Library Research Assistance

When using online sources it is very important to assess the credibility of the resource. We use resources to justify our statements and make our writing more credible. Using unreliable sources can hurt your credibility and the relevance of the information. The six guidelines from http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html and http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/credibility1.html help to assess an online source.
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I. Authority

Is there an author? Is the page signed?
Is the author qualified? An expert?
Who is the sponsor?
Is the sponsor of the page reputable? How reputable?
Is there a link to information about the author or the sponsor?
If the page includes neither a signature nor indicates a sponsor, is there any other way to determine its origin?

Look for a header or footer showing affiliation.

Look at the URL. http://www.fbi.gov

Look at the domain. .edu, .com, .ac.uk, .org, .net

Rationale

1. Anyone can publish anything on the web.
2. It is often hard to determine a web page's authorship.
3. Even if a page is signed, qualifications are not usually provided.
4. Sponsorship is not always indicated.

II. Accuracy

Is the information reliable and error-free?
Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information?

Rationale

1. See number 1 above
2. Unlike traditional print resources, web resources rarely have editors or fact-checkers.
3. Currently, no web standards exist to ensure accuracy.

III. Objectivity

Does the information show a minimum of bias?
Is the page designed to sway opinion?
Is there any advertising on the page?

Rationale

1. Frequently the goals of the sponsors/authors are not clearly stated.
2. Often the Web serves as a virtual "Hyde Park Corner", a soapbox.

IV. Currency (Up to Date? added by Kyle Louks)

Is the page dated?
If so, when was the last update?
How current are the links? Have some expired or moved?

Rationale

1. Publication or revision dates are not always provided.
2. If a date is provided, it may have various meanings. For example,

It may indicate when the material was first written

It may indicate when the material was first placed on the Web

It may indicate when the material was last revised

V. Coverage

What topics are covered?
What does this page offer that is not found elsewhere?
What is its intrinsic value?
How in-depth is the material?

Rationale

1. Web coverage often differs from print coverage.
2. Frequently, it's difficult to determine the extent of coverage of a topic from a web page. The page may or may not include links to other web pages or print references.
3. Sometimes web information is "just for fun", a hoax, someone's personal expression that may be of interest to no one, or even outright silliness.

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These five are from http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html accessed on 2/22/11

Begin Quote:

VI. Publishing Body/Publisher

     Is the type of material appropriate for the assignment?

      Is the site sponsored by a respected organization?

      Does the site include an official insignia of the organization sponsoring it?

      Are you able to contact the webmaster or sponsoring organization from within the site?

Rationale

1.      Professional sources from the Web include professional home pages or online professional journals. Non-professional sources include personal home pages or online general audience magazines.

End Quote:

I would like to add a second rationale:

2.      Sponsors will fund credible websites.

The sixth’s information is from http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/credibility1.html accessed on 2/22/11 and we made the second rationale.

other group members work
Hashmi, Moizuddin
Hussain, Asif
Mingo, Sam A
Vo, Thao T

Steps for Interviewing

1. Determine objectives of interview
2. Determine questions for interview
3. Find interviewees to interview
4. Set up time for interview
5. Conduct and record interview
6. Thank interviewee for interview
7. Transcribe interview
8. Research country
9. Write outlines for interview report and country report
10. Write interview report and country report
11. Post to blog and go to class

Interview Objectives for Kyle Louks

During the interview process I would like to learn things from a new culture. I would also like to learn how moving to America has affected their life. I would like to achieve a higher understanding of different perspectives which can in turn open incite to my own life. I would also like the interview to be more informal, so that it seems to be more of a conversation than question and answer session. This way, the person I will be interviewing may answer questions I didn't think of in my brainstorming process.

Final Selection for Interview Questions

1. What do you miss from your native country? What don't you miss?

2. What was the hardest thing about transitioning to the U.S.? (Culture shock)

3. Why did you decide to come to SCSU instead of studying or working in your own country?

4. What is something unique to where you are from?

5. How does the climate in your home country compare to here?

6. What are some cultural differences between your country and here?

7. Who takes care of the finances in your family?

8. At what age do men and women spend private time and at what age do they consider marriage?

9. What are your personal experiences with racism since coming to the US?

10. What were your preconceptions about the US before coming here and how have they changed?

11. Is religion more open where you’re from?

12. How long have you been here? How long are you planning on staying?

13. What was the education system like in your native country?

14. What is your favorite food/meal that you wouldn't commonly find in America?

15. How is living here similar/different to where you are from?

16. What kind of foods do you eat where you’re from?

Organized Questions

Political

How are the relationship between the USA and your country?

What was the education system like in your native country?

Experience

Have you found or been a victim of Racism? What is your say on racism?

How does the climate where you’re from compare to Minnesota's climate?

What do you enjoy about living here?

What are some cultural differences you've noticed since you came here?

How is living here similar/different to where you are from?

Does America exceed your expectations or is it different than what you were expecting?

How do you like the snow so far?

What were the difficulties that you faced in school where English is the dominant language?

Which country do you prefer living in and why?

Personal

What kind of foods do you eat where you’re from?

How long have you been here? How long are you planning on staying?

How often do you get to talk to or see your parents?

Why did you decide to come to Minnesota for education?

How is your life in the United States different from that in your home country?

How would you summarize your stay so far in the United States?

20 Interview Questions

1. Why did you come to America?
2. Are you here on visa or are you interested in citizenship?
3. What is something unique to where you are from?
4. What is your native language?
5. What is something unique you and your friends do for fun?
6. How does the climate where your from compare to Minnesota's climate?
7. Is religion more open where your from?
8. What kind of foods do you eat where your from?
9. What do you enjoy about living here?
10. What do you miss from your native country? What don't you miss?
11. How long have you been here? How long are you planning on staying?
12. Does any of your family live in America too?
13. What are popular sports in your native country that aren't as popular in America?
14. Was life harder before you came to America?
15. What was the education system like in your native country?
16. What is your favorite food/meal that you wouldn't commonly find in America?
17. What are some cultural differences you've noticed since you came here?
18. How have you like living in St. Cloud and going to the university here?
19. How is living here similar/different to where you are fun?
20. Does America exceed your expectations or is it different than what you were expecting?

Group 1 Outline

Topic: What is global communication and how has it promoted the globalization witnessed in the past ten years?

Intro: “Global communication is the process of transmitting and receiving information on a world-wide scale.”(1) In the near future, global communication is going to become invaluable. Businesses will devote whole divisions to this process. Global communication will continue to affect technology, education, and markets.

Thesis Statement: Global communication has become one of the most important factors in business and technology, and education.

1.       Communication

a.       Forms

                                  i.      Internet

1.       Chatrooms

2.       Facebook

3.       Skype

4.       E-mail

                                  ii.      Telephone

1.       Text messages

2.       Picture messages

3.       Calls

4.       Web

                                  iii.      Body language

1.       Facial expressions

2.       Stance

3.       Tone of voice

4.       70% of communication

b.      Interpretation

                                   i.      Meanings of words

                                   ii.      Translations

                                   iii.      How communication is perceived

1.       Point of view

2.       Sarcasm

c.       Struggles in communication

                                   i.      Distance

1.       Information has to travel across continents

                                   ii.      Time

1.       Difficulty with time zones

2.       Postal mail delivery times

                                   iii.      Language barriers

1.       Mistakes in translations

                                                           iv.      Cultural differences

d.      Global spread of ideas

                                   i.      Exchanges of information from continent to continent

2.       Technology

a.       How it has improved with ideas from separated places

                                   i.      Advances in modern medicine

                                   ii.      Sharing of technology

1.       Computer chips

b.      How technology has affected global communication

                                   i.      Online translators

                                   ii.      Travel costs (not necessary to travel)

                                   iii.      Faster access to information

3.       Business

a.       Globalization of franchises

                                   i.      Fast food chains

b.      Increased market size

                                   i.      Diversified goods

                                   ii.      Can sell and buy online from other countries/continents

c.       More efficient operating

                                   i.      Improved banking

1.       Wire money

2.       Online banking

                                   ii.      Online meetings

4.       Education

a.       Online classes

                                   i.      Convenience of students and professors

1.       Time management

2.       Structure

3.       Student and professor preferences

b.      Online resources

                                    i.      Examples of papers

                                    ii.      Search engines

                                    iii.      Online writing labs

                                    iv.      Access to electronic books

c.       Distance becomes less of a factor

                                    i.      Video chat

                                    ii.      Online resources

d.      Culture studies

                                    i.      Foods

                                    ii.      Traditions

Conclusion: As shown above, global communication has become one of the most important factors in business, technology, and education. It has helped many people in the last few years and has opened doors of opportunity for many who otherwise would not have had these chances.

1.       http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Global_Communication  visited on 1/25/11

Global Communication

 "Global communication is the process of transmitting and receiving information on a world-wide scale."” In the near future, global communication is going to become invaluable. Businesses and governments will devote whole divisions to this process. Communication has a great amount of interpretation involved with it, therefore, in order to be successful, businesses and governments will need to make sure they are saying what they want to mean. Global communication is going to become one of the most important things of our time.

There are many different communication forms that allow people to transfer ideas and feelings to one another. The internet has been bringing people together for years. People have been using the internet by entering chatrooms, setting up their own facebook page, hosting online business meetings, skyping, and sending electronic mail. In combination with the internet people have been brought closer together by telecommunications. Phones can receive calls, send text and picture messages, and now a phone can even access the web and all the communication forms which that offers. Oral communications and body language make up two more mediums of communication. With body language and facial cues, one person can tell what another person is feeling, sensing, and sometimes even thinking. This is possible because non-verbal communication makes up nearly 70% of all communication.

Interpretation can become an issue because of translations of language and because when a person says something, the meaning isn’t always clear. Each language has different words and different meanings which makes translations difficult. When a person uses sarcasm, what they say and what they mean are two completely different things. Communication is also difficult because it can be perceived in so many different ways. If two American high schoolers are talking in the hallway, some of the language that they might use can be perceived as meaningless nonsense by a teacher or parent. If someone gives a compliment to someone else such as, "nice shoes,"” depending on the tone use when saying it the intended compliment can be taken as a compliment or an insult.

There are many struggles with the communication process. One of the biggest problems is communicating with someone who is hundreds of miles away. Humans have developed many ways to do this but how convenient something is and how long it takes can be two completely different things. If someone made a 1:00 pm business call from the United States to a business partner in China, the call would be very inconvenient for the person in China because it would be around 3:00 am local time. Other potential problems with communication can be how long it takes for a letter to arrive, or troubles with translations of languages and cultural differences. One example of a mistake in translation would be JFK’s "Ich bin ein Berliner,"” speech. He should have dropped the ein, because without it, there wouldn’t have been any confusion. This one, three-lettered word changed the meaning from "I am a person from Berlin,"” to "I am a jelly doughnut"”

Humans are social creatures, so how we communicate is very important. With businesses taking their franchises to the global level, and wars depending on the success of politics between every country, global communications are going to become one of the most important things of our time.