Skip to Main Content

INST 1502: Reading & Writing the Road

Resources and information relevant to the topics covered in INST 1502.

RefWorks

RefWorks is a database that you create with your own research. You need to create an account with Refworks that you can log into. You export or add citations to your account to create a body of research for your papers and projects. 

You can also create Works Cited pages, bibliographies of your sources for your papers in APA or any other style that is listed.

When accessing Refworks from off campus, there is a code you will need to use. You can call the reference desk at 823-1984 for the Otterbein code.

Once you populate your RefWorks account with citations you may want to create different folders for subject areas or for different classes or papers.

SIFT method for evaluating resources

SIFT is a series of actions you can take to determine the validity and reliability of claims and sources on the web.

The SIFT method, or strategy, is quick and simple and can be applied to various kinds of online content: news articles, scholarly articles, social media posts, videos, images, etc.

Each letter in SIFT corresponds to one of the Four Moves:

A graphic explaining the SIFT Method: The S stands for STOP, the I stands for Investigate the Source, the F stands for find other coverage and the T stands for trace claim quotes and media back to their original context.

Stop

Investigate the source

Find better coverage

Trace claims, quotes and media to the original context

 

Find more details on the Four Moves from Mike Caulfield's SIFT (Four Moves), which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Citations

What is this a citation to?

EXAMPLE 1:

Meagher, Timothy J. "From The World To The Village And The Beginning To The End And After: Research Opportunities In Irish American History." Journal Of American Ethnic History 28.4 (2009): 118-135. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

And this?

EXAMPLE 2:

Mastny, Lisa, and Jane A. Peterson. Traveling Light: New Paths for International Tourism. Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute, 2001. Print.

Click here! Or text or respond to http://PollEv.com

Tip!

Need Help with Your Citations?

Check out The Owl at Purdue! An online Citation guide developed by the The Writing Lab at Purdue University.