Lucia Jurge 1
DOING RESEARCH AT MACOMB COMMUNITY COLLEGE LIBRARY
DIFFERENT METHODS AND THEIR EFFICACY
INTRODUCTION
IDENTIFYING THE AUDIENCE AND THE PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
Researching for a subject can be a very complicated task, and sometimes college
students have trouble finding ways to use the tools that are at their disposal to do an
effective report. This report will present to the other students at MCC the different
types of source materials found through the MCC library and their efficacy as I have
found them in my efforts to do research for my final research paper in my English class.
My topic for that project is “cell phone use while driving,” therefore, all sources
researched and discussed in this study will refer to this topic. I hope that this study will
help other students develop improved skills in evaluating their sources when doing
research.
Using the library’s services on campus and on-line, students can access a variety of
sources like books, journal and magazine articles, newspapers, E-books and others.
These sources can be obtained through different proprietary databases or databases
from other libraries, like WilsonSelect Plus, ArticleFirst, InfoTrac OneFile, JSTOR,
NetLibrary, MiLE, WorldCat.
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FINDINGS
Most current vs. the least current sources
Most current
The newspaper articles were the most up to date on my topic. I was able to
find related articles written within just days of my search. Similarly, conventional print
journals and the E-book were current –an average of two years old.
The ease of searching and the quality of the newspapers
It was easy to find the newspapers articles, as I searched for them on the MCC
library website’s catalog, (which I did from home), and then I went into the library to
request them from the periodicals desk. The newspapers were available and I was able
to read the articles. The articles that I found in the newspapers contained good material,
and included examples for a better understanding of the issue.
Least current
On the other hand, articles found through WorldCat, an electronic consortium of
libraries, proved to be the oldest. As can be seen in Graph 2, the articles were an
average of five years old, making this source the oldest on the topic that I was
researching. Likewise, conventional print magazines came in second, with an average
of four years old, and in third place were the on-line journals and magazines with an
average age of three and a half years old.
The ease of searching and the quality of the results
It was relatively easy to find the articles as I was able to do it from my home
computer by accessing the MCC library website, and looking under “Other Library
Catalogs”. The articles found turned out to be interesting. I will probably use them for
my final project.
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Sources providing and not providing abstracts, full text, and/or
bibliographic information
I found that journal and magazine articles using WilsonSelect Plus or on-line articles
provided abstracts as well as full text and bibliographic information. In the same way,
the books, even though they were not on my subject, provided bibliographic information
as well as abstracts.
Conversely, newspaper articles did not provide abstracts, although they provided
some bibliographic information
Most time consuming vs. least time consuming sources
Most time consuming
Equally time consuming were conventional print journals, magazines, newspapers
and books. In other words, all types of conventional print media took a long time to
search and access. After searching for each type (books, magazines, journals and
newspapers) from my home computer, I had to drive to the library and get them from
the periodicals desk. Because these types of resources cannot be taken out of the library,
additional time was needed to stay and read the material. Considering the searching for
articles, driving back and forth to the library, and reading the materials, it took about four
hours to complete this task. Refer to graph 1.
Least time consuming
Conversely, the Internet/Google search turned out to be the quickest search. With
just one search engine, I could find a multitude of materials in very little time(about ten
minutes), without having to leave my home. Very time efficient were also the on-line
journals/magazines and the articles found through a consortium of libraries, such as
WorldCat. The on-line journals/magazines and articles found through WorldCat took
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about twenty five to thirty minutes each.
Most dependable vs. least dependable sources
Most Dependable
Journals are articles that are oriented more toward research and usually are
reviewed by other people in the field that check for facts and the reliability of the data
presented. In addition, if these journals are listed in library databases, there is the
added benefit of having a librarian or a panel of librarians approve this material as
worth being accepted into the library database, which means it is a dependable source.
In my research, I have found that on-line journals as well as hard copy journals had the
most reliable information on my topic. In the same way, articles from magazines
seemed to be dependable, based on the information they provided.
Least Dependable
In contrast I would have to say that the Internet/Google searches were the least
dependable. When doing research, you have to be careful if considering certain material
from the Internet and the World Wide Web. In my research, I was very careful to
establish the authenticity and the reliability of the particular website before considering
using it as a possible source of information, as I have come across websites that were
fake. The lack of accountability for the information some websites post on the Internet
makes this type of search the least dependable, until and unless you can verify its
reliability. Similarly, newspapers are not very reliable as the articles are written by
writers who do not always have or do not present all the facts and both sides of the
story, or they might be influenced by their own personal bias for or against some issues.
Most diverse vs. least diverse sources
Most diverse
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Electronic Consortium of Libraries
The most diverse in its resources was the electronic consortium of libraries like
WorldCat. Among the different types of resources that I could find were books, articles,
visual and sound material, and serials. Comparable was the Google internet search
which provided articles from very diverse sources like scholarly journals, newspapers,
professional web sites, educational institutions and others.
Least diverse
Looking for books as well as e-books however, ended up being the search with the
least finds and variety. I was able to find one e-book but no hard copy book that the
MCC library had.
Books and the ease of searching
When I tried to search for books at home using the MCC library website, I was
overwhelmed by all the options and did not know how to find a book that the library had
in hard copy. I drove to the library and with the help of a librarian, I learned that when
using an electronic catalog to find a book, I had to search the catalog by title or author,
and it would show me if it’s available in hard copy or not. One of the electronic
catalogs -MiLe- was not available to use due to malicious activity. I searched for books
using an electronic catalog –WorldCat- and found only a few books on my topic.
However, the MCC library had no hard copy of any of these books. That’s why in my
bibliography I have two book titles not related to my topic; I just listed them to show
how they are listed in a bibliography.
E-book- time spent, the ease of searching, and the quality of the results
To find an e-book I had to use NetLibrary. I did not find it easy to find a link from the
MCC library home page to NetLibrary. When I did find it, by looking under “Other Library
Catalogs”, I found out that I had to be on-campus the first time I used NetLibrary, in
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order to set up an account. I went to the library and within a couple of minutes, I created
an account with NetLibrary, which I can now access from my home computer. Between
trying to find a link on the home page of the library and going to the library, I spent about
two hours. The e-book that I found was only partly related to my topic, but it was the
only one that had any correlation to and was the closest to the topic. It is very probable
that due to its lack of relativity to my topic I will not be able to use it in my final research
paper. In this case also, like in the books situation, in my bibliography I listed another E-
book not related to my topic, since I only found one that was on my topic.
Most expansive vs. least expansive sources
Most expansive
Print media - Books, Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers
I would have to say that all types of the print media were equally the most expansive
to use. In addition to being the most time consuming, this type of resources required me
to drive approximately ten miles one way to the library to be able to access them.
Students should consider the necessary time needed, in order to be prepared to buy
food, as the Library’s Coffee Shop tends to be on the expensive side. However, also
fast food restaurants can be found within approximately half a mile from the campus if
the students own a car and drive.
Least expensive
The least expensive sources uniformly were the Internet/Google search, on-line
journal, the consortium of libraries, and the E-book. Out of all these the E-book was the
least expansive, considering the fact that you have access to a whole book that you can
read, without paying absolutely nothing.
Greatest vs. Least depth of sources
Greatest depth of sources
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Journals contained the most in-depth material. The articles presented all kinds of
research, surveys, and other information that explained the issue in detail. Similarly, due
to their length the books would have been in depth sources, only on my topic they were
not available.
Least depth of sources
On the other hand, the E-book was the source that contained the least in-depth
information on my topic. It contained general ideas and then the book took a different
perspective compared to my research subject. As this was the only E-book that came
closest to the subject I am writing about, I can only refer to this particular one. However
students should keep in mind that it might not be the case for other topics.
CONCLUSION
Conclusion
Using the Macomb Community College library, students have access to a great
variety of research media. Some sources are better when considering certain criteria
like time consuming or cost involved, while others are better at diversity or dependability.
The important thing is to know how to do it efficiently. My experience has been that with
some help from a librarian, and hard work on studying the different venues that can be
used, I was able to find very good material.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cohen, Joshua T. and John D. Graham. “A Revised Economic Analysis of
Restrictions on the Use of Cell Phones While Driving”. Risk Analysis 23.1
(2003):5-17 WorldCat. Macomb Community College Library, Warren, MI.
Dzwonkowski, Ron. Editorial. “From our Readers: Fatal Crashes a Phone Call
Away” Detroit Free Press 3 Mar. 2006: 10A
Fields-Meyer, Thomas. “Fatal Distraction” People Weekly 21 May 2001:66-8
Hahn, Robert, Paul Tetlock, and Jason Burnett. “Ban Cell Phones in Cars?”
Regulation/Cato Institute Web Site 29 Dec. 2000 3 Mar. 2006
Joseph, Dan. “In-car Communication Aim for Universal approach”. Design News
57.20 (2002): 25
Kenneth, Terrell. “Trying to Promote a little Cell-Ibacy Mobile Manners”.
U.S.News & World Report (2000) 9 Mar. 2006
Lannon, John M. Technical Communication. 10th ed. Dartmouth: Longman, 2006.
Ling, Richard Seyler. The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone’s Impact on
Society. Morgan Kaufman 2004 NetLibrary
Morey, Doc. Phone Power: Increase Your Effectiveness Every Time You’re on
the Phone. Franklin Lakes 1998 NetLibrary
Ober, Scot. Contemporary Business Communication. 6th ed. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 2006
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Ropeik, David. “Cell Phones and Driving: How Risky?” Consumers’ Research
Magazine Jan. 2003:14-16
Ruethling, Gretchen. “National Briefing Midwest: Illinois: Cell Phone Ban for
Teenagers”. The New York Times (2005)
Schmitt, Ben and Amber Hunt. “Fatal Crash Blamed on Cell Phone User”. Detroit
Free Press 1 Mar. 2006:A1
Strayer, David, et al. “Does Cell Phone Conversation Impair Driving
Performance?” National Safety Council Web Site
Strayer, David. “Cell Phone Induced Perceptual Impairments During Simulated
Driving”. Proceedings 1st (2001):14-19 WorldCat. Macomb Community
College Library, Warren, MI.
Tynan, Dan. “Tracking the Wild Teenager: Spy Tools for the Whole Family”.
PCWorld 24.1 (2006):137
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Doing Research at the Macomb Community College Library
The different methods and their efficacy
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Identifying the Audience and the Purpose of the Report
II. FINDINGS
A. Most Current vs. Least Current Sources
1. Newspapers
1.1 Time Spent Searching
1.2 The Ease of Search
1.3 The Quality of the Results
2. Consortium of Libraries/ WorldCat
2.1 Time Spent Searching
2.2 The Ease of Search
2.3 The Quality of the Results
B. Most Time Consuming vs. Least Time Consuming Sources
1. Most Time Consuming
2. Least Time Consuming
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C. Most Diverse vs. Least Diverse Sources
1. Most diverse
1.1 Electronic Consortium of Libraries
2. Least Diverse
2.1 Books
2.2 E-books
D. Most Dependable vs. Least Dependable Sources
1. Journals
2. Internet and World Wide Web Sources
E. Greatest vs. Least Depth of Sources
1. Greatest depth
2. Least depth
F. Most Expansive vs. Least Expansive Sources
1. Most Expansive
1.1 Print Media
2. Least expansive
III. CONCLUSION
