Examining validity in research

Guest post from Reference Librarian Christopher Allen

As a society, we have an abundance of information and resources at our fingertips.  The volume of information we have access to can be overwhelming, especially when given a research assignment by your professor. Where do you begin and how do you know that what you are reading is reliable?

Image credit:  Martin, Michael. “Bias In The Media Today: Is fake news really a thing?”, Odyssey, 13 Feb. 2017.

Here are some things you need to think about:

• How much do you know about the publication you are extracting information from?  What is the process for publishing information in this source?   
• Who publishes the information and what is their role? 
• What are they trying to promote? 
• Who supplies the funding for much of the research?

These are all important questions you should be asking yourself when researching information.

Finding true and accurate information can be a daunting task for students. Here are some steps you can take to evaluate the information you are reading in order to test the validity of the source:

• What credentials does the author(s) hold?
• Is this person(s) considered an expert?  How do you know?
• Can you find information on the name of the company, business, or organization that funded the research or created the publication?
• Is the article selling or promoting a product or idea? Is there an agenda?
• Can the information in the resource be confirmed via other sources?  

If you have any questions about this process or are still not sure about the resources you are reading, the library is here to help!  Librarians are well-practiced in evaluating and locating reliable databases and sources for information. There are only a few short weeks left in summer session B, so see a librarian today!

Psychotherapy.net: New Database Trial

We are currently trialing a new database, Psychotherapy.net.

This database provides streaming videos for teaching, training, self-study and continuing education in psychotherapy, psychology and addictions.

Users can browse the collection by approach, therapeutic issue, expert, or population.  The database also offers keyword searching. 

This database should be of particular interest to students in Creative Arts Therapy and Social Work. 

Faculty may also want to view the Platform Feature Optimization Guide for tips and best practices.  This guide explains how to make and share clips, directly access videos and clips, where to download instructor's manuals, navigate the video via the transcript, find titles based on content area and more.

The database is available here and also on our Databases page under New/Trial Databases.

We would love to have some community input on this resource, so please let us know what you think!  The trial will end on August 10, 2018.

New books on teaching, learning and pedagogy in higher education

Last summer we put together a guide to new and classic literature on teaching, pedagogy and higher education for new faculty at Nazareth.  All the books are available either in print or electronically at our library.

We've recently updated the guide with some new titles, including:

The Skillful Teacher:  On Technique, Trust and Responsiveness in the Classroom by Stephen D. Brookfield

Learner-Centered Teaching:  Five Key Changes to Practice by Maryellen Weimer

       

Small Teaching:  Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James. M. Lang

Drive:  The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

      

...and more!  You can see all of the books on our guide and resource list.

This list is designed to be useful for our Nazareth community, so let us know if you have suggestions!

We added new books on our resource list using input from these great sources online:

• Listener Question: Essential Readings on Pedagogy
• Five useful books for new faculty
• Inside Higher Ed's New Books about Higher Education
• Books for Higher Education Professionals

Time for Summer Beach Reading!

Looking for something fun to read during the long, hot days of summer?  The library has you covered!  All of the tiles below are available in our McNaughton Collection in the Browsing Lounge.

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

"Charming and wise, knowing and witty, Meg Wolitzer delivers a novel about power and influence, ego and loyalty, womanhood and ambition. At its heart, The Female Persuasion is about the flame we all believe is flickering inside of us, waiting to be seen and fanned by the right person at the right time. It's a story about the people who guide and the people who follow (and how those roles evolve over time), and the desire within all of us to be pulled into the light." -Amazon description

The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantú

"For Francisco Cantú, the border is in the blood: his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, raised him in the scrublands of the Southwest. Haunted by the landscape of his youth, Cantú joins the Border Patrol. He and his partners are posted to remote regions crisscrossed by drug routes and smuggling corridors, where they learn to track other humans under blistering sun and through frigid nights. They haul in the dead and deliver to detention those they find alive. Cantú tries not to think where the stories go from there." -Amazon description

The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea

"In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly one hundred, dies herself, leading to a farewell doubleheader in a single weekend. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life." -Amazon description

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

"In this ferociously imaginative novel, abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. In a small Oregon fishing town, five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom." -Amazon description

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

"How to Stop Time tells a love story across the ages—and for the ages—about a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live. It is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness." -Amazon description

Find more on Primo or by browsing the McNaughton Collection.  Happy reading!

Some fun summer reading lists:

• The 39 Books We're Talking About This Summer (Washington Post)
• 73 Books to Read While the Sun is Out and the Days Are Long (The New York Times)
• The 32 Best Books to Read this Summer (Elle Magazine)
• The 20 Smart Books You'll Want to Read at the Beach This Summer (Esquire Magazine)

A snapshot of what we've been up to this year

Student survey results: Thanks for participating!

Thanks to the over 700 students who participated in our survey--we really appreciate it!  Winners of the Amazon gift card raffle have been notified.  Here are some of the highlights of the survey, and a few things that we're looking into doing based on student feedback.

You can also view the infographic here.

Any questions or comments can be sent to Ilka Datig, Head of Instruction & Outreach, at idatig5@naz.edu.

Welcome to Our New Reference Librarian!

We have a new face at the Reference Desk! 

Getting to know Chris Allen:

When did you know you wanted to be a librarian?

I have always had a passion for libraries. Even as a little kid, I would play "library" with my younger brother and sister. I still find children's books at my parents' house with my home-made date due stamps in the back.

All through grade school and high school I worked in the school libraries as a volunteer. As I got older, I was able to get summer work and got paid to be in the library. This set my career path.

What is your favorite part of being a librarian?

My favorite part of being a librarian would have to be talking with students about what they like to read. I am always interested to hear about the different kinds of things that they like and that helps to inform me about new materials the library should have.

What is your favorite book?

Picking a favorite book would be difficult. I really enjoy almost everything that Stephen King has written and am a big fan of his. There are a few of his that I have read several times such as Pet Sematary, The Stand, and It.

I also love the Harry Potter series and have read that at least three times.

Another favorite is Charlotte's Web.

Anything else you'd like to share? 

My sister and I are both Nazareth Alums. I graduated in 1997 and she did in 2000. Now, my daughter is just finishing her freshman year at Nazareth.

I have been a school librarian at Wayland-Cohocton for the past 19 years and I have been the Freshman Class and National Honor Society advisor for 17 years.

My wife and I have a small farm with over 50 chickens.

Feel free to drop by the desk and say Hi!