Use the reference librarian!

Thought I'd throw out a quick update.

I was not having good luck with searching ERIC so I decided to switch to ABI/Inform. I also visited the library and bounced some ideas off the reference librarian. He was extremely helpful. He listened to my research question and how I'd modified my search terms and the various tactics I had tried on ERIC. He grabbed onto some of the terms I was using in describing why I was doing the research and suggested I mix some of those in my searches also.

I have to say that was an extremely helpful suggestion. I had tried various words and phrases that I had picked up in a "descriptor" line in the articles I was looking out in ERIC but his suggestion to use some of the phrases I was using expanded my options and eventually let me narrow down my search results and find most of my articles.

If you get the chance to speak to a reference librarian, do so!  Bounce some ideas off of them and listen to their suggestions!

Back to work, trying to clean my bibliography up before I submit my final report.

Frustration!

Bah, computers and networks are great things when they work! I finally managed to work things out at home to make a visit to the library and talk to a reference librarian.  I was trying to find out how to save my searches and results.


But...network difficulties! Page not available! Bah! At least I had a nice talk with the librarian and he gave me a good idea of how to create an account and how to tell when I'm logged in.

Once I'm sure I'm successful at that I'll try some more searches and if I'm still not having luck, back to the library I'll go! Hopefully the utech folks will have the issue(s) resolved by then!

Dipping my virtual toes into the search pool.

I thought I'd throw a short update out here and talk about my initial search experiences.

I thought I would start by using the database ERIC through EBSCO.

My initial search had 3 concepts. Web 2.0, enhancement and business. No other restrictions. Hoping for a glut of results that I could pare down.  Instead I got....1 result. Ouch.

So I decided to change my 2nd concept to performance with everything else the same.  Again 1 result.  Oh boy, this is going to be fun!

After I finished moping I decided to try 2 concepts. Again with Web 2.0 but using "business performance" (with parenthesis) and the second.  This brought me 23 results with several of those looking very promising!

I noticed that severalresults had a descriptor called "knowledge management". Which is actually a subject very relevant to what I want to cover in my research. So I changed the 2nd concept back to business and added "knowledge management" as a 3rd concept.  3 results and only 2 of those seemed promising.

Hmm, lets try dropping the business concept and just try Web 2.0 and "knowledge management".  10 results and after a brief review 3 look promising.

Now I have a headache! Time to take a break.

I can see this process isn't going to be as easy or clean as I hoped. In fact it looks like it's going to cause me much mental and emotional anguish! Agh!  But I will prevail and I'm sure I will have a much better idea how to perform quality searches when I'm done. Which is probably the whole idea of this assignment.

Not much progress yet...

Still reading through the information Dr. West sent today.  Lots to process before I actually start the searching.  Doesn't look like it's going to be as easy as I hoped but hopefully will have some strategies in mind that will make the search successful not only for this assignment but for a nice review for my final project!

Completed the survey!

I decided to choose Option 3: Conduct and online database search.  I think I may be able to use this as a start for my literature review for my M.S. final project! Completed the survey on Western Online tonight.

Final Project? IDT 516? What the?

Hello world! Welcome to my blog. This blog will be a short record of my experience choosing and working on my final project for IDT 516.

What is IDT 516? It's a Instructional Design and Technology graduate level class called Internet Resources. we are learning how to find, evaluate and use internet resources! It's illustrious leader is Dr. West.

This particular blog is pare of our assignment on using Web 2.0 tools. It is meant to document the progress I'm making on my final project.

What is my final project?  I haven't decided yet. I have three choices:

1. Write a lesson plan that incorporates Web 2.0
2. Create and test an Elearning evaluation rubric
3. Conduct an online database search

I'm leaning towards #3 as I think it would give me a head start on my Master's program final project. But enough for my first post. I'll let you get back to browsing the web!