project involving issues requires much more than gathering facts and collecting data. Since you will be examining both sides of a controversial issue, you must be selective in choosing sources and will need to make decisions about which sources to use. You want to make sure you are unbiased, that you haven’t already made up your mind, and that the sources you choose will present a balanced survey of viewpoints. After the information has been gathered, you will need to analyze your research to make a decision, or come to a conclusion, about which side of the issue you support or that you feel your research shows is most valid. A project like this takes more time than one that involves only gathering and reporting data.

Make a plan and a schedule. Your first job is to make a plan and a schedule—a time frame—for your work. Include the date for starting the project and the date the project is due. Block in the approximate time you will need for starting and completing each step in the research process. Creating a schedule similar to this one gives direction to your work, keeps you on track, and allows time for thinking and making changes along the way if necessary.

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Sample Day 1

Choose and focus your topic. Do a keyword search.

Day 2

Make a schedule.

Day 3

Prepare to do research, make a list of questions, identify possible sources for information.

Days 4

Tour the media center; locate online and onsite resources.

Days 5–9

Do the research.

Days 10–12

Write a first draft.

Day 13

Do additional research if needed.

Days 14–15

Write a second draft, ask someone to read it for clarity.

Day 16

Make final revisions.

Day 17

Prepare the bibliography.

This sample schedule allows for four weeks, not including weekends, for doing the project. You may have more, or less, time for the assignment. Your teacher, of course, will let you know how long you have to do the research and to complete the project.

Days 18–20 Prepare the final project.

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As you plan your schedule remember to take into account all the many other activities that make up your busy life. Be sure to allow time for family and social events as well as your responsibilities for other school subjects. Recording your schedule on a calendar similar to this one helps keep you organized.

Calendar

Know what you’re looking for! Before you go to the library media center or log on a computer, be sure you know what you’re looking for. Browsing the library shelves and surfing the Net can be fun. It can also waste time if you’re searching aimlessly. Do you remember that I suggested you put your topic in the form of a question? Book Banning in Public Schools is not a question. By putting it in the form of a question, I can further define the topic and limit its scope. For example, I could ask, “Is it right to ban books in public schools?” making it an ethical issue. “Is it legal to ban books in public schools?” changes it to a legal issue while “Does banning books in public schools violate student rights?” makes it a civil rights issue. Or I could look at who—library media specialists, school administrators, the school board, or parents—if anyone, should have the authority to ban books from public school libraries. The way you state the topic question will affect the approach you take to posing questions to be answered and the resources you choose to find answers to those questions.

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After you have formed your topic question, restate it in the form of both pro and con position statements. For example: “Some books should be banned from public school library media centers.” And, “No books should be banned from public school library media centers.” With your topic question stated from both points of view, you are ready to brainstorm questions to be answered by your research. Questions that come to mind when thinking about whether books should be banned from a school library media center might be: 1. What are some possible reasons for each position? 2. Who might have a stake in the issue? Parents, students, administrators, teachers, the school board, the American Library Association? 3. Who else might be affected by each position? Writers, publishers, booksellers? 4. Are there other things to be considered? What criteria would be used to determine whether a book should be banned? Who determines the criteria?

There is one final thing to do before you begin the research…

Prepare yourself for note taking. Before you go to the public library or school library media center, prepare your note-taking materials. You will need a pack of 3x5" or 4x6" note cards or a notebook. Most students find that note cards work better because you can shuffle them around to arrange and rearrange them when you are writing the report. If you use note cards, using two different colors—one for one side of the issue, another color for the opposing viewpoint—will help keep the arguments straight. If you use a notebook, you may want to use one section for the pro side of the issue and a second section for the opposite viewpoint. Because you will be using the Internet and other electronic resources for a lot of your research, be sure to have a disk available for downloading information. If you’re using a public library, a pocketful of coins for the copier is essential!

Now with a plan in mind and materials in hand, you are ready to begin your research!

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Touring the Media Center

Understanding how libraries are organized will help you to feel more comfortable in the school library media center and enable you to find available resources faster. Libraries are divided into two main sections: fiction and nonfiction. Fiction works include anything that is made up, such as novels, science fiction, poetry and plays. Nonfiction works are factual, or not made up, such as encyclopedias, textbooks, dictionaries, etc. You will be working in the nonfiction section since you are looking for factual information. The resources you will be using in the nonfiction section fall into three main groupings: Print Resources, Non-Print Resources, and Electronic Resources.

Print Resources Books Books make up a big part of the print resources. You can locate books in the library’s card or computer catalog by author, subject and title. Books in your school or public library are most likely shelved by their Dewey Decimal Classification number.

Reference Section The reference section is so named because it contains works that you refer to for information. Resources in this section may only be used in the library, you cannot check them out. Be sure to visit the 300 section where books on issues are shelved.

Periodicals Periodicals are print resources that come out weekly, monthly, bimonthly, or even quarterly. Some, like newspapers, are published daily. Others come out irregularly with no predetermined schedule. Periodicals are often topical; that is, they have to do with one main topic. Others may be directed to or be published by a specific interest group. To research “Book Banning in Public Schools,” I would certainly want to check out magazines published by the American Library Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the National School Boards Association, the American School Librarians Association, etc. Periodicals will be a major resource for your project.

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Vertical Files Some school library media centers may have vertical files. These are collections of various information sources, including pamphlets, newspaper clippings, pictures, reprints, government documents and other unusual sources. The librarian or media specialist decides what to include in the file based on the users’ needs. Ask the library media specialist if there are any items in the file pertaining to your topic before you spend too much time browsing.

Non-Print Resources Non-Print Resources include Audiotapes, Laser Discs, Filmstrips, Videotapes, Transparencies, and Microforms. Microforms are Print Resources that have been photographically reduced and stored as microfilm or microfiche. Because the originals are too bulky to store and newsprint breaks down in a short time, libraries keep only current issues on file and store selected items from past issues on microfilm or microfiche. Usually the viewers are connected to a printer so that you can print out selected articles. Microforms are usually found only in public or university libraries.

Electronic Resources Electronic devices let you access and retrieve information very quickly. If the computer is connected to a printer, you may download the information to a hardcopy. You may even be able to cut and paste the information directly into the document you are working on. However, this is risky. We’ll talk more about the risks later. A safer way is to save the information to a disk.

CD-ROM Many libraries have electronic resources, like encyclopedias, on CD-ROM. A good subscription-based encyclopedia, such as World Book or Grolier Encyclopedia, may provide you with just the simple background material you need for an introduction to your topic. CD-ROM is the acronym for Compact Disc, Read-Only Memory. Because vast amounts of information can be stored on a CD-ROM, more and more of them are appearing in libraries. CD-ROMs are usually multimedia, having sound,

video, and graphics, as well as text. Guides describing the contents and search techniques usually accompany CD-ROMs.

Electronic Indexes and Databases Electronic indexes and databases are invaluable for researchers. Databases are organized, searchable collections of information. Databases are available on many different subjects with new ones being produced all the time. They may be stored on a CD or are accessible online through the Internet.

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The Internet The Internet is the doorway to several different kinds of information resources, including websites, portals, search engines, listservs and directories, and e-mail.

The library or media center, you can see, has many different kinds of information sources. You will want to explore all the resources available to you that pertain to your topic, not being content with using only one or two.

A word of caution… Before you begin exploring these resources, though, let’s think about that risk I mentioned earlier. Computers have made accessing and retrieving information easy—maybe too easy! It’s very tempting to download and incorporate information directly into your report. But you must not do that! Doing so violates intellectual property laws.

What is intellectual property? Intellectual property is something created by the human mind (intellect) that has a commercial value, something that someone has created to sell to you and to other people. Legal experts have created special rules to define and protect intellectual property. These rules are the trademark, patent and copyright laws. The type of intellectual property law that protects a magazine article you find or the paper on your topic that you might download from the Web is copyright law. This law protects not only writing, but all types of original creative work including music, art, photography, even computer software.

Exactly what is protected by copyright? Well, ideas cannot be copyrighted. For example, the idea of writing about book banning in public schools cannot be copyrighted. Many people have written their ideas about book banning. But the actual words, phrases, and sentences they used in writing the article or Web page are protected. Authors and/or publishers can “register” the item to be copyrighted with the Library of Congress Copyright Office by sending a copy, along with an application form and fee. However, an item doesn’t have to be registered to have copyright protection. Any piece of writing is automatically copyrighted the minute it

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is put to paper. This includes your work. No one, not even your teacher, can use your work without your permission. You can add the phrase “Copyright” or the copyright symbol, the year you wrote the work, and your own name to let others know your work is protected. The copyright symbol is recognized and copyright is protected throughout the world. Copyright protection for most works lasts for the lifetime of the author plus fifty years. Remember, plagiarism, using someone else’s words in your work as if they were your own, is against the law and can have very serious consequences. Not the least of which is a black mark on your academic record that is difficult, if not impossible, to erase.

So, use all the tools available to you, but use them wisely. In the following chapters, we’ll talk about specific resources for researching issues: where they are found, what they contain, and how to use them.

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Using the Materials Catalog

In this chapter you will learn some of the ways resources are organized in libraries and how you can use this information to locate materials in your own media center or in other libraries in your city, state, and beyond.

Catalogs are an organized listing of the library’s resources. Library materials are organized by subjects and then listed in a “catalog.” The catalogs may be paper, with cards stored alphabetically in drawers, or they they be computerized with the contents displayed on a computer screen. Nearly all libraries are moving toward electronic catalogs, sometimes referred to as OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogs). Whether paper or electronic, catalogs provide information for locating library materials. You will find the title of the book and the author’s name, the publisher, copyright date, number of pages, and the subject headings that have been assigned to the book.

Systems for organizing materials may differ, but… Libraries don’t all use the same system for organizing materials. Most school libraries use the Dewey Decimal Classification® System to organize the books they own. This is the system you are probably most familiar with. Many large public libraries and university libraries use the Library of Congress (LC) System. Libraries may also use a variety of special systems, unique to that library, for some or all of the books they have. All the systems for organizing materials have the same purpose—helping you to find the books you need.

Finding the Right Subject Heading to Start Your Search Since libraries organize everything by subject, you will start your search by looking up subjects or subject headings in the catalog. Libraries try to use the same set of subject headings for the materials in their catalogs, but since some terms change, you may find cross references or “see also” references to lead you to new or related subject headings. Once you find a heading that works in one library, you should be able to use it in other libraries as well. When I did a subject search in a public library, the words “book banning” were not recognized by the electronic catalog. So I tried “censorship.” Several titles for books dealing with censorship came up, but none that seemed to have anything to do with public schools. However, related subjects listed were “United States,” “textbooks,” and “case studies.” A word search using “textbooks” uncovered the books Banned! Book Censorship in the Schools and What Johnny Shouldn’t Read: Textbook Censorship in America.

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Tip When you do your subject search, don’t give up too soon! Be sure to search using the references to related subject headings as well as your main topic subject.

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When you find a book, video, or CD in the catalog, it will have a call number assigned to it.

379.156 D46 w5

The call number is like the material’s library address. The top number tells the classification of the book, grouping materials on the same subject together in one place. The number on the bottom tells where to find the book on the shelf.

Using the Card Catalog and Electronic Catalog If you are using a card catalog, there will be three cards or three different ways for you to search for an item: by title, author and subject. An electronic catalog gives you even greater search options. You may search for the listing by title, author, subject, extended subject, key words in the subject or title, or by combining several ways.

Example Call Number

Nonfiction 379.156 D46w5

Author:

DelFattore, Joan 1946

Title:

What Johnny Shouldn’t Read: Textbook Censorship in America

Publisher:

New Haven: Yale University Press c1999

Descrip.

ix 209p; 24cm

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p 178-200) and index

Subjects

1) textbooks--censorship--United States-case studies 2) censorship--United States--case studies

LCCN

92003585

Utility #

25203019

DYNIX#

86447

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For example, an electronic listing for What Johnny Shouldn’t Read appeared like this:

In this example, the call number 379.156 tells me that the book will be found in the 300s in the nonfiction section. D46w5 tells me where to find the book on the shelf. In addition to the author, publisher, and year of publication, I learn that the book contains both a bibliography and an index, and other subject search words are suggested.

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Electronic catalogs make it possible for you to access listings from your classroom or even from your home computer via the Internet. Your school media center may be connected online with other school, university, or public libraries in your area. If so, you may be able to borrow materials from them through interlibrary loan.

Plenty of Options…Plenty to Remember An electronic catalog greatly extends your search options, but there are some important things to remember when using one.

Other Materials It probably lists lots of things other than books, like periodicals, recordings, films, videos, and maps. Materials that are not in your school library, but are owned by other libraries may be listed, too.

Keyword Searches In addition to doing a title, author, or subject search, the computer allows you to do keyword searches. It searches the entire catalog for every time the word or word you choose appears. You may be able to combine author and title information in one search, or you may be able to enter two related words, like “Book banning”–“public schools.”

Boolean Searches The computer may offer a Boolean search. This allows you to refine your search by linking keywords with “OR”, “AND” or “NOT.” For example, I might enter “book banning” NOT “Internet.” Or “book banning” AND “public schools.”

Printing and Downloading Finally, electronic catalog systems differ in how to print out or download information to a disk or hard copy. Always read the directions!

Need help? Be sure to ask your library media specialist or the librarian for assistance in learning to use the online catalogs and in locating specific materials related to your topic.

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Using Special Collections

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If the issue you are researching is a current one, you may not find many books on the library shelves dealing specifically with your topic. It takes a long time to write and publish a book. By the time a book written about a controversial issue comes out, the issue may no longer be current. There are several collections of essays written about current issues you should be sure to investigate. Because they are timely and very expensive, most school libraries will not own them. You will find these collections in the 300s in the reference section of most large libraries.

What kinds of resources are out there? Issues and Controversies on File Here’s a resource you don’t want to miss looking at. This “Twice-Monthly Digest of News and Analysis and Background Information” published by Facts on File News Services, has a cumulative Index. The collection is easy to use and gives both sides of each issue included in the collection. Of special interest to the researcher is the inclusion of key words and points to use to search for further information in electronic databases and/or other publications. The essay collection also lists additional sources and contact information for organizations that are mentioned in the text or that could provide additional information. A bibliography of works cited is included.

The Encyclopedia of Associations: An Associations Unlimited Reference Be sure to stop by the reference desk and ask for this reference work published by the Gale Group and edited by Tara E. Sheets. It lists associations and professional societies and gives addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses and website information. It also lists publications put out by the associations.

Taking Sides This excellent resource, published by Dushkin Publishing Group/Brown & Benchmark, contains 22 volumes in 21 areas of interest. The library of 20 debate style readers includes 756 pro and con essays debating 378 important issues.

Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues Grolier Educational also publishes a “taking sides” title. This twenty-one-volume set presents differing viewpoints on topical issues. Two of the volumes also look into the modern analysis of historic events.

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Opposing Viewpoints—SOURCES Series This is an ongoing series from Greenhaven Press. Each volume focuses on an issue of debate by presenting materials drawn from magazines, books journals, newspapers, and position papers giving opposing views on debatable topics.

Pro & Con This collection of essays, written by Walter Isaacson and published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, gives both sides of controversial topics. Published in 1983, the collection is dated and not extensive, but you might be lucky and find your topic included.

Facts on File’s “Library in a Book” Series Each book in this series is a one-volume source for research on current problems. Included in each book is a history on the subject, biographical information on important figures in the field, an annotated bibliography, and an index.

Information Plus—The Information Series on Current Topics This series, published by Gale Group, is another possible source. Each book in the series concentrates on a specific subject. You will probably find these scattered throughout the library topically. Use the catalog to check Information Plus for titles on your topic.

Contemporary Issues Criticism This last resource is scholarly and requires serious reading. Published by Gale Research, it is designed to help the reader make evaluations on current issues. The articles are written by contemporary authors who represent a wide range of topics, issues, and opinions. The author’s section includes the author heading, a bio-critical introduction, excerpts from the author’s main work on the topic, and excerpts of criticism of the work from a variety of experts in the field. The books have three indexes: an author index, a critic index, and a subject index. Note: This resource will prove difficult for most middle school age researchers, but if you’re willing to do some hard work digging, it may pay off in finding interesting and unusual points of view. Because you want to examine your topic from a variety of viewpoints and want to find resources that reflect both recent developments and the latest thinking on the issue you are researching, some of your best sources will be periodicals such as magazines and newspapers. We’ll look at how to locate these sources in the next chapter.

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Using Indexes

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When you are researching issues, especially current ones, primary sources such as newspapers and first person articles in magazines are your best sources.

To locate articles in periodicals you will need to learn to use subject guides to periodicals or indexes. The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature This the most well-known index. Published monthly with an annual yearbook, it includes listings for 238 periodicals.

Tip It takes patience to learn to use indexes. Be sure to study the abbreviation code and the directions for using the index on the first page of each volume. You need to be a bit of a detective when using an index!

Sample

When I checked the latest Reader’s Guide supplement, I found nothing listed for “Book Banning.” So, I tried “Book Censorship.” This sent me to See Censorship. Under “Censorship,” I found nothing listed for articles pertaining to censorship in schools, but the See Also listing suggested “Comic Book, strips, etc;” “Freedom of the Press;” “Government and the Press;” and” Motion Pictures.” “Freedom of the Press” seemed the most likely choice, but I found nothing helpful listed there. I decided to go back to the 1999 Yearbook and repeat the process. Diligence paid off! This time I found the listings shown in the sample to the left. I chose to examine the “Fighting curriculum censorship” article from The Education Digest and “Wizards and Muggles” from The Christian Century because I thought they would present opposing viewpoints. To my surprise, the Christian Century editorial spoke against parental opposition to the Harry Potter books. Finding the unexpected is what makes research fun!

The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature is available in a CD-ROM version as well as online (www.hwwilson.com) and also in versions containing summaries and the full text of articles. While smaller libraries may not own Reader’s Guide, it will be available at most public and university libraries.

Newsbank Newsbank is another useful index. It accesses newspaper articles from over 450 U.S. cities. Selected full text articles are stored on microfiche each month.

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NewsBrowser This index, also on the Internet (www.newsbrowser.com) provides access to more than 100 full text newspapers from the U.S and the world. Its search options allow you to search all or specific newspapers by main subject, entire text, or by author. You can focus the search by year or by exact date.

ProQuest ProQuest is a periodical database which indexes 2344 periodical titles. It provides full text to articles from 1986 to the present for over 1500 of articles indexed. The online search engine allows searches in particular subject areas and in particular periodicals.

InfoTrac This magazine index for general periodicals and business is popular with middle school students. The InfoTrac family of databases also includes Magazine Index Plus which covers 400 magazines. This is a very quick and user-friendly CD-ROM index to periodicals. You can search these indexes by browsing subjects or you can do an expanded search by combining two or more words or concepts in one search. TOM is another CD-ROM InfoTrac index. Of the 140 periodicals indexed, 30 are available in full text. SuperTOM is a large collection of magazine and newspaper articles in full text for high school students. SuperTOM, Jr. is a version for middle school students.

Found the articles you’re interested in? Now what? When you have identified articles that interest you, you need to find out whether the library media center owns the magazines or newspapers they’re in, and if the articles are available in print or if they are stored on microfilm or microfiche. You most likely will need to fill out a request form listing the name of the magazine, the date the article was printed, and the page number where the article appears. When you present the form to the staff person at the reference desk, you will learn whether the articles are available and in what form. If the articles are on a microform, the staff member will help you learn to operate the viewer. You may be able to print out selected pages of the articles. Otherwise you will take your notes from the screen, just as you would from a text.

When researching an issue, most of your time in the library will be spent examining indexes, finding and reading articles, and taking good notes. Be sure to allow yourself enough time to do a thorough search.

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Using Electronic Resources

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In this chapter we’ll take a closer look at electronic resources, including CD-ROMs, subscription database systems and the Internet.

CD-ROM and Subscription Databases InfoWeb Newsbank mentioned in Chapter 7 has added InfoWeb on the Internet, offering full text access to articles from over 200 newspapers worldwide from 1992 to the present. It also includes the full text of over 100 popular magazines, plus government documents and radio and TV broadcast transcripts. The website (www.newsbank.com), a product sales page, describes several resources of special interest to student researchers.

NewsBank SchoolMate This database for middle schoolers contains Web-based primary source information covering many subjects and is updated daily. It offers more than 500 primary sources from different perspectives.

NewsBank School Library Collection Provides coverage of major issues from 1970 to the present utilizing 2000 information sources from around the world. It allows students to combine a search quickly across a range of information resources, including newspapers, periodicals, wire services, broadcast transcripts, science journals, and some international sources.

InfoTrac Custom Newspapers A Web-based full-text newspaper database allowing users to search articles by title, headline, date, author, section, or other assigned fields. Offered by Gale Group, (www.galegroup.com) users can choose from a collection of nearly 100 newspapers.

The Student Resource Center Also offered by Gale Group, this subscription database contains an archive of 41,000 primary source documents, up to 1.7 million full-text periodical and newspaper articles that are updated daily, and more than 82,000 biographies, essays and overviews.

TOPICsearch Published by Ebsco Information Services, this is an online database designed for schools. It explores social, political and economic issues. The main categories of

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TOPICsearch sources include newspaper, periodicals, government documents, pamphlets, and public opinion polls. EBSCO’s Current Issues database includes essays that present the pros and cons of current issues and events.

SIRS Researcher Created by SIRS Mandarin, Inc., this is a general reference database that is available on both CD-ROM and the Web. Thousands of full-text articles explore social, scientific, health, historic, economic, business, political and global issues.The database allows you to do both quick and advanced searches. Additional databases including Today’s News, Issues in Government and New Content & Hot Topics, among others, are available. A thesaurus is provided for help in identifying synonyms for additional keywords to use in your search. The database allows access to articles from 1,500 domestic and international newspapers, magazines, journals, and U.S. government publications. There are other CD-ROMs and subscription databases and new ones are being created all the time. You will need to ask your teacher or media specialist which CDROMs and databases are available at your school. For a topical listing of CD-ROMs, you could ask your teacher or library media specialist to check a guide such as CD-ROM Superguide by Mike Langberg (Ballantine, 1995), CD-ROMs in Print (Gale, annual), or Software and CD-ROM Reviews on File, (Facts on File News Services, 2000).

The Internet The Internet is another important electronic resource. It is often called an “Information Superhighway.” As its name suggests, it is a network of individual computer systems of all sizes, interconnected, and able to “communicate” with each other. The World Wide Web is just one part of the Internet. Websites include some combination of the following: text, graphics, animation, video, sound, and links to other websites. The Internet is also made up of e-mail, Telnet, FTP, Gopher, and Newsgroups. Getting Started: To use the Web, you need browser software, like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. On your personal computer at home, you might use AOL, CompuServe, or some other browser software. All browsers serve the same purpose—to get you out on the Internet. The number of websites is nearly infinite, with anywhere from 175,000 to 1,000,000 new sites added daily. You need good navigating skills! Don’t forget to ask your school library media specialist about Internet access and any policies regarding student use.

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Using the Web Once on the Internet, you need to know where you’re going. The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the address of a website. The URL contains a lot of information including the host’s name, the type of server or the country the server is located in, the directory path, and a file name. Most URLs start with “http://” which stands for “hypertext transfer protocol,” which is a fancy way of saying how the computers exchange information. But when keying in a URL that begins with “www,” you don’t need to include the “http://.”

URL Location

The first page of a website is the home page. To get to the home page, and the rest of the pages that make up a website, enter the URL into the browser and the software will take you there.

Tip Be sure to type in the URL exactly as it’s listed. Most URLs are no longer “case sensitive,” meaning it no longer matters whether you use capital letters or lower case, but punctuation and spacing are important. A tiny mistake, like typing “-” when you should have typed “_” can keep you from accessing the site. The “bookmark” or “favorites” feature on many browsers allows you to save the URL of a favorite site or sites, so you don’t have to type in the URL every time you want to visit the site. Your teacher or media specialist may have sites already “bookmarked” for your use.

Web Resources Your school or pubic library may own WebFeet: The Internet Traveler’s Desk Reference, a monthly subject guide to the best websites. Created by Rock Hill Press, PA, the guide is compiled by editors and researchers who are librarians, teachers and/or web experts. The sites included are chosen for their quality, content, general interest, timeliness, and general appeal. In addition, the sites are evaluated for their interest to young people and classroom use. One hundred sites are added each month. Each guide contains a subject index with cross references. Best of all for students, the site is interactive. Users can contact WebFeet by e-mail ([email protected]) and, if you give them advance warning, they will find the best sites for your use. Still another great resource for locating research sites is StudyWEB (www.studyweb.com). The editors at StudyWEB have categorized and reviewed over 70,000 sites. The sites are rated by grade level. Notes let you know if visual aids are available. You will find listings for issues in the Social Science section of the website.

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Search Engines If your teacher hasn’t bookmarked sites, WebFeet or StudyWEB is not available, and you don’t have a URL in mind, you begin your search with a search engine. Search engines are powerful computers that search for websites by subject, names, terms, or phrases. There are many search engines, each of which will take you to a different set of sites. Some will even direct you to other search engines. Some of the most popular search engines are: Yahoo Yahooligans AltaVista Infoseek Lycos HotBot

www.yahoo.com www.yahooligans.com designed especially for kids www.altavista.com www.infoseek.com http://lycos.com http://hotbot.lycos.com

There are even megasearch engines designed to search the search engines! Some megasearch engines, popular with kids, that you will want to explore are: Ask Jeeves for Kids www.ajkids.com really fast Dogpile

www.dogpile.com

Google

www.google.com

Magellan

http://magellan.mckinley.com crawls over the whole web

Unlike a library catalog which uses just one system for organizing library holdings, the Internet has many different systems for organization. No one listing even tries to include everything found on the Web. Plus, listings change constantly with new things being added and deleted every day. There are important differences between search engines that you need to know in order to get the most out of your search. With practice you’ll discover the engines with which you are most comfortable. Doing your search. When you first start using search engines, you will most likely

start with a browse, or simple search, by typing in a word or two. You will probably have so many listings, or “hits,” you will want to move on to do an advanced or refined search. • For example, typing in the search words “book banning” resulted in 18,030 hits! By refining the search by using “book banning” and “public schools,” the hits were reduced to 5047. In order to do an advanced or refined search, it helps to have a plan before you begin. A word map, or web, is a good search planning tool to help you identify the main ideas you will be exploring in your project. To create a word map, begin with the main word in your topic and identify key words you might use with it to refine your search. Here’s a sample:

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Media Specialists American Library Assoc.

Public Schools

Book Banning Civil Rights

Student Rights Intellectual Freedom

Most search engines use some form of Boolean searching which means you can use the operators AND; OR; NOT to refine your search. For example, you might type in book banning AND public schools NOT Internet. Some engines use + and -; book banning + public schools. Some others, like Ask Jeeves, allow a natural language search where you simply type in your question. Be sure you know the rules for entering search terms in each engine you try.

Develop a search strategy. Here’s a good one to follow: 1 Choose key word or idea (be specific) 2 Follow search engine rules

Tip Using search engines to surf the Net not only produces lots of information, it’s fun! Allow yourself extra time for following links that aren’t really on your topic, but that you just can’t resist!

3 Start search 4 List what worked and what didn’t 5 Brainstorm additional words, ideas, synonyms 6 Try different spellings of the word(s) 7 Repeat the process

Evaluating the site Using a good search strategy is not a guarantee that the website you find is a good one. Remember, anyone can publish on the Internet. Some do so to promote products. Others, who may or may not be authorities, write to share their opinions or to support causes. Some publish just to be funny, or to attract attention. Since that is the case, websites are not equally reliable. You will have to make judgments about them. In addition to WebFeet and StudyWEB mentioned earlier, these links to reliable sources can help you evaluate the sources: The Discovery Channel (link to students) http://school.discovery.com 700+ Amazing, Mysterious, Wonderful websites for Kids and the Adults Who Care About Them www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/amazing.html

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TEEN Hoopla: Internet Guide for Teens www.ala.org/teenhoopla Internet Public Library - Teen Division www.ipl.org/teen If a site turns up that isn’t listed on any of these, you will have to evaluate the site yourself. Keep in mind that when you research an issue you are dealing with more than factual data. You are dealing with opinions, strong feelings and emotional biases, as well as arguments put forth by individuals and/or organizations who have specific points to make and ideas to promote for perhaps monetary or political reasons. The first thing to be aware of when you evaluate a site is the domain name of the site. The three-letter codes at the end of the URL denote the type of server or domain. For example, the first site listed above is a commercial site; the other three are not. Looking at the domain name will help you evaluate the site for its reliability and usefulness for your project. The six commonly used domains are: .com .edu .mil .net .org .gov

commercial education military network organization government

New domain names, approved in 2001, include: .biz .info .museum .name

for businesses for all uses for museums for individuals

Soon to be available as well (at time of printing) are: .aero .coop .pro

for the air-transport industry for cooperatives for professions

If a server is listed .org, you can know that the views published on the website will reflect the philosophy of the sponsoring organization. For example, www.aclu.org will publish articles slanted to the American Civil Liberties Union’s view that censorship violates civil liberties. The website www.law.yale.edu should provide a legal point of view from an educational perspective. You want to be sure to examine the issue from a variety of perspectives by choosing sites with differing domain names. You must also keep in mind that just because a server is listed .edu it is no guarantee that the analysis of the

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issue is reliable. Kids can publish on an .edu site, too, and even though it’s interesting to read what a peer has to say about your topic, he/she can’t really be considered an authority—unless you are examining your issue strictly from kids’ viewpoints. Once you have determined that a site is worth looking at, you will want to examine it even more carefully by doing the following for each site you access: • Find out who created the information. • Look for any clues that the writer might not be knowledgeable, like spelling and/or grammatical errors, or other evidence of carelessness. • Look to see if the writer supports his/her argument with evidence and/or examples. • Be alert for emotional bias.

A Word of Caution The Internet is a wonderful tool. It allows you to browse books, essays, and articles on a variety of topics without leaving your home or classroom. In a way, it’s the ultimate virtual library. But, unlike a library, it’s hard to catalog the documents on the Internet because its holdings are constantly changing. A catalog of the Internet cannot be as accurate as a catalog of library or media center holdings. There’s another difference, too. In a library, reference books remain on the shelves unless they are being used. “Books” (information) on the Internet can disappear from the Web with the stroke of a webmaster’s delete key. That means the “book” may no longer be there if you need to go back and take a second look. For that reason, in addition to taking thorough notes, it’s a good idea to save any documents that you use to a disk so you can print them out for future reference. You also need to be aware that many of the articles on the Internet have been published elsewhere before they appeared on the Internet. The electronic source may be an abridged, or shortened, version of the article. Whenever possible, go to the printed source, not just because it is the original, but because it may contain more information. Finally, the Internet is a great way to locate unusual sources, but you must not only use it wisely, you must use it safely as well. Some good rules to follow are: 1. Be sure you know and follow your media center’s policies for using the Internet. 2. If you aren’t sure of a website, get approval of the site from your teacher, media specialist, or parent before visiting it. 3. Never give your own or anyone else’s home address or phone number. 4. If anything comes up that makes you uneasy, report it to an adult.

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9

Using Other Sources

There are a few other resources you should look into before you consider your research complete.

Journals Journals are publications that contain research studies, news items, or information written by experts in a particular field. Because the articles are peer reviewed or referenced, meaning that other experts in the field checked the article for accuracy, they are likely to be very reliable. Journals are often published by university presses or by special associations, like the American Medical Association’s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). To obtain a listing of associations and their publications, ask the librarian at the reference desk for The Encyclopedia of Associations: An Associations Unlimited Reference published by Gale Group mentioned earlier. The Encyclopedia of Associations is also available online via the DIALOG service and on CD-ROM.

Government Documents Government documents may be rich sources of information about current issues. The CQ Researcher, published by Congressional Quarterly, Washington, DC four times a month, reports on a topic of current interest in each issue. Each report gives background material on the topic, including a chronological listing of major events surrounding the issue and viewpoints from experts. The articles are indexed by title under boldface subject headings. The titles are followed by the date of the report and the number of the first page of the article. CQ Researcher is also available online from Congressional Quarterly for a fee.

Newsletters Many associations also publish newsletters. Newsletters are produced for certain groups, like members of an organization, and they focus on specialized topics. They may be in print and/or be available online. Newsletters in Print (Gale) gives names, contact information, and descriptions of both print and online newsletters.

Vertical Files I mentioned the vertical file, or paper file, in Chapter 4. The vertical file in your media center or local library is unlikely to have extensive contents. Vertical File Index (H.W. Wilson, 1932–present), is an index to material published in unusual forms, such as pamphlets, posters, charts, and other inexpensive paperbound items. Ordering instructions for each item included in the index are given.

Editorials You don’t want to neglect tracking down editorials on your topic. When people care a lot about an issue, they often write letters to the editors of newspapers.

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Editors themselves write editorials and cartoonists create editorial cartoons. Be sure to check out Editorials on File, a Facts on File publication, in which editorials and editorial cartoons from over 150 U.S. and Canadian newspapers are listed. Each topic includes a brief summary of the events that sparked the editorials. The subject index makes it easy to find opinions on a variety of topics.

Radio and TV When an issue is a hot topic, it is sure to come up on a radio or TV program. If you’re lucky, you may be able to locate full-text transcripts of news programs, talk shows, and documentaries on your topic on a commercial database. Your public and/or school library media center might subscribe to Electric Library (www.elibrary.com.). This online resource offers transcripts from a variety of television and radio shows. You might try the websites maintained by media companies. Some sites worth looking into include: • Cable News Network (CNN) (www.cnn.com). Search the site by keyword for full-text transcripts from CNN broadcasts. • Public Broadcasting System (PBS) (www.pbs.org). Do a keyword search. Many transcripts are free, but some need to be ordered for a fee from Strictly Business, (913) 649-6381.

Speeches If an issue is controversial, you can bet someone has made a speech about it. You should be able to find an abundance of speeches in libraries and on the Web. Type in the word “speeches” along with subject keyword(s) or the name of the person who gave the speech in your library’s online catalog or on an Internet search engine. You’ll be able to find speeches in print, video, and audio. Vital Speeches of the Day is published twice each month by The City News Publication Co. Covering the years 1934 to the present, texts of addresses made by contemporary leaders of public opinion in the fields of economics, politics, education, sociology, and business are given. You may find Vital Speeches indexed by topic and speechmaker in many periodical indexes, including Reader’s Guide.

Experts Don’t neglect seeking out experts on your topic right in your own community. Doctors, lawyers, educators, the county sheriff, librarians, writers, pastors, college professors, etc., are all excellent people to interview for their opinions on the issue you are researching. You can even go to experts beyond your community by going to Pitsco’s Ask an Expert at www.askanexpert.com. A listing is provided of people who are self-proclaimed experts in all sorts of subjects. Remember, though, these are self-proclaimed experts. You’ll want to check their credentials carefully.

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Taking Notes

No matter what kind of resources you use, print, non-print, or electronic, you want to take good notes for use in your research project. There are three ways to take notes: taking down direct quotes, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Direct Quotes Because you will be drawing from information and opinions expressed by various people and/or organizations, you may want to use their exact words. This is especially true if it is a well-written, strong statement. You also want to use a direct quote if there is any chance that paraphrasing would make the meaning less clear or, in any way, change the meaning. If the quote is short, quotation marks are used. If the quote is longer than four lines, it is indented and typed single-spaced.

Paraphrasing and Summarizing If the article is lengthy, you will want to paraphrase or summarize the information. When you paraphrase, you put the information in your own words. You must be sure you have a clear understanding of both the writer’s intent and meaning. Read the article several times to be sure your paraphrase will accurately convey the writer’s viewpoint. You may paraphrase one or several lines of information. In summarizing, you again use your own words, but condense the information by listing all the important points covered in the article. Be careful to include all the points the author feels are important in order to present his/her viewpoint fairly. Just because you don’t like or agree with a point is no reason to leave it out. Let’s see how this works by both paraphrasing and summarizing the following information from an Education World article.

Challenges to curriculum content have torn apart communities. On the one hand, advocates of banning certain books maintain that children in grades K–12 will be harmed if we don’t protect them from inappropriate materials. Opponents are equally heated in insisting that censorship of books and other curriculum materials violates the academic freedom and diversity of thought protected by the U.S. Constitution. Cromwell, Sharon. (1997, May 1) Education World. Retrieved 1 January 2001 from the World Wide Web .

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A paraphrase of this information might look like this: People who are for the banning of certain books say that kids will be harmed if they aren’t protected from inappropriate materials. Opponents say that censorship of books and other curriculum materials is a violation of academic freedom protected by the U. S. Constitution. A summarization would look like this: Communities have been torn apart by challenges to curriculum content. Advocates of banning certain books say that school children will be hurt if they aren’t protected from inappropriate materials. But opponents feel just as strongly that censorship of books and other materials is a violation of the academic freedom that is protected by the U.S. Constitution.

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When you are taking notes that you plan to paraphrase or summarize in your own report, it is best to take word or phrase notes rather than copy the material word for word as it is written. This will make it easier Education World — May 1997 for you to put the information in your own words Challenges tear apart communities. when you are writing the report. For example, a note card for the Education World article on the Advocates of book banning: Children must be previous page might look like this: protected. Opponents: Violates academic freedom in the U.S. Constitution.

Giving Credit to Your Sources In every case, no matter whether you are paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting directly, you must give credit to your sources by citing the reference that you use. You may show your sources of information in one of three ways: footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical documentation. Your teacher will tell you which way you are to use in your report.

Footnotes Footnotes are just what the word suggests—notes found at the foot of the page.They are numbered in the order the documented materials appear on the pages of the report. For example, the paraphrase mentioned earlier would be documented like this in the report:

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The small number at the end of the quote tells the reader that the information came from another source and points him to the footnote to learn the source of the information.

People who are for the banning of certain books say that kids will be harmed if they aren’t protected from inappropriate materials. Opponents say that censorship of books and other curriculum materials is a violation of academic freedom protected by the U.S. Constitution.1 1. Cromwell, Sharon (1997, May 1). Education World. retrieved 1 January 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.educationworld.com.

If, later in the report, you use the same source again, you won’t need to retype the entire footnote. You will use the author’s last name, the Latin words op. cit., which mean “in the work cited,” and the page number on which the new information was found. Like this:

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8. Cromwell, op. cit., p. 44.

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Sometimes you’ll use information from the same source two times in a row. Then, it’s even easier. You use the Latin word ibid., meaning “in the same place,” and give the page number this way:

8. Cromwell, op. cit., p. 44. 9. Ibid., p.45.

When you use footnotes for documentation, you will make a bibliography listing all the sources in alphabetical order, including the ones that you read for background information, but didn’t actually use in your report. The bibliography is placed at the end of the report.

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Parenthetical Documentation Parenthetical documentation is another, and easier way, of citing the sources of your information. As the words suggest, you put your documentation (source) in parenthesis right after the information you are using. For example:

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“Advocates of banning certain books say that kids in grades K–12 will be hurt if they aren’t protected from inappropriate materials.” (Cromwell, p. 1).

When you use parenthetical documentation, instead of a bibliography, you prepare a References or Works Cited page. On it, you list in alphabetical order only the sources you actually used in your report. Like a bibliography, this page is placed at the end of your report.

Endnotes A third way to document your sources is with the use of endnotes. Here you use numbers in the text just as you would for footnotes, but instead of putting the documentation at the bottom of the pages, you make a list of the notations at the end of your paper. The endnotes are written just as they would be for footnotes and again you write a bibliography. No matter which form of documentation you use, you must give the page numbers for each source cited. If you are downloading or making photocopies, take down all the bibliographical information, including page numbers. When using the Internet, take down the URLs or copy and paste them to a disk if you are allowed to do so. Be sure to include the date you retrieved the information as well. Nothing is more frustrating than to be nearly finished with a report and have to go back and spend time looking for page numbers or other missing bibliographical information for documentation.

Making a Bibliography A bibliography or reference page is a collection of all the materials you’ve used for your paper. It not only documents your research, it provides a list of sources for the reader who may want to do additional research on your topic. Because it is a collection of a variety of kinds of sources, there are different ways of recording the bibliographical information for each kind listed. Subject books are listed with author’s name first, followed by the title of the book, the name of the publisher and the date of publication. Your teacher may want you to include additional information. DelFattore, Joan. What Johnny Shouldn’t Read: Textbook Censorship in America. Yale University Press, 1992.

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Reference book entries also begin with the last name of the author of the article if it is available. If the author’s name is not given, you list the title of the article first, then the name of the reference book, publisher, date of publication, and page number. Noll, James William, Editor. “Should Schools Determine What is Learned?” Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues. The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc. 1995, pages 16-30 in Education Issues Volume.

Periodical articles are entered by the author’s last name first when the author is identified: Sipe, Rebecca Bowers. “Don’t Confront Censors, Prepare for Them.” The Education Digest. Vol.64, Feb. 1999.

If no author’s name is given, use the title of the article first, then the rest of the bibliographical information: Editorial. The Christian Century. Christian Century Foundation, Vol. 116, Dec., 1999.

If your source is a CD-ROM, you would list it like this : American Social Issues. CD-ROM. ABC-CLIO. Nov., 2000.

A subscription database would be cited this way: Simmons, John S. “School Censorship: No Respite in Sight.” Forum (Magazine) Winter 1996-1997, SIRS Researcher.

Information found on the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) also needs to be cited. The following are examples of citations for electronic sources: Website

Byers, Michael. “WebQuest: Book Banning in America’s Public Schools.” (January 2000). March 12, 2001. http://www.ibiblio.org/byers/edu/wq/bookban.html.

E-mail If you followed up on this source via e-mail and used information received from the author, you would cite it this way:

Bibliography Note Cards for Internet Author of website (if there is one) Title of website (usually at the top of the page) Group it is part of (homepage of the link you are using) Date site was put online or revised (usually at bottom of page) Bigger institution that site is part of (university/organization) Date you accessed this site for the first time URL (web address, complete with link address)

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Byers, Michael. [email protected]. “Book Banning in America’s Schools.” March 12, 2001. Personal e-mail. (March 13, 2001).

Harriet Moulton, Media Specialist at LaVilla School of the Arts in Jacksonville, FL posts this reminder in the media center for students to refer to when making a bibliography containing resources from the Internet.

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There are several ways, or styles, of documenting information and writing bibliographies. Your school may provide students with a school-based style manual that shows you exactly how all reports should be written and documented. Or you may be asked to use one of several style manuals that are often used by writers of research and term papers.The important thing is to be consistent in the style you use throughout your paper and double check your citations for accuracy. The bibliography or reference page is an important part of your research. It provides evidence that you did do a thorough investigation of your topic, gives credit to the writers who provided you with needed information, and it gives your reader a list of resources if he or she wants to do additional research.

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Putting It All Together

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Now that your research is completed, you are ready to put all the gathered information into a report that is organized and interesting to read. The first step is to decide how to organize the material. You might organize the information by argument, presenting first one side of the issue, then the other. The easiest way to do this is to group your note cards according to major points made for each side of the issue. Then number each group in order of importance—the order you want to use them in your paper. Or you might want to present the arguments in the fashion of a debate, by discussing a point made by one side then presenting the opposite view for each point. Again, group your note cards by points being made, line the groups up side-by-side, and arrange them in the order you will use them. Your research project should be more than just a listing of points made by each side of the issue. While making sure that you are meeting the teacher’s requirements for the project, you want to find a unique way of presenting your report. (If your teacher provides a rubric for evaluation of your project, this is the time to use it!)

Some possible ways of presenting your report are: A Radio or Television Talk Show Wouldn’t this be a fun way to present both sides of a controversial issue? You could write the report in the form of a script with the show’s host asking questions of guests whose answers present opposing viewpoints. You could carry this one step further by doing:

A Videotape Videotape the Television Talk Show using the same script as above.

A Debate Format Writing the paper in the form of a debate would be a very effective way to present opposing sides of the issue.

A Man on the Street Interview Try posing questions designed to elicit opposite points of view to imaginary people on the street.

A Play Perform a play in which the main characters each have a stake in the issue and the issue is presented from their conflicting points of view.

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Newspaper Editorials or Letters to the Editor Presenting the arguments in the form of letters to the editor would allow you to make the points in a lively fashion through the voices of the writers of the letters. These are only a few suggestions; I’m sure you can think of others. Try to choose a method of presentation that will capture the imagination of your reader and make the arguments come alive for him or her.

Make it neat and accurate! Your presentation should be not only interesting to read, it should be the best work you are capable of doing. No matter how cleverly you present the material, it won’t shine through a messy, error-filled, hard-to-read report. Be sure to check the accuracy of your spelling with a dictionary or spell-check on your word processing program. Remember that spell-check can check the spelling, but not the accuracy of your word choice. Proofread carefully for grammar, usage, and punctuation. It’s a good idea, too, to have someone else read your next-to-the-last draft for clarity and to proofread for errors. It’s lots more difficult to spot errors in your own work than finding them in someone else’s. If at all possible, type your report or print it using a word processing program. Otherwise, it should be written in your very best handwriting. Present the report in an attractive binder with a title page that includes your full name, the date that you completed the work and perhaps your school’s name or the name of the class you prepared the report for.

One last thing… Now is the time to look back and evaluate your work. Ask yourself some questions: 1. Were you successful in your problem solving and information gathering process? 2. Were you able to find what you needed and did the information you found meet the needs of your original project? 3. Does your final product meet the requirements of the assignment? 4. Did you use a variety of resources? 5. Did you document them correctly? 6. Is your presentation creative, attractive, and error-free? 7. Finally, in which parts of the process were you most successful? 8. What, if anything, would you do differently the next time? With positive, thoughtful responses to these questions, you should be able to hand in your project with a feeling of satisfaction for a job well done!

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