USING INFORMATION RESOURCES TO RESEARCH A TOPIC FOR PRESENTATION
A student will be given a lot of tasks to present on different topics/issues.As a good student you are suppose to know how to use information resources so as to research a topic for presentation.In libraries there are number of books,journals and other references such as encyclopedias which yo may used to read for various information.
unless you are instructed ,it is not easy to locate these resources in the library.So there is a need for us to adhere to guidelines an how to locate reference in the library as well as how to look for information .
Catalogies in the library
A catalogies are either in form of cards that have the information on where to find resources or they are online information (computer based catalogies).
A catalogies may be refered to as
i. An author catalogue
ii. A title card catalogue OR
iii. Subject card catalogue
Library classification system
There are two main classification system in the library
i. The library of Congress Classification system(LCCS)
ii. Dewey Decimal Classification(DDCS)
The library Congress classification system uses letters of the alphabets in classifying books and other resources on the shelves.
E.g A-History,Sociology.General Studies
B-Geography,Literature,Sports
C-Philosophy,Psychology and Anthropology
D-Topography,Technology an Games.
Dewey Decimal classification system uses numbers in classifying library resources
E.g 000-099 Philosophy books
800-199 General books
200-299 Social sciences
300-399 Pure Science
400-499 Literature and arts. etc
How to research a topic for presentation?
i. Identify your research topic
I.e identify what you want to write about,this is always a topic of your interest so that your writing become easier.Your topic should not be too broad or too narrow.
e.g Education system in Tanzania(too broad).
Level of education in Grade I,II, and III-(too narrow).
Poor performance in 2012 form four Nation Exams.-(Standard)
ii. Set for appropriate research questions
i.e write at least five research questions that you will be looking answers for them.That you will be looking answers for them .This should combine different
WH -question
e.g Research topic; The formation of Africa Union(AU).
1. When was it formed?
2. Who are the members of the union?
3. What are the objective of the union?
4. Why was it formed?
5.What are it advantages.
iii. Collect the needed information
The needed information can be collected through different sources e.g,books,magazine,articles,internet, encyclopedia.journals or face to face interviews with an expert .The information collected has to be noted by either quoting direct from the source or paraphrasing.All sources of information used in your research have to be written so as to avoid academic theft.
iv. Organize the information
i.e Start to draft your research paper by organizing it in a logical sequence .This will provide the structure of your paper and the sequencial of your material.
THESIS STATEMENT
-Tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
-Is a road map for the paper;in other words it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
-Directly answers the questions asked of you.
-Makes a claim that others might dispute.
-Is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader.
For example from the topic for research
“The formation of AU”The thesis statement can be;
“The formation of AU is to create unit analyses problem and to solve challenges facing African Countries”
CITATION OF RESOURCES
When we write academic works such as research paper,books journals or articles we normally collect information from different sources like encyclopedias,journals,books,the internet or from newspaper.To acknowledge these sources is very important so as to avoid academic theft or plagiarism.
Citation is done by following particulars rules which vary according to the type of sources being cited e.g a book.a journal,a newspaper,article etc.One of the system used in citation is the APA STYLE.
The APA style of citation
American Psychological Association (APA) is the association that has a style is comprised of rules and conventions which are used for formatting books,research papers,journal articles etc.
Two ways of showing citation by using APA system
The in-text citation and the reference list at the end of a work.
A.The in-text citation
Is the reference that we make inside our essays.
Is the one in which the source is shown within the text.This is done either by Quoting directly the exact words of the original author or by paraphrasing them.
For example
(i) One author
Use family name plus the year of publication According to Nkwera (2005).”Literature is a mirror” this meas that literature portrays the reality of the society
-When citation is repeated within the same paragraph,use family name only;
E.g According to Nkwera (2005″literature is a mirror” Nkwera said that literary works copy the society and portrays it as it is.
(ii) Two authors
Use the family names of both authors and year of publication and ignore the year of publication only if citation is repeated within the same paragraph
e.g Nkwera and Iyan (2010) argue that any work of art must have the universe where the content can operate .Nkwera and Iyan added that……
(iii)Three to five authors
Write all family names and the year of publication the first time you cite, then the first name and et al and year in other citations,
e.g Nkwera ,Iyan,Chomsky.Achebe and Mloka(1998) view language as the system of arbitrary vocal symbol through which human being use for communication and it has unique feature from other creatures communication
Nkwera et al (1998)Argue that…….
(iv) Six or more authors
Write only the first family name and et al sand the year of publication
e.g Lincoln(1930)”Democracy is the government of people by the people and for the people” This means that democracy……….
(v) Secondary source
This is when you quote something from someone who also quoted it from another person.Use the family names of both author beginning with the primary author.
e.g Diyani (1964)as cited in Chomsky (2000)argues that…………………..or………………..
says”Every child is born with inate which enable him/her to learn any language he/she might might exposed to”
(vi)Group authors
These are government agencies ,association,organization etc.Under whose name authorship appear
Write the full name of the group together with its short form then the year of publication only if its first time you’re citing it.in the subsequent citation use only the short form of the group and the year of publication.
For example:According to (World Health Organization(WHO),2005).”The child mortality has dropped by fifteen percent in the last “
WHO(2005)Suggest that government out to put more emphasis in the health sector ,especially in rural areas………
(vii)How to write quotation
Short quotations i.e those with less than 40 words should be written as a run part of the sentence concerned ,with open and closing double quotation mark.The page number should also be included.
For example.Chomsky(2008)says that “Any body can learn language regardless the age though it is true that children will master the language faster than the adult”(p 14).
OR
“Any body can learn the language regardless the age though it is true that children will master the language faster than the adult(Chomsky 2008:14)”.
For long quotations i.e those with more than 40 words(block quote) begin on a new line indent about 5 spaces from the left margin and use no quotation marks.
For example According to Lipumba (2006)
democratic is the government which listens to his people ,allow them to give out their views and has the rules of law which ensure even nglish-swahili/distribution” target=”_blank”>distribution of national
cake.It is the government which works on the challenges paused by its people and gives out the positive solution(p 29).
B.End of the essay citation(reference)
After you have written your research paper/essay or a report tell the reader the references you have used to compile your work.This is so important because people(reader)may wish to consult some of the books or call sources you consulted.This can only be made possible through the so called “reference “you are therefore required to be very keen in presenting the reference using APA style
Thus ,Reference list is a list of all books ,journals, encyclopedias and any other resources you consulted in accomplishing your research paper,essay or project.
NOTE:Write reference on a fresh page at the end of your essay or research paper.
Include books,journals,articles etc in alphabetical order.
HOW TO WRITE REFERENCES
Reference of a book written by one author:
1.Write the last/family name of the author example:the book written by Chinua Achebe,the last name is Achebe For that case your reference will start like
Achebe,(Remember to put Comma)
2. Write initial of the other names: (starting with the first name)
In the example above the first name is Chinua so the initial will be C. At this point you will have
Achebe C.(Which is the followed by a full stop as shown)
3. Write the year of publication in brackets: Every book has the year in which it was published .Lets assume that Achebe’s book was published in 1961.Up to this point
you will have,
Achebe C.(1961).
NB:After brackets is full stop.
4.Write the title of the book.Let us assume that Achebe book is entitled “Things fall apart”up to this point we are going to write
Achebe C.(1961). Things fall apart.
NB: The title of the book is italicized if written using computer or underline if hand written,Also Capitalized the first word of the book title or proper noun if any.
5.Write the name of the city/Town where the book was published .Every book has its address inside .This address show among other things,the name of the town where
the book was published.Lets assume that Achebe book was published in Lagos.
NOTE
the city/place of publication is followed by colon(:)up to this point our reference will look like.
Achebe,C.(1961). Things fall apart.Lagos:
6.Finally write the name of the publishing company,there are many companies in world and a good number too in Tanzania.Examples of these companies are Dar es
salaam University Press, Nyambari Nyangwine publishers,Oxford University Press etc.Let us assume that Achebe’s book was published by Oxford University Press
Thus our final reference will be;
Achebe,C.(1961).Things fall apart.Lagos: Oxford University.
Reference involving a book written by two authors.
The procedures are the same only that we write two authors .let us assume that we are writing a reference for the book written by Nyambari Nyangwine and Michael Kadeghe in 2010 entitled “Advanced Level English Language” which is published by Mkuki na Nyota Publishers in Dar es salaam.
POINT TO NOTE:
-Write the Surname of the first author and the initial(s) of the same author.
-Use the symbol & followed by Surname and initial of the second author.
-Other details follow just like what we did when talking about the book written by one author your reference will be
Nyangwine,N. & Kadeghe, M.(2010).Advanced level English language.Dar es salaam:Mkuki na Nyota.
Reference involving a book written by more than two authors
Write the Surname and initial of all six or less than six authors then write the ampersand “&”before the name of last author.
If there are seven or more authors write the surname and initial of the first author and then write “et al”other details will follow as we have been doing in one book reference.
For example the book entitled”Principles of Language “Written by Elibariki Ibrahim Ngowi,Rwehumbiza Kamanzima,Shaban Idrisa Juma ,Ally Nassoro,Zawadi Jonathan and Penina Muhando in 2009 and published by MacMillan Company Limited Nairobi .Our reference is as follows.
Ngowi, E.I., Kmanzima,R., Juma S.I., Nassoro,A., Jonathan,Z. & Muhando,P.(2009).Principle of language.Nairobi:MacMillan Company Limited.
Reference that involve the book that has been edited
People who put together works of different authors into one book are called editors.Books of this kind have something written”edited by…….” on their covers.Another way of recognizing that the book in question is an edited work is to see if it contains articles or chapters written by different people.In that scenario the names that appears on the cover will be the names of editors.If one editor write(Ed)coming after the surname and initials ,if more than one editor write (Eds)
for example A book entitled “Social Political Approach “edited by Neema Mosha,Ramadhani Rajabu and Theresia Hoza Published in Dar es salaam(2012)by Good Books Publishers.
Mosha,N.,Rajabu,R. &Hoza,T.(Eds)(2012).Social Political Approach.Dar es salaam:Good Books Publishers. (This is when the author is not known).
Plath,S.(2000) The great pond.K.M(Ed)New York:Salt Publishers. (This is when the author is known).
Chapters or Articles in edited books
Write the author -Year of publication -Tittle of the chapter-the word “in” name(s) of editor(s)-Title of the book-Page number-City-Publisher
i.e Author-(year).Title of the chapter.In -(editor(s))Title of the book(PP-).City:Publisher
For instance;
Egan,J.(1992).Men’s and Women’s gender role journey.In B.Jembe (Ed),Gender issues across the life cycle(PP.107-123)Dar es salaam:Ujuzi Publishers.
Newspaper articles
Write Author-(Year,Month,Day)-Title of article-Title of Newspaper-P-
NOTE:
If the article has got no author ignore the part of author and that of (year.month,day)
For example: Mtani,W(2013.January 27) Sports and Tanzania.The daily News P.14
Internet documents
Write author-(year,month)-Title of article-retrieved Month,day,year from http://www……
For example: Rodrigoz,V(2012,May)All 33 chile miners freed in flawless rescue retrieved October 12,2014,from http://www.msnbc.msn.com
-When there is no author for a web page the title moves to first position of the reference entry.
Example
All 33 chile miners freed in flawless rescue (October 12,2014,) retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com
-When there is no date write (n.d)+retrieved (Year,Month,Day) and then web address.
Example
All 33 chile miners freed in flawless rescue(n.d)retrieved October 12,2014,from http://www.msnbc.msn.com
QUESTION FOR REVISION:
1.Write reference of not less than ten books/journals/encyclopedias/Newspapers/Articles or Internet by observing APA style
2. Write five advantages of making citation
3. List five disadvantages of not making citation
4. Differentiate skimming from scanning and intensive reading from extensive reading
5. What is the difference between the “in-text citation” and “end -of-essay” citation?Support your answers with example
6. With Example write short notes on Donatative and Connotative words.
7. Assume that you want to write a very good essay on a certain topic of your choice Write the title of your choice ,introduction plus the thesis statement in it.
8. (a)What is an argumentative text?
(b)What makes you say”this is an argument“and this is not
(c)Briefly explain how you can research a topic for presentation.
9.(a)Why do we need catalogue in our library
(b)List two system used in the library and say shortly how they work.
(c)Briefly explain how you can research a topic for presentation
10. What are the technique that make skimming successful.
