Monday, March 31, 2008

Week 6 Evaluation & Authentication

Part 1.

Review on http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html &
http://www.taftcollege.edu/newTC/Academic/INCO48/sec6-4.htm

There are 6 different types of strategies for using a WEB page efficiently. This site asks myself some good questions that i should take into account when i am looking at a WEB page that i am reading for the first time.

After viewing the site INCO 48, there are some differences, i believe that the INCO 48 site has more detailed information on how to look for sites that are a hoax or don't produce the correct information about a topic. There are several way to work out how this can be done, and now that i know i can use this information to help me access the correct information that is needed for a specific topic.

Part 2
Assessing information on two sites;

The first one being - E. Sixties Project.
The information on this site is interesting but the information comes from a source that sells computer software. The information hasn't been update for 9 years. Some of the links in the site cannot be opened, and the layout and design isn't very professional. I find it hard to believe the information from this site to be realistic and authentic.

The second being - D. The Psychedelic Sixties.

The information being presented on this site is up to date and it is resourced from the University of Virginia Library. All the information that is linked to different site is accessable and is legitament. The presentation of the site is very professional and easy to read and understand.

Summary
An overview on todays class was a refresher, as we sometimes forget that the information on the net isn't always true, and that the people who put the information on it aren't always correct. It gave me an understanding that sometimes, i use the internet for granted and don't really fine where the source of information comes from. Sometimes i just believe what i read and don't thoroughly go through it. This isn't good, when it come to doing my Uni Assignments i need to make that the source where i am getting my information from is correct and is current.
I should find out about who the author is and when it was published and how Authentic the information really is.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Week 5 Using Search Engines

4 Strategies

The following are 4 strategies that will help me in structuring a good search in my learning log.
1. By using "inverted commas" to make it more specific.

2. Using the Boolean Search of putting:
- and (+)
- or
- not (-)
- near 7

These will help by defining the search topic.

3. Using Key words for the topic of search.

4. Using the advanced engine features which are avaliable.

Internet Quiz



SUMMARY

I found today's lession to be very useful. What we learnt can definately help me with my research and how to define my searches on the Web and Databases. It is much easier to look through articles at that are of value instead of going through ones till i find one that i need.

I find it interesting to see how the internet works and how defining searches or using key words is of more value than using the whole sentence. Researching information is a large process of studying and using the correct terms, make it a whole lot easier to get information that is necessary.

Reading 1

Today's reading is on how to simplify the search, by using keywords on the topic that you are looking for. This company has helped many small businesses be found, by them giving Website Australia a couple of keywords that will help people who are searching for particular items that relates to the business. Just by using keywords it cuts down a lot of the rubbish information that doesn't have any relation to what you are searching for.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Week 4 Finding and Using Web-based Resources

Upon opening the Haggis Hunt website a few things came to my attention that the site was a hoax. Four points in which i believe gave the site away was;
~ Haggis is an Animal
~ The animal looked like a platypus cross echidna
~ That there is Haggis meeting spots in Time Square, NY
~ The information in the Encyclopedia was very hard to believe.

In the
Molossia website, just from the basic information on the main page was a dead give away that is wasn't real either;
~ The main page had information streaming across the middle of it advertising 'Click here to watch our new promotional movie
~ The dates are written in numerical form and also in Roman Numerals
~ Going through and finding information on the traditional foods, is actually quite funny, as most of it is Pasta and then there is cookie dough as the traditional "Cookie Dough Fests"
~ The culture of the country looks like ornaments found on a farm.

PART 2 First Impressions
For this I had to look at
http://www.martinlutherking.org/, for starters it is an organisation website which is a non profitable site, and the information which relates to him wouldn't exactly be free. I had a quick 10sec look at the site and some of the information seems to be what he represented; then some of it looked like people trying to make him out to be a sinner and that he didn't believe in what he stood for.

After actually reading in the site, it definitely comes across that the main organisers of the site totally dislike Him and all black people. The site is hosted by the main group called KKK, which is an organisation of black people haters. The information provided is of somewhat true about what he said but they have taken what he said and have cut and pasted it to make him look like he did evil. I do not agree with this site and the information that is posted on it. There are links in this site to all different types of people and what they believe in. For those people who do not know who Martin Luther King was and have never read any information on him before, if they were to read the information on this website they would have a very different type of opinion of him. They wouldn't know the full truth, and it is unfortunate that internet sites can provide misleading information. But the real problem is, is how do we really know what is real to what is misleading? I guess that we have to look at the information that is provided to us with an open mind and not always believe what we hear and read.

Summary of Lecture
Internet Vs Web.
Wow I really didn't know the actual difference between these two. I thought that the Internet was the WEB not the cables and connections, you definitely learn something new everyday. It was interesting to find out that the Web cannot exist without the Net, and that the Net was actually invented back in 1961, and yet it took at least another 30years for the Web to be functional all over the world.

The information provided in this class has definitely clarified a few of these different meanings for finding information on the Web. It was interesting to find that the sites that finish in; .com/.co are for funding benefits and yet if it finishes in; .org then it is free. Little things like this was unknown to me prior to this lecture.

This class today was definitely full of useful information and has definitely opened my eyes to the information that is out there isn't always correct, and that it is up to us to find out what really is true and what can be a little more than the truth, or how something is seen through someone else's eyes. This type information on the different sites, can be beneficial in the way that the sites that are educational based will be of more use to me when doing research.
Reading 1
Internet society, explains that the internet has come along way. It could almost be said that the speed of communication has made the business world a better place to be, with material being sent as fast as the click of the mouse. It also states that internet underlies the networking of individual networks that can access the same information.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Week 3 Online Libraries and Databases

The following 10 topics are areas that can be found in the ECU Library website.

~ Student; Which then takes to you the next page which you can then proceed to many different areas of the site one being ENDNOTE SOFTWARE. If you proceed to Endnote then it gives you an outline on what it does.

~ Websites;
I went through this area and found a list of different resources that the librarians use. I followed it through Accounting which then opened a huge number of different areas of Accounting around the world. This website will be very useful in finding information that I wouldn't be able to find through Google.

~ Document Delivery;
This site gives information on how to get resources from other
libraries and the process of doing this.

~ AirPAC;
Tells you how you can access the site form your mobile phone. It just
gives you the basics not the full information.

~ Journal Titles;
This opened up a page, where you can type in the title search in which you are looking for. You can chose which campus you want to find your information or do a larger search if the campus you chose doesn't have it.

~ ECU Library;
Gives you the basic information on opening times, different types of services and contacts and corporate information.

~ SIMO;
This is access to current students information in relation to their timetables, classes and fees.

~ Academic Tip Sheet;
This is a useful site that will be able to give me help when it comes to writing essays and how they are expected to be presented.

~ Journal Articles;
This takes me to the database area, which will be able to help me find articles and books in my field of choice.

~ Student Information;
This is where I can access any information I need about my classes or what my results are or if I need to pay my fees. Anything I need to know is on this page.



Part 2 Global Warming: http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/BriefingBooks/Climate/ebgcc7.cfm
This website hasn't been updated sine 2001 but it has information backdating to 1997 on the impact of Global Warming.

Part 3
The next topic was to go to the Medlineplus site and find a condition or drug which I am interested in. I went to the condition for Hepatitis A. Recently a friend went to South America and contracted this disease whilst he was there. He is now home and has surgery for a severe liver disease and and has been in hospital for 2 weeks. This is information should be able to help him fully understand what the disease it and how it occurred.

Summary
Today's class has given me information that Online libraries and Databases have 24/7 access, which makes doing my work far more easier, that I am not restricted to what time I can find the information I need.
How beneficial are these site to me? Well the fact that they are accessible to me anywhere is a huge benefit. Getting an understanding on how to use this information to help with study is definitely an advantage.
Reading 1
The reading explains the different ways to research the internet, and that Google isn't always the best option. Writing more specific words related to the topic will define the search to the more important pieces of information, and they hopefully wont be doubled up.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Week 2 Word & Excel Exercises




Summary
I definately believe that todays class was very informative, I believe that I have a good understanding on how to use computers and how to use Microsoft Word and Excel. But what was brought to my attention was that I am restricting myself in the programs that I use. Microsoft has many different programs avaliable, but I am only using to the ones I know.

Just in Word and Excel are many different features on how to present the same information. The different types of layouts and shortcuts to make the task more simpler to access.

Todays tasks are to Cut and Paste information into Word and then categorise them, and for Excel the task was to get information on how I spend my hours in the day and week, then with these we were asked to put them into 3 different types of graphs. It is very interesting to see that 3 graphs each shown different but relates to the same information in more detail.
Reading 1
The reading for this week, shows how to use microsoft word and excel. It goes through the tool bar showing all the different options that are avaliable. There are many different shortcuts which makes processing a document faster and neater.