Agenda

• Introduction to Librarian/Contact Info

• Library Website Essentials

  • Site Highlights

  • Your Account

  • Requesting Items

• Educational Studies 014 Research Guide

• Searching in:

  • Tripod  

  • Databases​

    • ERIC‎ & ProQuest Education

    • National Education Policy Center & Policy Commons (policy briefs)
    • News Resources Guide

• On Evaluation: BEAM/CRAAP/SIFT

• Citation Style Guide (for reference)

• Final Questions

• Active Search Time

Who I am

• Christina Bush (she/her/hers)
  • Research + Instruction Librarian, Liaison to Black Studies, Educational Studies, Psychology 
  • email me: cbush1@swarthmore.edu
  • Make an appointment with me here

sWARTHMORE LibrarIES website

TRIPOD

educational studies 14 COURSE gUIDE

databases

policy briefs

(Policy memos/Research Briefs)

On evaluation

beam

• BACKGROUND: use a source to provide factual and "noncontroversial" information or context
• EVIDENCE: using Data, observations, objects, artifacts, documents that can be analyzed
• ARGUMENT:using the Critical views from other scholars and commentators; part of the academic conversation
• METHOD: using a source’s way of analyzing an issue to apply to your own issue.

you can think of BEAM as both directive or how you approach and engage in the search process and evaluative, helping you to assess what you have found  

craap

• CURRENCY 
• RELEVANCE
• AUTHORITY 
• ACCUARCY
• PURPOSE

think of CRAAP as an evaluative rubric once you've identified a source

SIFT

• STOP 
• INVESTIGATE
• FIND (Better coverage)
• TRACE

SIFT is particularly applicable to online sources that may have more nebulous provenance/origins  

LATERAL READING

IN SUMMARY: Strategies for choosing the best source

• Review the expectations of the assignment. Ask questions if you are uncertain.
• Read laterally!
• Read the source itself!

dON'T FORGET TO EVALUATE WHAT YOU FIND

BEAM/CRAAP/SIFT!

citation style guide

Questions?

Christina Bush

cbush1@swarthmore.edu

"30 Mins on"