Exercise  4         

         Using Online Reference sources to find the answers

On the Campus Library homepage, under  "Quick facts: Encyclopedias, Stats, etc," select the appropriate links to answer the following questions:

1. Go to "Virtual collections" and locate the link to ipl2. Read the brief description next to it to find out what this web site is about.  So, how do you think this web search tool is different from Google? 

    Pretend that you are looking for a few select sources on foosball... Do a search typing in "foosball."  How many results did you get?
 

2.  Go back to the initial library web page with the different categories of "Quick facts: Encyclopedias, Stats, etc."  This time look for information on John Steinbeck' life (i.e., biographical information).

How would you locate the database, Gale's Literature Resource Center, using the different categories displayed under "Quick facts: Encyclopedias, Stats, etc."?  

Is Gale's Literature Resource Center a "full-text" database ("full-text" means that you can retrieve articles right on your computer screen)?

Can you also find articles with critical analysis about the author's novel, The Grapes of Wrath? 

3.  Using the links under "Quick facts: Encyclopedias, Stats, etc," find a definition for the word "anthropomorphic."  What is it?

4.  Your instructor wants you to use the APA style for your citations and bibliography in your research paper.  Identify a web site that will provide you guidance and examples on the APA style guide.  What web site did you use?

5.  Can you find how many cups are in a pint (use the link to Almanacs & quick facts)?  Which web site did you use?

 

6.  Your topic is "DNA profiling."  Since you are not very familiar with your topic, you wish to get some background information. 

Which category under  "Quick facts: Encyclopedias, Stats, etc." would you use to get initial information about this topic? 

Now try a search using Credo Reference.  Note the results you get from all different sources!  Can you email one of these article to yourself?

7. Now, get out of Credo Reference and go back to the web page where  the electronic encyclopedias are listed.  Under the category, PHILOSOPHY & BIOETHICS, you will see individual titles of encyclopedias you may access.  Locate the link to the Encyclopedia of Bioethics and click on it to enter the web site.  Do a word search on "DNA profiling" to see if there is an article in this encyclopedia about the topic.   Provide: