Category Archives: Readings

Summary of today 11/18 and reading/homework for Wednesday 11/20

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Today we wrapped up our discussion of Hauptman and the many reasons we document and cite. We discussed the various standards and styles of citation, and you all worked in small groups to invent your own citation style for an article, website, eBook, online video, or online image, chosen from the slides for today. On Wednesday we’ll wrap up that discussion, so groups should come prepared to discuss the piece they chose and to demonstrate the citation style they invented to document it.

On Wednesday we’ll begin our discussion of process documentation, which will be a large part of the online documentation project due at the end of the semester. Please read the following 2 articles, available via the library’s electronic databases:

Edge, Write it down! The importance of documentation

Robinson, Documentation Dilemmas

Your research paper draft is due by 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 21, sent to me as an email attachment.

~Prof. Leonard

Today’s summary, and assignments and reading for next week

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Today we discussed finding articles and other content from library databases. Slides from today area available here. I distributed guidelines for the research paper outline, due Wednesday, November 6. Here are some suggested databases that may be useful as you search for articles on your research topics:

Remember that the annotated bibliography is due by noon on Friday 11/1, emailed to me as an attachment. I’ll be away at a conference next week, but my colleagues Prof. Beilin and Prof. Smale (Monday and Wednesday, respectively) will be teaching those days. Next week we’ll discuss how and why to evaluate information. For Monday, please review the following websites on how to evaluate information:

UC Berkeley Library, Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask
Cornell University Libraries, Critically analyzing information sources.

Your blogging assignment is one research journal blog post in response to the following prompt:

Do a search on your research topic in at least one internet search engine and one library database. What words or phrases did you use to search?
What are the similarities and differences between the results of your two searches?

~Prof. Leonard

Summary of today, and reading/blogging for Monday, October 28

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Today we discussed advanced internet searching using scholarly search engines and portals, and spent time discussing (and using) Google Scholar and LibX. Slides from today are available here.

On Monday we’ll discuss searching and finding in library catalogs. Please read Badke Ch. 5 pp. 74-82 & 89-93 and review the Library of Congress Classification Outline.

Your blogging assignment is one research journal blog post. Please write one blog post in response to the following prompt:
In class today you tried out advanced search strategies and scholarly internet resources from the Badke reading to search for sources on your research topic. Describe one advanced strategy or scholarly resource you used.
Did you find different information sources than you found doing a regular internet search (just using Google, Bing, etc.), and if so, how are they different? Did you encounter any difficulties that you haven’t encountered in a regular internet search?

Remember, the annotated bibliography is due on Wednesday, October 30. Please get in touch if you have questions about the assignment.

~Prof. Leonard

By the way, happy Open Access Week! This video is a great summary of Open Access and scholarly communication:

Today’s summary, and reading/homework for Wednesday 10/21

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Today we continued our discussion of the research process, refining your topic, and creating search strategies. We spent time using easybib.com to create and manage bibliographies, and we also used bubbl.us to do some concept mapping. Slides from today are available here.

On Wednesday we’ll discuss — and do — advanced internet searching. Please read Badke Ch. 6 (all) and Ch. 7 pp. 161-164. Please view the web search strategies video from Common Craft. Remember, the final version of your research topic proposal is due at the start of class on Wednesday! See the assignment guidelines or get in touch with me if you have questions about the assignment.

~Prof. Leonard

Notes from today, and reminder about tomorrow’s reading & assignments

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Today we discussed the mechanics of searching, databases, and Boolean searching. Continue to use the search strategies we discussed — AND, OR, and NOT, “phrase searching,” truncation using the * symbol, and nested searching using parentheses around synonyms–and consider if your search results are different, better, worse, unexpected, etc. Slides from today are available here.

We meet tomorrow–Wednesday–as usual. On Wednesday, we will begin our discussion of the research process: assessing your research needs, preliminary strategies, and topic development. Please read Badke, chapter 2 and comment on one or 2 classmates’ blog posts for Wednesday. The DRAFT of your research topic proposal is due by 10 am as an email attachment to me, or turned in at the beginning of class.

~Prof. Leonard

Summary of today, and assignments/reading/blogging for Tuesday 10/15 and Wednesday 10/16

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Today we discussed metadata — data about data, including folksonomies and tagging, which we use on the course site, and taxonomies and controlled vocabularies (such as the Library of Congress subject headings). Slides from today are available here.

We meet on Tuesday, 10/15 and Wednesday, 10/16 of next week. On Tuesday, we will discuss search engine mechanics. Please read the following:

Badke, chapter 3
Liddy, How a Search Engine Works
Agostini, Search Engine Optimization and International Branding

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

Since we meet 2 days in a row next week, I’m posting the reading & other assignments in advance. On Wednesday, we will begin our discussion of the research process: assessing your research needs, preliminary strategies, and topic development. Please read Badke, chapter 2 and comment on one or 2 classmates’ blog posts for Wednesday. The DRAFT of your research topic proposal is due by 10 am as an email attachment to me, or turned in at the beginning of class.

Enjoy the long weekend!

~Prof. Leonard

Today’s summary, and reading/blogging for Wednesday 10/9

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Today we discussed access with some reference to the Martin article and to the case of Aaron Swartz’s activism, described in the Samuelson article (and many other places). Slides from today are available here.

On Wednesday 10/9 we’ll discuss metadata: information about information; taxonomies and folksonomies.

Please read the following: Badke ch. 4; Dye, Folksonomy: A Game of High-Tech (and High-Stakes) Tag; Harrod, Flickr: The World’s Photo Album
Your blogging assignment is one comment of at least 100 words on a classmate’s blog post, or 2 comments totaling 100 words on 2 different blog posts.

Questions about the research topic proposal draft, due 10/16? Refer to the guidelines, review slides of class discussions, and get in touch with your questions! I’m glad to discuss over email, by appointment, or during my office hours, Monday and Wednesday immediately after class.

~Prof. Leonard

Notes from today, and reading/blogging assignments for Monday, October 7

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Today we discussed plagiarism and touched on issues of academic integrity. Slides from today are available here. On Monday, we will discuss access: personal, institutional, as well as the “digital divide.” Please read the following: Martin, The Politics of Research and Samuelson, Aaron Swartz: Opening Access to Knowledge.

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

Be sure to bring the Developing a Research Topic sheet with you Monday; we’ll build in some time to work on it some more. I distributed the Research Topic Proposal guidelines in class; be aware that the first draft of that assignment is due October 16 and the final version is due October 23.Questions about the research topic proposal? Get in touch!

~Prof. Leonard

PS: those of you interested in privacy might be interested in PRISMBreakup, a series of events, workshops, and talks on the topic of surveillance, all taking place this weekend at Eyebeam, a gallery at 540 W. 21st Street in Manhattan.

Notes from today, and reading/blogging homework for Wednesday, October 2

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Today we discussed privacy and how both our expectations of it and our definitions of it are changing in a digital, networked environment. Slides from today are available here.

On Wednesday we’ll continue our discussion of information ethics and focus on plagiarism. Please read Widdicombe, “The Plagiarist’s Tale” and Isserman, “A Lie of the Mind.” Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

Check back tomorrow for I posted the Research Topic Proposal guidelines. I’ll post them under Assignments tomorrow and distribute in class on Wednesday. Please get in touch with any questions you have about the research topic proposal.

~Prof. L.

Notes from today, and reading & blogging assignments for Monday 9/30

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Today we discussed copyright and fair use, especially the four factors that guide educational fair use (remember, there is no fair use law — only guidelines). Slides from today are available here.

On Monday, September 30, we will discuss privacy, its changing definitions, and the challenges presented by digital networked media. Please read the following:
Marshall, P. Online privacy. CQ Researcher, 19, 933-956.
Wu, Why Monopolies Make Spying Easier, The New Yorker, 18 June 2013.

Your blogging assignment is one comment on one blog post written by a classmate (NOT written by me!), or two comments on two different posts totaling 100 words. You can comment on a recent post or a post from earlier in the semester. Refer to the blogging guidelines or ask me if you have questions.

Discussion Facilitators: Sara, Livanesa, Moe

~Prof. Leonard