Library Research Assignment

Introduction

You are to complete a research assignment during weeks 6-7, after a Librarian visits the class and shows various research strategies and tools during a one hour long class presentation. Questions on the research strategies and tools should be directed to the Reference Librarians, located at: http://library.csun.edu/ResearchAssistance/AskUs. You must take notes from the Librarian visit and submit those notes (handwritten) at the end of the lecture. Please be sure to include your name and class time on the paper.

Before your Librarian visits your classroom, please watch ALL of the three videos on this link: http://library.csun.edu/Guides/comp100 and then click on Quiz to test your knowledge.
http://library.csun.edu/Guides/comp100/Quiz

Questions regarding due dates, point value for completion of the assignment, or appropriateness of topic selection should be directed to your comp 100 instructor.

Research Topics

Please review all the topics below, and choose one with your group members.

1. How do computer viruses spread and in what ways do they affect computers?
2. How has the Music/TV industry been affected by the internet and digital downloading?

- How have sites such as Youtube , Netflix, Hulu, affected the TV/Music industry

3. Microblogging

- It has surfaced and inspired mainly by people's tendency to jot down babble and post it. They consist of sites like Twitter and Chinese equivalent Weibo, also Facebook Status Updates, which are very popular. In what way has Microblogging revolutionized the way information is consumed?

4. From where does spam email come and can we stop it?

5. Cell Phones - How have they changed us socially?

6. Cloud Computing - What is it and related Security Issues .

7. Cyber Crime - Identity Theft

- What are the latest ways to steal identity and money? Social Security numbers are the most valuable pieces of consumer information for identity thieves! How can we prepare and protect ourselves?

8. Internet Censorship

- How is internet censorship used in China/Middle East/Korea? Should parents censor what their children are looking at? Should companies see what employees are doing in their time?

9. Computer waste and the environment: whose problem is it?

- You'd never guess it, but your PC puts about 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year! What can you do to help?

10. Internet and children

- Are children smarter (or more socialized) because of the Internet?

11. Privacy of Medical Records

- What medical information should be confidential? Who, if anybody, should have access to medical records? Is your data safe?

12. Internet Dating

- Internet dating is proving a much more successful way to find long-term romance and friendship for thousands of people than was previously thought, new research shows! Is it safe and for everyone?

13. Augmentive Technology for the Handicapped

- Using technology to improve the quality of life of the disabled. Some products are natural-voice talkers for the speech impaired, single-switch Internet surfing for quadriplegics, robotic wheelchairs, sensory systems to teach cause-and-effect to severely delayed children, tablet PCs that translate the uncharacteristic handwriting of people with spastic cerebral palsy, and a means to extend special-education class work to home-bound and hospital-bound children, among many other ideas

(If you have a topic that is not on the list, please see your instruction for approval.)

Overview of Research Assignment

Students will develop a more in-depth understanding of various topics. This will be achieved through the use of research strategies and a systematic exploration of appropriate information sources introduced in the library Resources lecture. Students will document their research by creating an annotated bibliography using the topic selected.

Assignment Requirements

1. The annotated bibliography will contain NINE sources (for Groups of Three) using the MLA Style for the reference citations.

2. Of the 9 sources in the annotated bibliography, at least (3) should be from a book, e-book, personal interview, or media resource (i.e. TV broadcast, or film); (3) should be from a periodical (newspaper, magazine or journal) and (3) should be from freely accessible websites.

3. Each source listed will also include a 3-5 sentence annotation which will describe the relevance between the information in the source and the topic of the research.

4. The annotated bibliography should be typed in MLA style, Double spaced with one inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right). Include your names and page number in the header (top - aligned right), include your names, Prof. Name, Class name, date on the left side.

5. A cover sheet is not necessary in MLA format!

6. The completed annotated bibliography is due to your instructor on the date announced in class. Each team member must upload the team project; the team leader will print and submit the team project.

Summary Activity

When you have completed your annotated bibliography, answer the following question in one separate page and attach to your annotated bibliography

If a friend asked you where you found the best information on your selected topic, based on your research activities, what would you tell them you discovered about the process and/or the information sources?

(NOTE: Each student is to write his/her own individual summary!):