Search Tools

For this assignment I chose to use Bing. It does not seem much different than Google as far as search results. I think that I prefer Google's clean start page. I found an interesting website that allows you to see both pages side by side: Bing vs. Google.

Five search features that Bing has:

1. quotation marks around a phrase will make Bing search for the exact phrase
2. if you type define, then a search term, Bing will find definitons
3. using OR in a search will combine search terms
4. using NOT will exclude a term from a search
5. you can use the categories at the top of Bing to search specific areas like images, shopping items, or videos related to the search term

Overall I just don't like the way Bing looks. I guess it is pretty, but I like a more utilitarian approach to search tools.

Excercise Summary

I rather liked the tutorial and the research exercises. It gave me a better feeling for how to use the Boolean operators to narrow the search results (although I still feel a little uncomfortable. I think I will get the hang of it with practice) and get relevant articles and information. I also like how the EBSCO and ProQuest databases have specific filters for limiting what type of resource is displayed. I think I may be repeating myself, but I wish I had taken this course during my first term back in school. The resources that the library has are staggering, and the ease of use is amazing. I am looking forward to our future units to see what other techniques I can learn to make better academic papers.

Newspaper article

GENE POLICINSKI. (2009, October 31). First Amendment doesn't shield us from private infringements. The News - Item,A.4. Retrieved February 14, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1891526311).

I think this is a useful article because it discusses the difference between government and private applications of the First Amendment. I did not realize that businesses like eBay and Home Depot had the right to censure employees or other individuals using their services.

Scholarly article

Charo, R. Alta. "Fear and the First Amendment." Hastings Center Report 36.5 (2006): 12-13. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 14 Feb. 2010.

I chose this article because it discusses the fears that scientists have with performing research. Many wonder if their research is protected by the First Amendment and whether they should research topics that could endanger their careers. I think it is useful because it was published in the last 5 years, the author is a professor of law at a university, and the publisher is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit bioethics research institute.

Magazine article

Matt Welch. (2004, July). Outlaw Editors. Reason, 36(3), 11-12. Retrieved February 14, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 655638491).

I think that this is a valuable resource because the article documents how the Bush administration used technical language to get around the provisions of the First Amendment. I think it is also useful because it provides a historic viewpoint that a critic of the decision had.

Search Statement

I tried the following Boolean search statements:

"basic first amendment" and right* This gave me 2 results in the EBSCO database and no results in ProQuest.

"basic first amendment" or right* This gave me 8950819 results in ProQuest and 344354 results in EBSCO.

basic and "first amendment" and right* This gave 37 results in EBSCO and 602 in ProQuest.

I decided to stick with the last search statement to go about finding articles.

Boolean use....

Here is the question I chose to use:

What are our basic first amendment rights?

This is the way I would do a boolean search on this question:

basic and " first amendment" and right*

This is a great way to search for information but I have a feeling I will not remember how to search this way. Is there some sort of quick reference I could use to remember?

Week 4 Summary

I took a class last term that required me to write three papers throughout the course. I had no idea that any of these research tools were available to me for free through Clark College. I would have used the library. I think this class should be required for all new students so they can be aware of the tools that are available to them. I would rank the four tools I used in the following way:

1) Cannell Library-easy to use, easy to understand
2) Google Books-doesn’t always apply but helpful for getting started
3) Summit Catalog-slightly confusing
4) IT Pro-too specific information

Twenty years ago, when I was first attending college, I did all of my work on a typewriter and did all my research with physical books, so it is great to learn about how I can still participate in the academic world while coping with debilitating cancer.

Google Books

Search Term(s) used: Movie Censorship

Citation information for the book:
Title: Censoring sex: a historical journey through American media
Author: John E. Semonche
Edition: illustrated Publisher Rowman & Littlefield, 2007
ISBN: 0742551326, 9780742551329

What clues does Google Books provide that lead you to believe this book is trustworthy? This book was written less than five years ago. The author is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina. The publisher is an independent academic press that publishes academic material.

IT Pro

The IT Pro collection of e-books was very appealing. I tried out several searches pertaining to my studies in other courses and the IT Pro collection came up with some really great e-books having relevance to my inquiries. It is very helpful being able to search by ISBN, title, or author. It makes for a flexible search tool that allows you several different ways to find works, sources, and keywords that are helpful. I think it would also be a great tool for verifying a resources credibility.

Summit Catalog Search

Search Term(s) used- Movie Censorship
Citation information for one book: Controlling Hollywood : censorship and regulation in the studio era
Author: Matthew Bernstein

Publisher: New Brunswick, NJ : Rutgers University Press, ©1999.
Series: Rutgers depth of field series

Edition/Format: Book : State or province government publication : English

Subject Headings: Motion pictures—Censorship—United States--History
Location and Call Number for the Book: 15 Libraries in the network have this book available 40820938
What clues in the book record lead you to believe that this book is credible, or trustworthy? The author is a prolific writer who has been published by numerous academic presses. The date of publication is not current but I am envisioning a paper that explores the history of censorship in the motion picture industry.
How did this search differ from the search in the Cannell Library Book Catalog? This search was a bit more time consuming and confusing. I myself prefer the Cannell Library book Catalog.

Cannell Library

My search term was censorship. The book I found was:

Censorship of the movies; the social and political control of a mass medium / Richard S. Randall. Publication Info Madison : University of Wisconsin Press, c1968.

The subject headings for this book are: Motion pictures—Censorship—United States
This is a circulating book that is available to check out for 21 days.

This book can be found on the second floor of the Cannell Library. Call No. KF4300 .R3

I believe this would be a credible resource because it is from a university press, however it would only be useful in a paper about the history of censorship because it is not a recent work.