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GNED 1303 - April McNulty

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Search for scholarly sources effectively using LibrarySearch and Google Scholar.

  • Evaluate information for credibility, authority, and context.

  • Recognize appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI in your research process.

What We’ll Do

  • Go over assignment details

  • Learn the difference between scholarly and non-scholarly sources

  • Practice information evaluation skills

  • Explore how to find and cite images

  • Discuss AI’s role as an outlining tool and its limitations

  • Show different ways to get help from the Library

You will work in a group of 4–5 students to create a 17–18 minute presentation on a topic related to children’s rights, development, or experiences. Your presentation must:

  • Focus on children – either throughout or in a dedicated section.

  • Include a connection to kid influencers (children creating content and earning income on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram).

  • Use examples or a case study to support your analysis.

Possible topics include:

  • UNCRC, COPPA, or GDPR-K

  • Social issues such as cyberbullying, social media addiction, children and advertising, parasocial relationships, or the impact of fame on child development

  • The effects of social media use on children’s mental health

Requirements:

  • At least two scholarly/peer-reviewed sources in APA format

  • A creative presentation style (live or pre-recorded, but you must be present on the day for questions)

  • Consider the historical, social, and legal context, public and institutional responses, and real-world impact on children

Using the Right Sources for your Assignments

Why Using Good Sources Matters

Using credible, scholarly sources strengthens your academic work and shows important research skills:

  • Synthesize information: Bring together ideas from multiple sources into your own writing

  • Join the conversation: Engage with what experts and scholars are already saying about your topic

  • Build authority: Reliable sources make your own arguments more accurate and persuasive

Authority is Constructed and Contextual

Not all information is created for the same purpose, and its value depends on context:

  • Purpose & process: Information is created, revised, and shared in different ways depending on the goal

  • Audience matters: Some sources are meant for the public, others for scholars; neither is “better,” but fit depends on your research needs

  • Your choices matter: The types of sources you use shape the credibility and impact of your own work

Source: Project Cora https://www.projectcora.org/assignment/information-spectrum

Please note: For assignments in this course, April wants you to choose academic sources. 

SCHOLARLY SOURCES GREY LITERATURE PROFESSIONAL/TRADE PUBLICATIONS

Journal articles:

  • published by experts in the field
  • evidence of original research
  • includes a literature review
  • possibly peer-reviewed

Scholarly books and book chapters

  • published by a scholarly/university press
  • well researched
  • authors are affiliated with a university or relevant organization
  • Government reports and data
  • Datasets
  • Reports from not-for-profits and NGOs
  • Academic and non-academic conference presentations
  • Theses and dissertations
  • White papers
  • Blogs and newsletters
  • Written by practitioners or professionals
  • Unlike scholarly journals, trade publications do not contain original research and are meant to be practical in nature. Their focus is on current practices and issues.

Search for these in library databases or Google Scholar

 Search for these in Google, Google Scholar or SocINDEX Search for these resources using Library databases or  Google 

Using Search

LibrarySearch tips: Make sure to do the following

  1. Sign in to save searches, items, and to request materials.

  2. Use the pin icon to save books and articles to your Favourites for future reference.

  3. Use the filters on the right. You will use Availability, Resource Type, and Date filters most often. Filter settings can be "locked in" so that you don't have to reapply them to every search that you make.

  4. Some items may not be available; however, you can request unavailable items through a service called interlibrary loan.

  5. When viewing an item record, scroll down to the Get it (for hardcopy/physical items) or Access options (for electronic items) section to get access to the item

Example research topic: Phone addiction in schools and attention/mental health

Background:

  • Social Media Addiction and Children’s Mental Health

    • Impact of excessive use on attention, anxiety, or depression

    • Connection to kid influencers (how monetized content can encourage compulsive viewing/engagement)

  • Banning Smartphones in Schools

    • See Jonathan Haidt’s arguments (The Anxious Generation)

    • School policies on no-phone rules and their effects on academic performance and social development

    • Influence on child creators: how school restrictions interact with influencer culture

 

Connections to child/youth social media influencer

 

Activity: Possible search keywords?

Made with Padlet

Google Scholar

Google Scholar is a great tool for finding quality academic resources.

  • Connect to MRU Library:
    Click the ☰ menu (top left) → Settings → Library links → search Mount Royal → check the box → Save.
    (Tip: If you’re logged into the MRU Library, these links should appear automatically.)

  • Advanced Search:
    Found in the ☰ menu (top left). Let's you limit by phrase, author, or journal.

  • Cited by:
    Under each result, click Cited by to find newer research that used the article. This is called citation chaining and helps you follow a topic forward in time.

Helpful Search Tips

  • Use quotation marks to keep phrases together:

    • Example: "phone ban"

  • No need for AND. Google Scholar does this automatically.

  • Use OR to search for similar terms:

    • Example: smartphone OR "cell phone"

  • Use * for truncation to catch word endings:

    • Example: learn* → learn, learns, learning

  • Use intitle: to find keywords in titles:

    • Example: intitle:"smartphone addiction"

Example searches

  • "phone ban"   concentration students
  • (smartphone OR "cell phone")   learn*   "academic performance"

Searching websites using "regular" Google

If you are searching Google (not Google Scholar), you can also limit your search to show specific websites. Eg:

  • site:un.org (United Nations)
  • site:gc.ca (Government of Canada)
  • site:en.unesco.org (UNESCO)
  • site:worldbank.org (World Bank)
  • site:wto.org (World Trade Organization

Search examples

Possible search keywords:

  • smartphone* OR "cell phone" OR "mobile phone"

  • addict* OR "problematic use" OR overuse

  • concentrat* OR attent* OR focus*

  • student* OR child* OR adolescent* OR teenager*

  • "school ban" OR "classroom ban" OR "no phone"

  • "digital distraction" OR multitask* OR "divided attention"

  • learn* OR "academic performance" OR "test score"

Example searches

  • (smartphone OR "cell phone") AND (concentration OR attention) AND (student* OR adolescent*)
  • ("school ban" OR "classroom ban" OR "no phone schools") AND ("academic performance" OR "learning outcomes") AND (children OR teen*)

Writing and Citing

Using AI

Generative AI tools can be useful, but for this class they should be used only to create an outline to help you organize ideas. Do not use AI for research, writing assignments, or creating presentation notes. Always confirm information with peer-reviewed sources.

🤖 AI at a Glance

✅ Allowed

  • Brainstorming topic ideas

  • Creating an outline to guide your project

  • Suggesting keywords for database searches

❌ Not Allowed

  • Writing assignments or presentation notes

  • Doing your research for you

  • Replacing peer-reviewed, scholarly sources

⚠️ Why It Matters

  • AI can make up citations or facts (“hallucinations”)

  • AI does not include MRU library resources

  • Using AI beyond outlining = academic integrity issue

Recommended Tools (for outlining only): ChatGPT (OpenAI) · Gemini (Google) · Claude (Anthropic)

  • Cite Sources: Learn the correct way to cite sources by using these guides, tutorials, and videos.
  • Referencing Webinars: APA & MLA. Referencing Webinars are 75 minutes long.  Registration is required.
  • Online Appointments: Personalized online 30-minute appointments with a Learning Strategist

Take an MLA or APA Referencing Tutorial on D2L!

These self-paced 90-minute tutorials covers the same content as live workshops—why citation is important along with the basics of in-text citations and reference entries. Students who complete the tutorial will gain access to a form they can fill out and submit as proof of completion.

Access the tutorial on D2L: Using Google Chrome as your web browser, log in to D2L (learn.mru.ca) with your @mtroyal.ca account. Click the “Discover” tab, then type “APA”  or "MLA" in the search bar. Click on the “APA Referencing Tutorial”  or "MLA Referencing Tutorial" link and then the “Enroll in Course” button. If you have any questions about the tutorial, contact sls@mtroyal.ca.

Librarian

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Erik Christiansen

Contact:
Email: echristiansen@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.5168
Office: EL4423C
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