Research for Electrical & Computer Engineering Majors: Session A


Outline and Web Links

I.  Information, what is it?

II.  What's true on the Internet? III.  Be a critic: evaluating your source
     Good guides:  
Evaluating Web Sites for Quality from the UNH Library's Reference Dept.
and much more info at Evaluating Web Resources)
        Accuracy
        Bias and Content: some thoughts...
        Why isn't information all free?
        Who's paying for your information?
  Advertisers?   Companies listed in the directory?
        Documentation and Editorial Control
        Who is responsible for this site? Mirages...
        And this one?
        Gut feeling
        Are they for real?

IV.  Finding information on the World Wide Web

        A.  Search engines, see list compiled by UNH reference librarians

        B.  Directories
        Who researches and compiles web pages for About.com?
        What about Google's directory?
        And Yahoo?

        C. Tutorials on Internet searching

          1. In-depth tutorial (UC-Berkeley Library):
          Finding information on the Internet (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html)

          2. Selection of tutorials:
          Pandia resource list (http://www.pandia.com/resources/tutorials.html)

          3. Search strategies and tips

        D. Keep track of your searches

        E. Give credit: cite your source and use quotes if you quote.

          1. For electrical and computer engineering, use IEEE citation style.

          2. Other recommended style guides; these are classics:

             a)Kate Turabian's
   A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations,
   available at the library.

             b)Strunk & White's The Elements of Style
     (try a step-wise catalog search from the UNH Library home page,
     http://www.library.unh.edu
     -- don't use the 1918 version available on the Internet)

          3. Example of a citation for a web site:
UNH Engineering, Mathematics & Computer Science Library.
     University of New Hampshire; last updated 5 October 2005.
     [Online]. Available:
     http://www.library.unh.edu/branches/engmathcs.html; Internet;
     accessed 14 October 2002.

VI. When puzzled, remember that librarians and library staff are
     here to help.

Next week: Library resources and the Invisible Web



Emily Poworoznek * Engineering & Physical Sciences Librarian * emily .poworoznek@unh.edu








Last updated October 6, 2002.