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Overview of Today's Session

Today's Library Session will cover the following topics:

1. Evaluating Sources

2. Locating peer reviewed journal articles and academic books

3. Introduction to APA style

Today's In-Class Activities

As a group, take a look at your assigned source and discuss the following questions for the next 5 minutes. 

  • What type of source is this? (e.g. peer reviewed journal article, government publication, etc)
  • Is this source trustworthy enough to use for an assignment in this course? What are its strengths and limitations?

Source 1: Evolution of drinking straws and their environmental, economic and societal implications

Source 2: Plastic legacies: Pollution, persistence, and politics

Source 3: COVID-19 has worsened the ocean plastic pollution problem

Source 4: Single-use plastics prohibition regulations - Overview

Source 5: Canada's wasteful plan to regulate plastic waste

 

Yes this is a peer reviewed journal article: 0 votes (0%)
No, this is not a peer reviewed journal article: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 0
Yes this is a peer reviewed journal article: 0 votes (0%)
No, this is not a peer reviewed journal article: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 0
Yes this is a peer reviewed journal article: 0 votes (0%)
No, this is not a peer reviewed journal article: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 0

1. Open a blank Word or Google Doc on your computer.

2. Using the APA handout, create a reference list entry for the following sources:

a) Removal of microplastics from the environment. A review

b) Microplastics

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When Brian calls for volunteers to share their work, here is the Google Doc volunteers will paste their reference into

Key questions when evaluating sources

When assessing the quality of a source, here are some questions to consider:

 

Finding Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journal Articles Using LibrarySearch

Things to remember when using Library Search:

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

  2. Use the pin icon to save books and articles. 

  3. Use the filters on the right. You will use Peer Reviewed, Availability, Resource Type, and Date filters most often.

  4. Some items won't be available. You can request unavailable items using interlibrary loan.

  5. When viewing an item record, scroll down to the Access Options section to get the item.

You can search in a way to combine or omit different terms by telling the search engine exactly what you want…this can help you save some time (and frustration!)

  • Use quotation marks to keep phrases together - "single use"

  • Use  AND to combine search terms - canada AND plastic AND pollution

  • Use OR to connect two or more similar terms - "global warming" OR "climate change"

  • Use wild cards to substitute a letter or suffix with a symbol - environment*

In some cases, you may want to use the Advanced Search to build a more inclusive search e.g.

poverty 

AND prevention OR reduction OR mitigation

 

Additional Sources of Potential Interest

APA Style Guides from MRU

Librarian

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Brian Jackson

Contact:
Email: bjackson@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.5032
Office: EL4423X