Research
Expectations for the College Bound: Web Resources
Compiled
by Dixie Talbot
At Kansas State University, many instructors and professors prohibit
or limit the use of internet resources in preparing research papers. It
depends upon the class.
Students are often told they must find articles in academic or scholarly
journals. KSU offers patron instruction classes in how to research
a topic, how to find journal articles, etc., but those of us at the
general reference desk spend a lot of our time doing one-on-one instruction
in these areas.
A confusion exists in students' minds over whether something delivered
online is "on the internet." We have to teach the distinction
between things freely available on the net and things available through
purchased subscriptions.
Magazine (consumer magazine) articles can be used depending upon the
purpose, class, professor. For instance, researching advertising
in consumer magazines, or what the public sees in print can be an interesting
exercise in comparing what a scholarly journal might present.
If you can get high school students to learn to use all formats, it
will be a big step forward in helping them adjust to the requirements
of university classes.
Jerri Garretson, M.Ed.
General Reference
Hale Library
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-2819
jerrig@ksu.edu
I wanted to
give you my take on colleges. I have been here at WATC since October
1 but prior to that I was director at Coffeyville Community College.
The instructors there would require different types of sources....certain
number of articles (which could include hard copy or articles from
databases but they were picky on the actual
periodical - they were looking for scholarly types), maybe a stat from
a newspaper, books (which could include ebooks), video, etc. If they
listed Internet it had to be from a "reliable" source...where
the librarians came in as explaining the differences to both instructors
and students alike. There are plenty of sites on the Internet that
explain the differences that I've referred students and instructors
too. I think one of the hardest things was explaining the difference
between purchased or state databases and the "internet" to
both students and instructors. The databases are not an internet resource...the
internet is just a way of delivering the medium but sometimes they
had problems grasping that concept.
Wichita Area Technical College
I can't speak for all classes at Ottawa University, but our senior
research class prefers journals to magazines, but will allow a
few citations to magazines and newspapers. It will also allow internet resources
providing they are quality sites. We review with the students evaluation
of resources, both print and electronic.
Jan Lee
I can respond to this as the parent of a college freshman. Our daughter
just finished up her first semester of college (University of Kansas
though she's decided to switch to Washburn this coming semester)
and in her English class had to use/cite both Internet/non-Internet
resources. I know this because I sat down with her... and copies
of MLA, Chicago and Turabian here at the State Library... and we
went through the
basics of paper/electronic citations.
First hand experience!
Bill Sowers
Our professors ask for several resources that include all types of
formats. They do not limit it to any one type. They may limit how
many sources need to be books,
how many magazines, how many internet sources.
Do college
and university professors allow or even encourage internet resources? Yes,
our
professors encourage the use of internet databases and count them
as printed material. If it is just a general site it is cited
as internet.
Are magazine articles still a viable place for information? We
have magazines on the shelf and magazine databases. Both are
counted as printed resources and used in assignments.
Central Christian College
I work in the Resource Room in the Grain Science Department
at KSU. Yes journal articles are viable sources of info for
college students. I have profs, and students frequently asking
for such sources. They may be able to access them online, but they
still use them frequently. Several professors in this department
require their students to visit the Resource Room almost weekly
so that the students can complete their labs. Some also require
a variety of sources for their research papers. Last summer I did
a user survey for the Resource Room. If you would like a copy of
the results just let me know.
Aaron Asher
Librarian
Swanson Resource Room
Grain Science and Industry Department
Kansas State University
I'm replying
from Seward County Community College in Liberal, KS. Most of our
instructors will accept internet sources if they are credible, i.e.
, Firstsearch, Infotrac, Discoverer, etc. They also limit the number
of these that they may use, so they still have to use books and/or
periodicals as well. Sometimes the trickiest part
is determining the correct way to cite some of the articles that don't
quite fit so nicely into the "normal" examples given for
citing internet sources. I also refer students to a website at Wolfgram
Library (Widener University), which shows how to evaluate websites.
Their guide is undergoing some updates/revisions, but the previous
site is still available at the following url.
- Emery V. Swagerty
Dixie, Having recently graduated from ESU with a masters, I can
say that internet and databases are the biggest resources students
are encouraged to use. Reasoning would be that they are the most
up to date information and the sheer volume of information. However,
students are required to think critically about the choices of resources
they use. I believe this needs to start at the elementary level
and continue
on through school. I think it also bodes well when the instructor
is proficient in internet resources. I have met many teachers who believe
everything they read. How sad for their students. As for magazines,
educational journals in the student's area of instruction are encouraged.
Books that the instructor lists in a syllabus are to
be looked at if the student cannot find information elsewhere. I
also noticed that with the price of books, print resources are not
on the high priority list unless they can be borrowed or interlibrary
loaned.
We are continually getting more and more students returning to
school (to visit) during their college years with stories of
professors not allowing web sources in research. Many of our teachers
will allow up to two web sources in a research project along with
print materials.
Ken Stewart
Blue Valley High School
