HSER 294: Introduction

Currency

-- When was the information created?
-- Does your topic require updated information?

Relevance

-- Does the information relate to your paper/project?
-- Is it written at an appropriate level? (not too advanced or elementary)

Authority

-- Is the author qualified to write on this subject?
-- Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?

Accuracy

-- Where does the information come from?
-- Is the information supported by legitimate sources?

Purpose

-- Why was the site created (advertising, share knowledge, entertainment)?
-- Do the authors make their intentions clear?

Advice

There are three main ways to integrate another person's work into your own.  As you write, it is important to use each method to make your writing interesting and readable. 

The three methods are:

• Quoting - Direct quotations means that you use the exact words employed by the authors in the original text.  Usually, you will only use a few phrases or a sentence or two.
   

• Paraphrasing -- To paraphrase something means to put the source material into your own words.  Typically, the paraphrase will be shorter than the source material. 
   

• Summarizing -- When you need to use long passages, chapters, etc. of source material, you can rewrite the main ideas in much shorter form.  However, the ideas belong to the source material so they still need to be cited.

Learning Modules

• Video: Synthesizing Information
  covers quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing
   
• Tutorial: Synthesizing Information 
  helps you explore in more detail quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing
   
• Video: Anatomy of a Research Paper
  covers how to structure your paper


• Incorporating sources into your writing
  From Roane State Community College Writing Center. This website offers some good tips on how to use signal phrases and actually construct sentences with sources.

Databases A - Z is an alphabetical listing of all library subscribed databases including  All of the EBSCO Databases.  You can filter the collection by subject type or by type of database (articles, ebooks, reference shelf, images, etc.).

When to Use A-Z Databases

• when you want specialized information sources within a discipline or academic field (e.g. Nursing from the drop-down Subject menu).
• when you know the name of a library database you want to search (eg. Health Source: Consumer Edition)
• as a starting place to find more in-depth sources of information

Best Bet Database for

General Information 

MasterFile Complete -- Contains Full-text articles from over 1500 leading magazines and long-form journalism including:

 The Atlantic, Wired, New Yorker, Weekly Standard, New Republic

• State of Hawaii Data Book 
  "...official summary of statistics on the social, economic, and political organization of our state." 2000-present.
   
• Maui County Data Book
  "... a useful and valuable source of economic, demographic and other statistical information about the County of Maui." 

• State of Hawaii Census and Population (DBEDT)
  Customized links to Hawaiʻi profiles for American Community Survey, Economic Census and more.

• Hawaii Community Profiles
  Compiled by the Hawaiʻi Business Research Library (HBRL) from data at the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Native Hawaiian Databook 
  "...official summary of statistics on the social, economic, and political organization of our state...also includes resource lists for education, health, human services, and economic development, and GIS maps to illustrate the demographic distribution of the Native Hawaiian population in the state of Hawaiʻi."