LIBRARY

Research

BLST 09: Blackness in and Out of the Museum

Christina Bush

Black Studies Librarian

Agenda

  • Introduction to Librarian/Contact Info
  • Search Strategies/Situating Your Argument

    • Tripod  

    • Databases

      • Subject Databases

  • On Evaluation: BEAM/CRAAP/SIFT

  • Primary Source Resources at the TriCo

  • Citation Style Guide: Chicago 

  • Final Questions

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

hOW DO YOU TYPICALLY MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE SOURCES YOU USE?

On evlaluation

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRIMARY SOURCE RESOURCES @SWAT

BROWSE?

Many resources will have a "browse" or "explore" feature that can acquaint you with the materials as well as the platform if you are unfamiliar 

dON'T FORGET TO EVALUATE WHAT YOU FIND

 

BEAM/CRAAP/SIFT!

HOW DO YOU CITE A PRIMARY SOURCE?

Questions?

Christina Bush

cbush1@swarthmore.edu