Research and documentation

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Research and documentation
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Research Strategies

• Dont just put your topic into Google and pick
  the first three sites.
• Use a variety of search engines (Northern Light,
  Hotbot, Dogpile, etc)
• Use Google Services www.google.com
• Use HCC databases www.hagerstowncc.edu
• Use the library it isnt obsolete

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Evaluating web sites

• Is there an author named?
• Is the sponsor or host valid, legitimate?
• Is there a last update noted?
• Are there spelling errors, grammatical errors?
• Are they selling anything, at all? (Even
  services, programs, consultations, books)
• Is it balanced and objective?

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Capital punishment web sites

• http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cp.htm
• http//www.cwrl.utexas.edu/tonya/spring/cap/group
  1.htm
• http//www.frontiernet.net/kenc/cappun.htm
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment
• http//ethics.acusd.edu/Mill.html
• http//logosresourcepages.org/OurTimes/punishment.
  htm

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Guidelines for evaluating web resources

• If you cannot determine author, sponsor move on
• If the author lacks academic credentials, move on
• If it is a student site of any kind, keep moving
• If you can find the same information from a more
  reliable source, do it

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MLA format

• Student name, instructors name, course, date in
  upper left
• Joe Student
• Susie Instructor
• English 102
• November 28, 2005
• In upper right put last name and page number
  Student 1
• Everything is double spaced
• No title page or cover page

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MLA Documentation

• Uses Parenthetical documentation (Ellman 355).
• Put authors last name and page number in
  parentheses following borrowed information
• No pg page or commas
• Put period after end parenthesis
• If no author use first major word of title
• If no page number, leave out

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• OR work the source information into your writing
  As Richard Ellman points out in his biography of
  James Joyce, (355).
• Do not repeat sources name in parentheses.
• If no page number, no parentheses
• Works Cited page
• Contains full bibliographic information
• Alphabetical order by authors last name or first
  main word of title
• Double spaced, hanging indents. The first line
  goes to the left margin, subsequent lines are
  indented 5 spaces

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What do you cite?

• Any quotations, paraphrases, or summaries of your
  sources ideas or language
• Only exception is common knowledge, something
  that is accepted as true or a fact that you find
  in at least 3 of your sources.
• When in doubt, cite the source

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Resources for MLA Format

• Go to www.hagerstowncc.edu
• Click on faculty/staff
• Click on directory
• Go to my name Joan Johnson
• Click on view webpage
• Go to bottom of page and click on resources there
  on plagiarism, a sample A paper, and
  documentation manual