Research

Research

Meeting Your Research Needs for Free- Open Access!

Meeting Your Research Needs for Free- Open Access!

, Library Resources, Research
Last week we posted on the Library’s Facebook page about a new resource we added to our A-Z Resource List, the Open Textbook Library, which provides free access to numerous textbooks across all disciplines. This is exciting as all students know that textbooks are expensive and the cost is a major barrier for many students. Students of universities and colleges have the advantage of getting access to many different e-books and journals through their libraries, who pay a subscription fee for most of their databases. However, we know that it can still be difficult to find what we need and there are many more people who cannot get easy access to most paid library resources. We at the IU East … Continued
What makes real news real?

What makes real news real?

, Research
  Fake news is the buzzword of the hour. Countless articles and online tools (including my own Fake News LibGuide) have touched upon the subject, offering how-tos, tips, tricks and motivation to get your patrons to understand what makes fake news fake. Conversely, however, another question needs to be answered: what makes real news real? With so much attention on rumors and conspiracy, many patrons don’t know what sources to trust anymore. Has their nightly news anchor told them lies all this time? Does their daily newspaper cover up the facts? Real news is characterized by the following factors: 1 – It reports facts in a clear, mostly nonbiased manner. With the rise in highly partisan news sources, the line … Continued
Separating fact from non-fact

Separating fact from non-fact

, , Research
The buzzwords are legion: Fake news, alternative facts, falsehoods. In the last three months, all these terms have been printed in newspapers, flashed on screens and rehashed on television on a nearly daily basis. It’s difficult to discern reliable data from opinion or lies these days. While there is no single sure-fire method for telling fact from non-fact, here are some tools to help you sort through the news today. Know your news First, it would help to know more about different kinds of inauthentic news sources. Fake news: While it’s simple to say that fake news is simply news that isn’t real, the truth is more complicated than that. According to media scientist Melissa Zimdars, fake news falls under … Continued
Credit Where Credit Is Due

Credit Where Credit Is Due

, Matt Dilworth, Research
Most assignments that involve research also involve citation. Chances are, you’ve written papers that required a bibliography. This isn’t an empty exercise – this serves a very important purpose. Citation helps place your words and ideas in the continuum of academic thought – by writing, you are joining a conversation with other authors. Citing your sources makes clear who you are responding to. It also helps your own readers follow your train of thought, so they understand where and how you developed your ideas (that’s one reason why interviews or other intangibles are cited in-text but rarely in the reference list – no one who reads your paper would be able to double check something like an interview). And it … Continued
On the Lookout for Fake News

On the Lookout for Fake News

, , Library Resources, Research
Did you hear that taurine can reverse the effects of tinnitus? Or that a man named Tom Ogle invented a carburetor that runs entirely on fuel vapors? Maybe you did, but hopefully you didn’t believe those stories – because they’re not true. Fake news is legion these days. According to Merrimack College professor Melissa Zimdars, fake news comes in one of four categories: 1 – Completely false news, with no factual basis 2 – News that is misleading or inaccurate 3 – News stories with attention grabbing headlines that may not have anything to do with their article’s content 4 – Satirical sites, whose content is meant to invoke humor And it’s not always easy to tell fake news from … Continued