NR 455 Library Research Graded Exercise: Due on or before February 11, 2008

This graded assignment is worth 100 points.   Please read it over before beginning.

  • Send your responses to me in an email (either in text or as an attach file (MS-Word or Text file preferred) at bonnie.avery@oregonstate.edu,
  • Include your name and an email address so I can reply to you personally and assign a score.
  1. In a paragraph tell me about the topic you plan to write about for NR 455.
  2. List four questions (not statements) you might pursue related to the topic you have chosen.   Do not use questions where you are asking for a single figure or fact (how many, how much, when, who, etc.).   These should be concept questions.
  3. Select one of these four questions as your research question for the remainder of this exercise but indicate which one you have chosen below:

    __________________________________________________________________________________
    In the remainder of this assignment, I'm interested in knowing how you will create a search strategy to address this question. how you select a database to use, and how you implement that strategy in that database. Refer back to the information in the guided exercises if you have questions. Try to take advantage of this for your paper as well as this exercise.
  4. List the key concept terms in the question you have elected to pursue.
  5. For each concept term, list some synonymous or related terms you might use
  6. Now you need to decide which databases to use in order to find information on this topic (there are many options).   What are three of the database selection criteria you will use to in order to make this decision for this topic?
  7. Which databases would you select to try first and why?
  8. Search in at least one of these databases (preferably all three).
    1. Based on your concept terms, what search strategy did you try in these databases (i.e. what terms did you use and how did you string them together).
      ___________________________________________________________________________
    2. Did you use any of the synonyms for any terms? _______   Explain why this was not needed or if it was, which ones were helpful?
      _________________________________________________________________
    3. Did you need to truncate any terms? _______   Explain why this was not needed or if it was, which terms you truncated and how (what stems you used)?
      ___________________________________________________________________________
    4. Did you need and were you able to get any leads for additional terminology or search terms from the database search? ______  Explain:
      ___________________________________________________________________________
  9. While you are searching in a database, select a reference to a journal article you think addresses (at least partially) the question you have asked and email it to yourself from the database.   provide me with the informaiton below about that article and email

    1. What was the sender e-mail address (look for it in your junk mail folder if you don't find it in your inbox)
    2. Author(s):
    3. Title:
    4. Journal:
    5. Volume/Issue:
    6. Pages:
    7. Database you used:
    8. Is this article available to you electronically? ____
    9. Is it available in print from the library, if so, what's the journal's call number? _____________________
  10. Finally, write a paragraph or two on the process of looking for information on this topic/question so far.    Include: problems and/or frustrations you encountered; problems you expected to encounter but didn't, what you might do next. Also write about how the process of finding information "on the job" might differ.


Thanks for completing this work, I will send you a short email acknowledgement as soon as I receive your graded exercise, and I will try to reply with comments and a score (out of 100 points) within a week of receiving it.

"Class" evaluation: If you wish to comment on this portion (Library Research) of NR 455, I hope you will fill out the evaluation form.   It is used with in-class presentations (could you hear the instructor, etc), but feel free to use the comment section if you have other feedback.

Return to main page for NR 455: Natural Resource Decision Making: Week 2 Assignment

Send a question/comment to bonnie.avery@oregonstate.edu