I particularly liked the online examples and resources including quizzes and videos. I only spotted two minor errors - site instead of cite and White's definition (page 186) without an apostrophe. The text is easily understand and flows in a clear manner. I use this text as a replacement of Booth et al.’s Craft of Research. While instructors may wish to supplement or replace some of the exercise sets in the text with their own assessments, the content of the text provides ample coverage if selected to serve as a primary textbook for a foundational information literacy course. read more. The author’s frequent use of hyperlinks invites students to explore topics more in-depth. read more. It provides the process of sourcing from start to finish with examples and activities provided throughout to support the reader. Pronouns don't always agree with the antecedents, and I noted several shifts in voice in the text. The text is comprehensive in its covering of topics related to choosing and using sources, though it does not go into great depth for each topic. The book was organised in a very natural and sensible way and flowed smoothly from one topic to another. The grammatical hygiene of the text can probably also be attributed to its collective authorship - over a dozen librarians and faculty of the Ohio State University Libraries developed the content, which was born out of a series of online tutorials. Features that appear in each chapter include graphics, tip boxes, examples, activities, and summaries. This book is consistent in terms of its terminology and framework. The graphics display nicely on either size screen and enhance the text. The text and frameworks in this book are consistent with ACRL frameworks as well as with the ways librarians tend to talk about finding and using sources. It removes any inhibitions a reader might have. Ch. what do you need the sources for and what is your plan). The discussion of citation styles uses examples for MLA that reflect the 7th edition rather than the 8th, which was released in April 2016. Verbiage is clear and concise for all levels of academia to be able to effectively utilize this text. Some terms are defined in their appropriate chapters, but not all. The content of the text seems to be accurate. This textbook is consistent in terms of terminology and framework. This book is a great resource of all steps needed to be taken in an academic research process. I think it is important to note that if you cannot play the video content or the links in the book are Ohio State Specific the book does lose some of its positive features. Normally I resist the use of supplemental texts in face-to-face classes, but since this one is free it is ideal for that purpose: instructors and students can simply rely on it to whatever extent feels useful. read more. It is a very clear text and this could be added with just a few pages of information that might be beneficial to students. I like the links to activities for students to practice the skills being taught. The book is divided in sections so that students can study and apply one concept at a time. Much of the book reads as a "how to" regarding sources, so although practices for scholarly writing will likely not become obsolete the sources and technology used to locate the sources will evolve. Other than some images that could be resized, the formatting lent itself to consistency throughout the text giving students a uniform experience. The table of contents is quite thorough and very useful in understanding the breakdown of the book or locating certain topics. The overall organization and flow as great. The book is organized logically. This book is an excellent source for guiding undergraduate students through the research process, from understanding the purposes for doing research and writing a research question, to composing a thesis and contributing to a scholarly... A very comprehensive guide to the writing of the research paper. Jargon, where present, is well-explained, and the contexts for the various components of the textbook are provided. I teach a 300-level English class on performing research and writing research papers. Otherwise, the textbook covers every aspect of academic research. 6 is all about evaluating the sources you find, including clues about sussing out bias and thoroughness, as well as discussing currency of topic. Instead, it pulls up Messenger, which I don't use. The book transitions from more basic information at the beginning to more specialized knowledge in later chapters, allowing students to gradually become more immersed in the topic. These are all high quality sources, making this a comprehensive resource for teaching information literacy and the research process. read more. The chapter on copyright is an excellent addition; that information is not common in many texts related to academic writing. I did not come across any grammatical or typographical issues. Such courses may also benefit from the excellent chapter thirteen on Joseph Bizup's BEAM method of deploying research sources in scholarly communication. Students are guided to consider what blend of qualitative / quantitative, primary / secondary / tertiary, or public / professional / scholarly research will fit their research and writing goals. The book didn't seem to dismiss any possible research method. Cheryl Lowry, training and education specialist, Ohio State University Libraries. This text is a comprehensive review of the various types of sources one might need to complete a research project or paper. Having read several print and online texts of a similar nature, it was a pleasure to come across a text that is clean, consistent, and concise. It is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and thoughtfully arranged. To the extent such issues come into play, the text is inclusive and culturally sensitive. It is easy to find and move to sections quickly. No interface issues were discovered during my initial exposure to the online format. I also feel that the section on popular texts can be misleading. I will use Ch. The page and chapter length worked well on both platforms and it was easy to access the links and activities contained within the resource. I would have preferred a division of chapters into sections, where the writing-related chapters were separated from the source-related chapters. This text is written from an academic, western cultural perspective that is relevant to the particular topic and audience (i.e. Even though some parts of the process could be done simultaneously to others, this will definitely not apply to all of them. For example, the book begins with a chapter on choosing one's research question. The text offers an accurate articulation of the research process, and avoids bias by covering a wide variety of potential information sources, including the use of web search engines other than Google. Ohio State University Libraries, Reviewed by Marybeth Beller, Associate Professor, Marshall University on 3/13/20, The book provides a thorough review of the research process; that said, a professor will have to add discipline-specific information and requirements, such as expected citation practices and research methods. The textbook is consistent in both writing and structure; however, I do with the table of contents was split into sections in the same way the content is. I chose this book because of its relevance in regard to the practical skills needed in order to complete research assignments within the course, as well as, writing a capstone research paper. The examples used are not offensive and are diverse in their range. By breaking down each chapter into a variety of content areas, readers will be able to focus and review areas of concern. Navigation links worked well for me. read more. This book could be easily paired with a staged research project, and would provide students with the "just-in-time" information they need to successfully complete the assignment. Some links direct users to OSU Libraries’ resources, either their catalog or their licensed databases, but not all such links are clearly identified as such. The content is accurate, error-free and unbiased. Some of the examples and links are specific to Ohio State and America and this can limit the relevance for students who do not have the ability to access Ohio State resources or are not based in America. Most of the online activities have typos, as well, more so than the textbook. The writing itself is very clear and easy to understand. The creators clearly had the online reader in mind, however, and the chapter lengths and fonts are comfortable. I was skeptical at first when I began reading but the overall organization of this text is good. Very easy to read content that would be great for students, especially those who are just starting the academic writing process for research. I appreciate how the text's organization mirrors the research process itself. The text is focused on academic research practices for a North American context. This book collects a series of methodologies that have been proven to be efficient when they are put into use during the process of academic research. I was also a bit surprised that, although the author has a section talking about which "neighborhood" certain types of information "hangs out," there wasn't a discussion of different domain names, such as ".edu," ".org," and ".com" and what they indicate to readers. Clearly organised, the course explains the writing process from start to finish. The book is accurate in addressing the current state of the information landscape as encountered in the realm of academic research, as well as the legalities of copyright and fair use. read more. Reviewed by Kristin Green, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State Worthington Scranton on 2/1/18, The aspects of academic research that are prudent to cover within the first year of any undergraduate student's general education are all covered within this textbook. While the research process is not linear, the topics are presented in a logical manner that guides students through the process. Instructors who choose this book for a one- or two-credit information literacy course will have much more material at their hands than they can reasonably cover in a semester. The interface of the text is excellent. The text is organized to flow in roughly the same sequence as a typical research project. What experts are saying about Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research: “…a really fantastic contribution that offers a much needed broadened perspective on the process of research, and is packed to the brim with all kinds of resources and advice on how to effectively use them. • The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Choosing & Using Sources presents a process for academic research and writing, from formulating your research question to selecting good information and using it effectively in your research assignments. Reviewed by Diane Kauppi, Library Faculty, Technical Services & Systems, Ruth A Myers Library at Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College on 2/1/18, The text did a great job of covering the subject and the table of contents were laid out well. The chapters on copyright and fair use are exceptional. The authors consistently explain concepts well and provide easy-to-understand examples that are approachable for the undergraduate audience. Topics are dealt with appropriately and the text... the peer review process or how to read a scholarly article) are a nice addition. This book is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Very few grammatical errors were noticed. In the introduction, the book encourages students to “jump around a bit in this guide to meet your needs.” (p 5). Several of the chapters use up-to-date wording that may need to be updated more frequently, but the excellent modularity of the text allows for accommodation. Instructors using this book at other institutions may sometimes need to suggest their own's institution's available tools to keep the text relevant for their students. A very comprehensive guide to the writing of the research paper. Organization, readability, and consistency could be improved if these were constant throughout the text similar to the presentation of activities in the text. The book begins with a clear explanation of how to formulate a research question, while the majority of the chapters focus... Break up each reading task into clear stages, SPQ3R method Survey Preview Question Read Repeat Review . Reviewed by Anthony Patterson, Assistant Professor, North Carolina Central University on 2/1/18, Choosing and Using Sources is an extremely thorough text taking readers through the research process from formulating research questions to fair use and copy right issues. The book could easily be assigned to be read linearly, but it would also work well for instructors to assign specific chapters as applicable to the course content. Topics contained in the book are presented in a clear and logical structure. For any instructor looking for an open textbook to orient undergraduate students to the basics of the academic research and writing processes while simultaneously providing context of contemporary issues surrounding these scholarly activities, this is a comprehensive and accessible choice! A better approach would be to talk about claims that are empirically justified (facts), claims that are justified, but not empirically (value judgments - "x is wrong", prescriptive claims - "women should do x"), and claims that are not adequately justified by any means (opinions). However, it lacks both a glossary and... Sections of the book could be easily assigned and read in isolation. I did not find any objectionable or questionable content. h�bbd``b`. This book is consistent in it's framework which leads the student to each step logically avoiding confusion or frustration. I found its tone consistent, as well as the level of explanation for the wide variety of concepts explored. As I stated I feel the referencing and copyright information could be in a different place but because you can choose to read this in a different order, it does not really matter. The information presented in the text is accurate at this point in time and unbiased. The PDF version definitely needs revisions since it seems that most of the in-text referral links throughout the text don’t work. The authors consistently explain concepts well and provide easy-to-understand examples that are approachable for the undergraduate audience. for me. MLA released its 8th edition in April 2016, yet the examples provided are 7th edition. Scholarly communication instead of cite and White 's definition ( page 186 ) without an apostrophe might be beneficial students. 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