Beware of the Horse Dog and other Urban Legends

Is that a real dog? Was the popular Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas really a coded message? Will Microsoft actually pay me for forwarding an e-mail message to all my friends?

You’ve seen these e-mails and others like them. The subject usually begins with “Fwd:” or even worse, “Fwd: Fwd: FWD.” Some attempt to appeal to our emotions with heart-warming or infuriating stories. Others are pleas for help. Many claim you will receive a reward, like cash or luck, just for forwarding the message. What they do have in common, is most of them are untrue. The internet, as well as our in-boxes, overflows with urban legends, frauds, and scams. Fortunately, there are several sites that help you separate the fact from the fiction. Here are some of the librarians' favorites.

• Snopes.com: http://snopes.com/
• Urban Legends and Folklore: http://urbanlegends.about.com/
• ScamBusters.org: http://www.scambusters.org/
• FactCheck.org: http://factcheck.org/
• STATS: http://www.stats.org/

No, the horse dog isn’t real, but this cat is:










Images from www.snopes.com

Build Your Own Search Engine

Instructors, are you frustrated that your students aren’t using academic and authoritative web sites for their school work? We all know that the ability to critically evaluate information is a vital skill in the 21st century, yet students still struggle. The importance of this skill is recognized in the DCCCD’s Core Curriculum, Richland College’s proposed Institutional Learning Outcomes, and the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Competency Standards.
You can give you’re students a push in the right direction by building your own search engine. You’ll know your students are using credible websites because you've already evaluated and selected the sites they searched. It’s actually much easier than it sounds thanks to several free custom search engine providers. Visit the Search Engine Showdown for a list and comparison of the major search builders.
My favorite is Google Custom Search. Its based on Google’s popular search database, provides helpful documentation, and it allows collaboration. For example, the Undergraduate Research Engine is a Google Custom Search Engine that is being built by several librarians. You can even embed your Google Custom Search engine into your eCampus course.
If you’re interested in learning more about Google Custom Search, I’m teaching a workshop on Monday, March 30, 2009 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm in L126. Contact aferguson@dcccd.edu to register.

Reference Universe Instead of Wikipedia

A recent study of research habits among college students resulted in both a research report and a YouTube video. Under the heading of "Everyday Research" the video has a slide entitled "Wikipedia as the First Step: The Power of an Un-Citable Source."

When used for the proper purposes, Wikipedia has undeniable value. The problem is that students working on research papers need sources that they CAN cite.

Let it be said though that in their rush to get the project "finished" those students often skip right past the real value of Wikipedia -- to immerse themselves in the subject and the issues enough to be able to fashion a well formed focus. In other words, to be well enough acquainted with their topic so they can research intelligently and write confidently.

So how can they get started with sources that are citable?

Any librarian worth his or her salt will usually direct those students to subject encyclopedias. And the best tool to identify which subject encyclopedias treat the desired subject is something entitled Reference Universe.

But there is one catch which is well captured in the byline of the Reference Universe publishers:

"Hint: The best article for your particular topic may be on your library shelves and not online."

So for now at least you'll have to get out of your chair and visit the library to lay hands on the research gold uncovered by Reference Universe.

PS. Electronic sources are being slowly added to Reference Universe but their expense prohibits the library from acquiring all but the most essential. Clicking on the button labeled E-Content will sometimes pay off.