Library Research Assignment
For this assignment, I want you to explore the resources available to you through the Palm Beach State elibrary and databases. There are over 190 databases that you have access to as a student and many of them you would never know about unless you actually go explore what is there. The databases are not all boring and confusing to use, and they donot offer the billions of unreliable results you get from a Google search. What you will find is that there are many different databases that can be used for a variety of purposes, even learning a new language, learning about a new culture, learning how to fix a car, or studying for an anatomy class.
So, you are going to investigate, rhetorically analyze, and compare3 databases. The databases you choose should be ones that you are not familiar with and have never used before. Once you have chosen your three databases, I want you to spend a little time getting to know them. Go into the databases you chose and Browse Topics.Do sample searches.Explore what kinds of information, sources, and resources you can find within these databases. Look for the following information as you explore.
Write down your observations about:
• how each database is designed – how each database is designed visually and how information is organized on the home page and the browse topics and results pages
• what kind of content the database provides – what information, sources, and resources students/researchers can find in this database
• accessibility and navigation of the database – what the experience of using this database is like and how user friendly this database is for students/researchers. Explain and give examples of your experience using the database.
• strategies the database uses to advance research purposes – resources for students that make the process of researching easier, more thorough, and more engaging
After you have collected the data above, you need to review the information you found and rhetorically analyze it. To do so, answer these questions:
• What purpose do you think the database best serves? Does it have more than one purpose? How effective is the database for the purpose it claims to serve?
• Who would benefit the most from using it? (be specific here)
• When or how could this database be used for academic research? Could it be used for any reason outside of academic research?
Written Report
Introduction:
To report your findings, you will write a short introduction paragraph describing
o what your experience was like exploring through the 190 different databases,
o state the databases you chose to explore in depth,
o and explain why you chose those databases.
Body paragraphs (3)
Then you will describe your findings and analysis in a paragraph for each database (3 databases = 3 paragraphs). For each paragraph about the database,
o begin with a topic sentence that introduces the reader to the database.
o Then reflect on your observations about the database’s design, content, accessibility, and strategies.
o Conclude the paragraph by discussing your rhetorical analysis (answers to the analysis questions).
Conclusion
Last, you will write a short conclusion describing
o what you learned about the resources available through the elibrary and databases
o and how you will use those resources in this course, in other courses, and/or outside of academics.
Report Requirements
All reports should contain thorough explanations and follow the structure described above.
All reports should be a minimum of 4 pages – maximum 7 pages.
All reports MUST use complete sentences to communicate your meaning effectively.
All reports should conform to MLA format. Review the formatting style lesson on Blackboard to ensure you are setting up your paper correctly.
Use Times New Roman 12 pt. font.
1-inch margins on all sides, double spaced, and no extra spacing between paragraphs.
All reports MUST be proofread and thoroughly revised to remove all sentence errors. Use Grammarly.com to help you identify errors and revise them.