Unit 8: Summary

Each one of these Search Tools are defiantly different.
I found that I felt most comfortable with the Internet Search Tool -Bing. I don't know if it was because it seemed to give me more options than the Metasearch Tools and the Subject Directories. There just seemed to be more features to entice the user. Having the advantage of  features seemed to enhance and direct the search thus engaging the user.
When I used the Metasearch Tools, they seemed to be limited. The postings seemed to be relevant in order, but I wish that they had related topics or related search ideas the user could utilize. It was harder for me to identify features that I liked with this search tool. I truly liked how Ixquick allows the user to access a site, leave the Tab open, return to the results list, and then open another site. Yet, I don't know  if I would use this Search engine for my next research project.
Subject Directories do contain some vital information. I liked how you could identify ejournals, scholar information and academic resources. This search engine reminded me a little of the deep web resources, maybe because they are maintained mostly be professional librarians. I recognize that they are not as vast as the deep web resources, but it seems as if their credibility is forthright and the information they hold is supportive and useful. I wish that the sites were a little more user friendly, but I believe I may access these sites in the future.

Unit 8: Types of Information-- Focus on Search Engines & Web Sites

After reading the IRIS tutorials I wanted to find  Search Tools in each category that made it simple to locate search tips or a help icon.  I am a person that likes instructions easily accessible.


Internet Search Tool: Bing
I thought it was interesting how Bing's homepage had hotspots that gave you information about the picture you are looking at. The homepage  has a "Help Icon" on it.  When you access the Table of Contents, a clear precise list is posted. The directions are understandable and easy to follow. Having this information so easily accessible made this a search tool that i wanted to explore
I liked the feature of Not having to type the word "and" in your search. By default all searches are "and" searches.
I also liked how there are Tabs at the top of the page and how you can See results in a different category, such as video, news, etc... all dealing with your search statement you gave entered, just by clicking a different tab.
I also like the Cached Page that comes up on the right hand side that Gives you a brief  introduction of the site. This is a great insight feature which gives you a chance to see if it might be worth your time to actually go to the site.  Sometimes the blurb under the title of the site just does not give you enough information and sometimes I wasted time going to sites that were not beneficial.
I also like the feature of the Search History which shows you what you have searched for and is posted on the left side of the screen under related searches. This allows you to visually keep track of exactly what you have used for your search statement.
I also like how if you have Already done a search and you want to Do an Advanced Search, the results from your previous search stays posted and the Advance Search box is placed at the top of the page still allowing you to view the list of site results.


Metasearch  Tool: Ixquick
I like how Ixquick Does not record your IP address. I know that seems rather simple, but protecting yourself and your personal information is important to me.
I like how Ixquick Rates its sites by stars and how the influence of other search engines are taken into account when rating them. Because of the fact that other search engines rate sites differently, to get a 5 star rating on Ixquick takes a great deal to achieve.
I like how you can Access the information on how to improve your search easily, by clinking on the Advance Search Icon when the advance search box is open. I also like how the Bold words in the advance search box Have explanation bubbles that appear when the cursor arrow is on them. Thus it gives you reminders of what you can do for that field. .
I think this is my favorite features, I like that when you choose a site that a Site Tab opens allowing you to view the site. Then when you're done, you can leave the tab open and go back to the result list or you can close it. To be able to maneuver through sites and leave tabs open so you can return to view or compare information is very beneficial.
NOTE * I found this particular search tool, Metasearch Tool, not has comfortable for me to manipulate as the Internet Search Tool previously used. I don't know if I would utilize it for my next research project. 




Subject Directories: INFOMINE
First I choose this site Becka of the fact the on its home page both Search Tips and Advance Search were posted so this information is easy to locate. It also has an Other Search Tools option on the home page.
I like how in the Advanced Search Box you can Modify your Search  Options, so you can choose which search categories you would like to focus in such as ejournals etc...
I like how at this same option Search Tips is posted in the right top hand corner and how when you click on it, a box opens to your left allowing you to find tips that may be applicable without you losing site of the screen which you need to fill in.
I like the simple Picture Icons that show how it's been selected, like a "graduation hat" for selected by Librarians.
You can post all results by "Title Only". this turns out to be a long list titles with a Picture Icon next to it which explains how it is selected, if its a fee based site, if on CD Rom, etc.
You can also search  by  Specific Defined Subtitle Categories, such as Biological, Agricultural & Medical Sciences, Business and Economics, Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Resources, Electronic Journals, Government Information, Maps & GIS, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Computing & Math, Social Sciences & Humanities, and  Visual & Performing Arts.
NOTE*  I may use these Subject Directories to search ejournals, or even specific Subtitle Categories. but deep web  resources also offer this information. . 

Unit 7: Finding Articles in Periodical Indexes Summary

          I found this a very informative assignment. I started with;
  Tec* and (Privacy or Security) as my search statement. 
 Last week, I used synonyms in hopes of coming up with more support for my statements. Yet, as I started experimenting with the databases, I found that some of my statements were too broad and that the synonyms caused me to view articles dealing more with the synonym words than with what I really wanted to focus on.  So I revised my search statement a bit.  I finally came up with  "Technology and Privacy" the suggestion of my professor. Once I made that change my search was more concise and topic related.
The most difficult article for me to find was the Scholarly  Journals. When I would truly examine the article and look up the publication, I found that several of the articles I wanted to use were considered  Trade Publication Journals. They were short articles, several included pictures, their publications were not quarterly, and they seemed to focus more on topics associated with a particular field such as computer technology.  They were not academically disciplined.
It is very reassuring knowing that you can utilize these resources when doing a research project. I feel that each assignment has given me new tools that will assist me in the future.

Unit 7: Finding Articles in Periodical Indexes

I appreciated your comments about my research statement.. When I first started experimenting with the data bases I entered the final statement I personal came up with from Unit 6;
Question: How has privacy been effected by technology?
FINAL STATEMENT:  Tec* and (Privacy or Security)
I did have good results, but as I analyzed the"titles of the articles", I noticed that several were dealing more with security than privacy.
So I took your advice and I adjusted my search statement to Technology and Privacy.
 The following are the article results for the different resources, Popular Magazine, Scholarly Journal, Trade Publication Journal, and Newspaper.

Magazine: PC World
Title of the Article: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR DIGITAL LIFE

Citation: Anonymous, . "HOW TO PROTECT YOUR DIGITAL LIFE. " PC World  1 Apr. 2009: Vol. 27, Iss. 4; pg. 46, 1 pgs. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web.  18 Feb. 2011. 

Annotation: I chose this article because of its title. In my original questions, I was asking how our privacy has been effected by technology and the advancement of the Internet?  I often wonder how we can ensure our privacy and keep ourselves safe while using the Internet.  I thought the title of this article sounded like it would support those question. It seems as technology keeps advancing the need for us to use a computer/Internet is increasing, understanding how you can protect our privacy and safe guard our personal information is vitally important.

Scholarly Journal: Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law
Title of the Article: DIGITAL MULTI-MEDIA AND THE LIMITS OF PRIVACY LAW

Citation: Lipton, J.. "DIGITAL MULTI-MEDIA AND THE LIMITS 
OF PRIVACY LAW." Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law  
42.3 (2010): 551-571. Research Library, ProQuest. Web.  19 Feb. 2011. 

Annotation: I chose this article because it contained the elements needed to be able to quote a scholarly journal. First, it is a long and an in-depth article (21 pages) Second, It is a journal that focuses on an academic discipline-Law. Lastly, the way that the paper read. It stated a directive, then had a process presented as to support or analyze the process. It was difficult for me to find a true scholar article. Several times I would fine an article that supported my search statement, but then when I would click the "Find It" Article Button, it would say, "sorry this article is not immediately available." Which would lead me to another search. It was a little frustrating. 

 

Trade Publication Journal: Association for Computing Machinery. Communications of the ACM

Title of the Article: Privacy and Security: Myths and Fallacies of "Personally Identifiable Information"

Citation: Narayanan, A., and V. Shmatikov. "Privacy and Security: Myths and Fallacies of "Personally Identifiable Information". Association for Computing Machinery. Communications of the ACM  Jun. 2010: Vol. 53, Iss. 6; pg. 24. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web.  18 Feb. 2011. 

Annotation: I chose this article because it seemed to support the core of my question. The credentials of the authors were also present. Arvind Narayanan  is a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and  Vitaly Shmatikov  is an associate professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin.  This Trade Publication Journal is dealing with articles associated with the profession of computers technology. Trade publications are the periodicals you can use to keep up with the news in a certain profession. Articles are related to a specific field, but they're typically not research-length or peer-reviewed. 

**I found that several of the articles that I wanted to use were Trade Publications. They were not considered a true Scholarly Journal because when I looked at the actual publication journal, several articles were only a couple of pages, they included pictures and they were not academically disciplined.  

Newspaper: The New York Times

Title of the Article: Technology Outpaces Privacy (Yet Again); [Money and Business/Financial Desk]

Citation: Natasha Singer. "Technology Outpaces Privacy (Yet Again) :[Money and Business/Financial Desk]." New York Times  12  Dec. 2010, Late Edition (East Coast): New York Times, ProQuest. Web.  19 Feb. 2011.

Annotation: I chose this article because of the summary that was posted. It seems to support  the key elements to my search statement and the underlining core questions I have about privacy and how its been effected by technology. 

Unit 6: Database Features and Searching Techniques Part 2

Part 2: My Composed Research Questions
I took all three of my question and tried the Boolean Operators Procedure on them.
Again I will explain my process. 


1. How has privacy been effected by technology?
I first wrote down, 
Privacy and Technology
Then I shortened technology.
Privacy and Tech*
But then I realized that I could maybe broaden the search by adding a synonym and changing the order of the statement , so this is my 
FINAL STATEMENT,
Tec* and (Privacy or Security)


2. What privacy concerns arise from using the Internet?
I first wrote down,
Privacy and Internet
Then I thought about synonyms or words associated with the Internet and I came up with,
Privacy and (Internet or Computer)
But then I realized that I could get a broader search applying truncating with this statement, my 
FINAL STATEMENT,
Priv* and (Internet or Comp*)

3.  What steps should be taken to secure ones privacy when using the computer?
I first wrote down,
Security and Privacy and Computer
But then I examined my question more closely and I asked,  "What was the focus and could I apply truncating?" ,  I came up with this statement for my, 
FINAL STATEMENT
Computer and (Priv* or Secur*)

Unit 6: Database Features and Searching Techniques Part 1

Practice Question Portion
Through this journey I found myself asking, "what would give me more results?"  I had to go through a process to come up with my FINAL STATEMENT  I hope you don't mind , but I started with my first statement and then explain the process I went through to come up with the FINAL STATEMENT.


1. What are the similarities between the Great Depression of the
1930s and the current economic problems?

I first wrote down,

similarities great depression and current economic

I had way too many words so I then established this statement, 

great depression and economics

Remembering the information I obtained in the IRIS tutorials and the videos, I came up with my 

FINAL STATEMENT; 

great depression and econ*

2. What breeds of dogs make good therapy pets? 

I first wrote down,,

best dog and therapy pet

It seemed wordy  so I came up with this statement,

dog for therapy pet

Then I realized that pet may limit the search and I remembered the "and" rule, so I came up with this

FINAL STATEMENT,

dog and therapy

3. Are big box stores like WalMart and Target good for the economy?

I first wrote down,,

Walmart and target and economy

But I began to question what am I comparing so I wrote down, 

economy and (Walmart or Target)

But then I remembered that spelling an entire word  limits the search, so I came up with this

FINAL STATEMENT, 

econ* and (Walmart or Target),

4. Will presidential election reform solve the issues with the electoral 

college and the popular vote? 

This was a tough one for me. I first wrote down,, 

election reform and electoral college and popular vote

I felt that this was a bit wordy, so I tried to concise the statement. 

election reform and (electoral college or popular)

I still felt that I had too much information and since electoral college is associated with the election  I established this

FINAL STATEMENT,

reform and (electoral college or popular)

5. How much more can a college graduate expect to earn over 

someone with a high school diploma? 

I first wrote down,

income and college grad* and high school;

Thinking that the grad needed to be there to show completion, but then I thought that just  stating the two levels of education would be enough, so I came up with,

income and college and high school

But then I realized what I was comparing two items and there was a different synonym for high school that could be used, so the phrase could be different. So this is my 

FINAL STATEMENT,

income and (college or secon*) 

   

Unit 5 Digging into Databases and Books: Summary

             This assignment I found very interesting.  I personally dealt with computer difficulty. For some reason my browser program was not compatible  for the Book24x7 site. I had to chart a unknown journey of locating my cookies and security program.Who knew there were cookies in the computer, or I would have had many late night snacks. Even after trying three different browser programs I could not access "It Pro".

           So now to the summary of the assignment.  Each one of these resources are just that a resource. The Cannell Library Book Catalog  and the Summit Catalog  each gave me that "old Library" feel.  I felt confident in the information and material I was able to find, yet because I did not have the book in hand; I question whether or not they would truly support the project as much as I hope. Once you obtain the actually item from the library then your will be able to make that call.
NetLibrary is a wonderful database site. After choosing a title it gave me the opportunity to type in key words or phases and view pages that contained such information.Thus it gives you the chance to see if the material within the text truly will be relevant to your research topic. Being able to do this for a variety of titles and at the same time cutting and pasting information into a file would be beneficial to any assignment. 

When I accessed Google Books, I was pleased with the vast information that were at your fingertips. I found it very helpful to actually be able to read the material from a book that you may use for a research topic. You can determine whether or not its material would truly be supportive and beneficial to the project.  I liked being able to locate more information about the author and to see if they truly had the credentials to be writing about the topic they were writing about. 

I do know that most likely when it comes to a research project that I would use a variety of these resources to support the topic. To just rely on the EBooks and  the Internet  to gather your information is something I would have to adjusted to. I'm sure that it can be accomplished because of the vast databases that are offered through universities and  specialized sites, but I still like visually seeing text on a page and then being able to physically  turn that page. 

Unit 5 Digging into Databases and Books: NetLibrary

Due to the fact that I was having problems logging on to "It Pro" and could not access Books24x7, my instructor was very understanding and gave me the opportunity to examine a similar database. So I went to NetLibrary  and was able to complete the assignment.
There were no problems with me logging onto this site and it also accepted my Clark Student ID number as the password.



Search Terms: Privacy and Technology
Citation Information: Author: Bahadur, Gary.; Chan, William; Weber, Chris
                                    Title: Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online
                                    City of Publication: Indianapolis, Ind.
                                    Publisher: Que
                                    Publication Date: 2002
Subject Headings: Computer security, Computer networks--Security measures,  Internet--Security measures.

Product ID: 81326

EBook ISBN: 9780768654936

ISBN: 9780768654936

Credible Book Clues: I noticed that the publication date was 2002. I wish that  it could have been a little more current, But the subject of the book was ideal for one of my research questions.  I did like the feature of being able to type in key words or phrases and view pages that contained such information. Instead of your fingers doing the walking; EBook did the walking for you. I also liked being able to view the table of contents to see what the chapter headings were and what they may contain.

Unit 5 Digging into Databases and Books: It Pro-My Cookie Problem

Cookies anyone?   When I tried to log-in to the site the option never came up immediately,  it would tell me that I needed to log-in  through your library. I contacted the  Tech Support Site and I sent an email explaining my problem.  I also went to the Frequently Asked Question field and tried to figure out what was going on. I finally located my "cookies" and made sure that my firewall was accepting all programs. I even turned off the security system to the computer and it still would not allow me to get to the log-in icon for this site. I then re-read the steps that I was suppose to do and even with an email from the Tech Support Staff, added the site to the privacy sites and it still did not work. I will be shutting off my entire system to see if it will allow me to do this part of the assignment. Wait to see what happens,  man I sure could use a tall glass of milk and some cookies to go with it.
Day Two- after receiving several emails from the Tech Support Staff and running a compatibility test with a link they sent to me, it mentioned that Google Chrome could not support the site.  So I tried to add the programs they suggested. I even tried using two other browsers, Internet Explorer and FireFox. I finally got the initial log-in from the library site for It Pro, but once I would enter in my student Clark ID number for the password, it would send me back to the log-in error screen I viewed several times last night.

 I am sure that if the Books24x7 site is anything like the Gale Virtual Reference Site we used for a previous assignment, it would be a very resourceful venue to use. Hopefully, my Cookie problems will become crumbs soon and I will be able to utilize this site for my benefit. 

Unit 5 Digging into Databases and Books: Google Books

Google Books  is and excellent site to use for researching a topic. It gives the user the opportunity to link to several different fields that are associated with your topic. Personal I felt a little overwhelmed and out of my element. I guess I missed that orderly library feel; even though I had more options I felt a little disoriented. 

Search Terms: Privacy and  Technology

Citation Information: Author: David H. Holtzman

                                    Title: Privacy Lost: How Technology is Endangering Your Privacy

                                    City of Publication: 989 Market Street San Francisco CA.  94108-1741 

                                    Publisher: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint  

                                    Publication Date: 2006

                                    Web-Site: www.josseybass.com

Subject Headings: Computer Information, Information Technology, Information Technology -Social aspects, Law/Constitutional, Law/Privacy, Political Science/Government/General, Political Science/Political Freedom and Security/General, Privacy. 

Book Preview: This  book had a limited  preview. It contained 54 pages out of 326. I found the information interesting and informative, and I feel that this would be an excellent source for the research topic in its entirety.

Credible Book Clues: I was able to examine the table of contents and read the title of the chapters, I found this very helpful because I was able to determine whether or not the chapters headings would be useful for my research topic.  Also being able to read the pages that were posted allowed me to decide if the book would be supportive to the research. I was able to obtain some detailed information about the author, his background, and his expertise. Being able to access other material that is  related to this book was also helpful.  I was also able to locate information about  the hardback copy of the book and where I could get it. . 

Search Differ: There were several links that allowed the user to open and obtain more information about the author,  publisher, and related topics. 

Unit 5 Digging into Databases and Books: The Summit Catalog

At the Summit Catalog  I felt that there was an adequate amount of material to support the research topic.

Search Terms: Privacy and  Technology

Citation Information: Author: Daniel J Solove

                                    Title: The Digital Person : Technology and Privacy in the Information Age

                                    City of Publication: New York 

                                    Publisher: New York University Press

                                    Publication Date: 2004. 

Subject Headings: Data protection -- Law and legislation -- United States, Electronic records -- Access control -- United States.,Public records -- Law and legislation -- United States, Government information -- United States, Privacy, Right of -- United States, Protection de l'information (Informatique) 

Circulating Book or  E-Book:  Circulating Book

Location: Portland Community College Library;   Sylvania

Call Number: 342.7308 S65 2004  

Credible Book Clues: Again I looked at  the year that the book was published.  I was able to examine the table of contents and at the same time was able to read the introduction to the book. I was also able to read the publisher description and some editorial reviews. I was able to find out more information about the author. 

Search Differ: There were several links that allowed the user to open and obtain more information about the author, the publisher description and reviews dealing with the book.   It was interesting to see the other location where you can get the book from and how many there were. I also liked the fact that I could see the cover. Several times I have been influenced by the design of the cover.    

Unit 5 Digging into Databases and Books: Cannell Library Book Catalog

While researching the Cannell Library Book Catalog it was very reassuring that there were so many resources to help support my topic.

Search Terms: Privacy and  Technology
Citation Information: Author: Ronald D. Lankford Jr. (Additional Authors: Lankford, Richard D., 1962)
                                    Title: Are Privacy Rights Being Violated?
                                    City of Publication: Detroit
                                    Publisher: Greenhaven Press
                                    Publication Date: 2010
Subject Headings: Privacy, Right of -United States,  Information Technology--Social Aspects--United States, Information Policy-United States, Social Norms.
Circulating Book or  E-Book: Circulating Book
Location: Cannell Second Floor 
Call Number: JC596.2.U5 A74 2010
Credible Book Clues: One thing I looked at was the year that the book was published.  A current year will have up-to-date research to support the topic.  It also contained  Bibliographical References and an  index to local data quickly. It also contained key subject words which I wanted to include in the research  in the content description.