Information Literacy Diagnostic Test

All options will give results but (b) is the most systematic. It ensures that you have got your topic correct before you even start searching. It is also not dependent only on web sources.

(d) – this option sounds proactive but: 1) the elderly one speaks to may not be aware of the programmes available to assist them; (2) there may not be sufficient time in 1 week to conduct interviews, transcribe them and collate the results.

(d) could be a reasonable answer but if one takes care to avoid plagiarism and cite sources when writing, a plagiarism checker is not needed.

The article in Wikipedia on "Singapore Girl" is not suitable as a reference in the report because it lacks authority and comprehensiveness. This means that the information provided may not be reliable or trustworthy, and it may not cover all aspects of the topic. It is important to use credible and comprehensive sources when conducting research to ensure the accuracy and validity of the information presented.

The correct answer is b. You searched the local newspaper The Straits Times and found the article which reported this news. This is a valid reason to believe that the news is true because finding the news article in a reputable local newspaper adds credibility to the information.

Once you start searching (Step D), it is useful to start reviewing your results (Step G) and then adjust and repeat your searches accordingly if necessary. Reviewing can continue to be done even after evaluating your information sources (Step E) but if you have reviewed then evaluating becomes easier.

The chart provides the publication details of the original article, including the authors' names, the title of the article, the journal it was published in, and the year of publication. By going to the end of the magazine article and checking the reference list, the researcher can find the complete citation for the original article. This will provide them with the necessary information to locate the article and potentially find other relevant charts or information. Searching the web using the authors' names or searching the library catalogue for the author named Basheer may not provide the specific article or the relevant charts. Selecting a science and technology database and searching for articles on surface marine sediments in Singapore may provide relevant articles, but it does not guarantee finding the specific article mentioned in the chart.

The search statement in option b. is the most relevant because it includes the keywords "social networking" and "social media" which are directly related to the topic of the report. Additionally, the use of the OR operator allows for results that include either "social networking" or "social media", expanding the search and capturing a wider range of relevant articles. The inclusion of the terms "positive" and "negative" further refines the search to specifically find articles discussing the positive and negative effects of social networking, which aligns with the objective of the report.

Using the exact words from the paragraph with quotation marks and providing a citation is the correct way to use the information without committing plagiarism. This method acknowledges the original source and gives credit to the author for their words.

For research or personal study, one may copy up to 10% of a book if the book contains 10 or more pages, or up to one chapter if the book is divided into chapters.

At the end of 2010, it was estimated that Google indexed 8% of the pages on the Web out of 300+ billion pages. A Google search therefore searches about 8% of the Web. A very large part of the Web consists of private pages and database-driven pages that Google cannot index.
See:
Paul Gil, What is the Invisible Web?, Dec 2010, http://netforbeginners.about.com/cs/secondaryweb1/a/secondaryweb.htm

There have been a number of studies and estimates reported or published since 2001. The percentages vary but all have shown that only a very small part of the Web is indexed.
See:
Devine, J. & Egger-Sider, F., 2009. Going beyond Google : the Invisible Web in learning and teaching. London, Facet.

To properly cite a journal article using the Harvard (author-date) style, the following information is needed: the author's name, the article title, the journal title, the year of publication, and the beginning and ending page of the article. This information will allow the reader to locate and read the article referenced in the essay on environmental sustainability. The other options (IV, V, IX) are not necessary for a proper citation in this style.

The OR operator is used to search synonyms or to retrieve results with at least one of the words you have used. Instead of doing individual searches for each synonym, it enables you to do one search to find articles on similar or related concepts.

Note: The essential information needed is: author’s surname, year of publication, article title, publication title, volume no. and issue no. and page numbers. If the article was accessed from an electronic database, the name of the database and the date of access can also be included.

Answer a) does not provide year of publication.
Answer b) does not provide volume and issue numbers.
Answer d) does not provide page numbers.

The search statement "myth* AND (“bird flu” OR “avian flu” OR H5N1)" will find the largest number of relevant articles on the topic because it includes variations of the term "myth" and includes multiple terms related to bird flu such as "bird flu," "avian flu," and "H5N1." This broadens the search and increases the likelihood of finding a larger number of relevant articles.

Type “stem cell research” (no quotation marks needed) in the ELISER/catalogue search box.

The correct answer is d. "Be consistent in your style and provide sufficient information for the reader to find the reference." This is the most important thing to remember when working on references because it ensures that the reader can easily locate and access the sources cited in the project report. Consistency in style helps maintain a professional and organized appearance, while providing sufficient information allows the reader to accurately identify and retrieve the referenced materials.

The Harvard style has variations but the wrong options above are obviously not the Harvard style or have missing information.

Before you even think of redefining your topic or changing to another database, some simple things to do would be to check that the keywords, Boolean operators and symbols used are correct. In real life, it has been observed that students often make spelling errors when keywords are entered and place operators in the wrong positions.

Also, it doesn’t hurt to check that the database has not placed some limits on the search by default. For example, in the Factiva database, the default search is on Singapore news sources. If the option was changed to All Sources, which covers sources from all over the world, the number of documents retrieved will then be much larger.

The author’s qualifications (III) and the type of publication (VI) help us determine the authority of the information but authority does not necessarily exclude bias. In academic circles, there may also be controversial issues with academics ranged on both sides and acceptance for publication could depend on one’s stand.