First Web Page

http://twoplayfulotters.com/students/rbonifant.html

This assignment was a lot of fun. I must admit, at first it was a little frustrating because I'm using a mac and things are a little different. I was having trouble getting Safari to open the file so I could see it as it would appear on the web. It was opening it as a text editor would, so all I could see was the html code. I went back through the directions very carefully and used the exact programs recommended for all the steps. After that it worked fine. I think it was because I was trying to use OSX text edit.

After that everything went smoothly. I feel I have a clear understanding of what went on with this process. I understand the differences between the web, internet, ftp, client and server. I can see with more experience how fun it would be to make more advanced web pages. You could create your own blog with your own custom page without limitations. Or maybe you could link your blog to your personal page where people could get more goodies. The possibilities seem infinite. I'm going to try and take an introductory html class next quarter if my schedule works out. After this class I feel much better about accessing resources from many aspects of the internet. I feel I have a much better "bird's eye" view of the whole thing.

Open Web Searching

I'm going to start off with a quick summary. I really like having the ability to search for topics within specific domains. I found the .org to be the least relevant of the three here. It's kind of neat to see only government sites or only educational sites. If you need to broaden things just bring in the .com and you'll get plenty of hits. It's a subtle way to alter your searches but very effective. For academic purposes I can see using the .gov and .edu a lot more often from here on out. Just to clarify, I used Yahoo search engine for all four citations and repeated the same boolean search for each as well. I received plenty of hits with this strategy. 


a) Yahoo.com
b) I used the boolean statement:

"domestic violence" or "family violence" and "native american*" or "american indian" and prevalen*

(.gov)
Author. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Prevalence of adult domestic violence among women seeking routine care in a Native American health care facility. Oct 1998. Mar 6 2066. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1508473/

Since the website is a database for medical journals I assume the content has been peer reviewed and its purpose is to educate or inform on a specific aspect of the topic. It is also a .gov domain which might make it more credible.

(.com)
Author. Informaworld. Domestic Violence Among the Navajo: A Legacy of Colonization. 2011. Mar. 06 2011. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a904397813&db=all

This website is also for medical journals or academic journals. There are references as well. I've never heard of this database but it looks quite useful

(.edu)
Sokolof, Natalie J. John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Multicultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence. 2000. Mar. 06 2011. http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/research/DomesticViolence/ii.html

This site is a criminal justice college website that is for educating and the article has many thorough references. It appears to be current.

(.org)
Author. Family Violence Prevention Fund. Violence Prevention Leader Lauds Senate Committee on Indian Affairs For Passing Tribal Law & Order Act of 2009. 2011. Mar. 06 2011. http://www.endabuse.org/content/news/detail/1360

Not entirely sure about this one but it seems that the purpose of this site is raising awareness and funds. Seems to be fact based with little or no bias. The article  is linked to outside pages for more information to reference. I'd trust it.

Internet Search Tools

Search:
I visited all the search tools in the first list and chose to explore "Gigablast" since it's boasting a 90% greenness. You have to try and be environmentally conscious these days right? Anyway, it's a very clean and simple layout which I like. It's not full of ad banners like some of the others. I tried the [mullet] search and didn't get one hit on the first page referring to fish. I then tried [mullet and fish -hair*] and really narrowed it down. This engine seems to work like Google or Yahoo in terms of boolean operators. I would have to say its advanced features are not quite what Google has but will do the job especially if you already know your boolean operators. I would use it again for research or casual use and I bookmarked it so I can.

Review 5 Features:
1. Supports Boolean Operators
2. Has an advanced search feature with drop-down boxes.
3. Customized Tool Bar with restricted searches to designated url's.
4. Did I mention it's Green?
5. Number five is extraneous because it's just that simple. I'm struggling for unique features at this point. Let's move on.

Meta:
From the second list I chose the "Ixquick" metasearch tool. It has a fancy streamlined look just like Gigablast. Some just have too many links and stuff all over the place! So this one produced some articles about fish on my first try with just [mullet]. That seems like a pretty good start. I tried [mullet -hair] and it produced similar results to Gigablast. You can also filter by category such as pictures or video. I don't see a major difference between the first two search tool lists.

Review 5 Features:

1. Supports Boolean Operators similar to above

2. Has an advanced search feature with drop-down boxes.

3. Filter by domain type

4. Filter your search by "host" or "hosts" of specific computers( this seems kind of unique)

5. Use boolean to search titles and links etc..

Subject Directory:

And the last list is the one I was most curious about. I chose "Infomine" because I liked the way it is categorized on the homepage. The overall look is a little shabby though. You won't get many hits for [mullet] here however(sad). Looks like the regular search engines are best for that kind of stuff. I really like the searching power of the subject directories. You have more versatility with boolean operators. For academic purposes this seems to be the best option once you know what your looking for. Very similar to Proquest or Ebsco in features. I'm not sure why I just wouldn't stick to our library resources. I suppose if I was researching something that was really specific and was having a hard time finding anything in our databases. 

5 Features:

1. Supports Complex Boolean Operators

2. Has an advanced search feature with MANY drop-down box options

3. Filter your searches in many ways such as "access"(free or not) and "type"(journals, books etc..)

4. Limit your searches to a specific category such as "medical" or "arts"

5. Limit your search to specific fields such as "title"

Periodical Indexes

First off I just want to clarify that I modified my statement entirely. My search results were not very productive and I thought I could make this entry more relevant to a current project in another class. I hope this is ok. Here's the new question:

Is domestic violence more prevalent among Native American communities?

Here was my search statement:


"domestic violence" or "family violence" and "native american*" or "american indian" and prevalen*

I got quite a few more results by adding "american indian" than I expected. I sometimes forget that what seems to be the norm here (or PC) is not necessarily the norm everywhere else. I needed to broaden my search however to get an article from a popular magazine. Not sure how popular Peacework is but it will work. I used the "refine search" option and at the bottom you can limit your search to "publication type". I selected "magazine" and got a few results. I also simplified my search statement to the following:


domestic or violence and "native american*" or "american indian "and prevalen*

Annotated Bibliography
David G Fairchild, Molly Wilson Fairchild, and Shirley Stoner. "Prevalence of adult domestic violence among women seeking routine care in a Native American health care facility. " American Journal of Public Health  88.10 (1998): 1515-1517. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web.  20 Feb. 2011.
This article looked relevant and appropriate due to its title and the fact that its the American Journal of Public Health. It's older but there's not really an abundance of empirical studies conducted on this topic.


Anonymous, . "Northern Michigan event to benefit Rosebud shelter. " News from Indian Country  10  Dec. 2007,Ethnic NewsWatch (ENW), ProQuest. Web.  20 Feb. 2011
This news story didn't tell me too much from the title but the fact that it had "shelter" in it told me enough. The title of the paper tells me it's culturally relevant as well. It is also quite current. 


"Maze of Injustice: Native American and Alaska Native Women Work to Stop the Violence. " Peacework  1 Sep. 2007: Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web.  20 Feb. 2011.
This was tough to find but perfect. The title says it all. Not sure how popular the magazine is but it's in a reliable database. 

Boolean Operators

1. Will presidential election reform solve the issues with the electoral college and the popular vote?

president* and elect* and reform and "electoral college" and "popular vote"

2. Does anti-smoking advertising by the tobacco industry lead to increased smoking among youth?

"anti-smoking" and advertis* and  "tobacco industry" and youth

3. Target often forces musicians to alter lyrics in order to have their CDs sold in Target stores. Is this censorship?

target or musician* or lyric* CD* and censorship

4. Debate the pros and cons of fish farming

pros and cons  "fish farming"

5. Has the U.S. trade and globalization policy hurt the middle class?

U.S. and trade and global* and policy and "middle class")

Does too much family privacy permit domestic violence?

famil* and priva* and "domestic violence"

Google Books and Summary

Search Terms:

Domestic Violence

Summers, Randal W., Hoffman, Allan Michael. "Domestic Violence: A Global View". Westport: Greenwood Press, 2002.

It looks like the publishing company does encyclopedias and academic type things. Also, a quick search for the author(s) turns up several scholarly type books so I believe this is a reliable source.

All in all these four ways of getting information are very good. I had the hardest time with the library and the easiest with Google Books. Books 24x7 was cool but limited in respect to genre and Summit was probably the best of both, ease of use and search capability. The library has some issues with links that could be more efficient. It seemed to be a vicious cycle of links that would direct you back to where you started. It would be useful to have links that take you directly to the resource, even if it's kept on an outside website. With that said, I now have more than enough choices to get the information I need for my research.

Books 24x7

Very cool site! I must admit, when I first arrived I thought it was ALL book genres. On the other hand, the library's main site has tons of resources for all kinds of books. The IT Pro site has more computer related books than I could ever want. I've attempted to dabble in programming and now I have another powerful resource. Lots of cool ways to refine your searches to get exactly what you want. So I searched for "mac" since that's what I'm using these days and refined my search using the advanced features to include "snow leopard". This turned up a bunch of books relative to my computer's operating system. I'll book mark this site too.

Summit Catalog

Search Terms: Domestic Violence

Citation:


Nicky Ali Jackson. Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence. New York: Routledge, 2007.

Related Subjects:


Family violence -- Encyclopedias
Domestic Violence -- Encyclopedias -- English

Location: Internet or Wilson W. Clark Memorial Library (Reference)
Call Number: HV6626 .E534 2007

First off this search went WAY smoother than the library. The first search turned up a list of results that could easily be referenced and found at various locations. The author is likely trustworthy being that this is a relatively new one and it includes bibliographical references. Not sure if Routledge is an academic publisher but considering the material there's a good chance it is.

Library Catalog

Search Terms:

domestic violence and family privacy
domestic violence

Citation:

Wilson, Mike. "Domestic Violence". Detroit : Greenhaven Press, c2009.

Subject Headings: Family Violence -- Prevention

This is a circulating book.

Location: Cannel Second Floor
Call Number: HV6626 .D634 2009

First I just need to say that the search results from the library catalog and the links do not always follow through to the book or document you're searching for. This can be extremely frustrating. The book appears to be a collection of essays written by various authors so I'm not sure about the credibility although everything seems to be cited. Anyway, so the search leads me to the Gale Opposing Viewpoints site which returns nothing. I had a little better luck with circulating books for finding a title. Maybe I need a new topic (or more patience) or maybe I'll have better luck with google. This was a frustrating experience.

Types of Information

Practice Questions:

1. Is a vegetarian diet healthier than a meat-based diet? 

-For this one I'd use academic articles from experts on nutrition.

2. Target often forces musicians to alter lyrics in order to have their CDs sold in Target stores. Is this censorship? 

-For this I would check out magazines or websites for popular opinion.

3. How much more can a college graduate expect to earn over someone with a high school diploma? 

-I would want to consult some statistical information from academic journals or statistical websites.

4. Should educators use commercial services to combat plagiarism? 

-I would have to start with the web on this one since I have little idea what it's all about.

5. Is the current lack of sunspot activity affecting global warming?

-This sounds like the task of a scientific journal or subject encyclopedia. 

My research questions:


1. Is the Patriot Act constitutional?


For research question number one I would consult an academic encyclopedia for topics on The Patriot Act and constitutional rights. This would give me reliable information to form an educated opinion of my own. It would also be interesting to check some periodicals such as papers or magazines to get the feel for the media and people's perspective. 
2. Does too much family privacy permit
 domestic violence?


For question two I would try searching the academic journals for sociological studies. I'm sure there are some very strong views on either side of this question. I can imagine there are also books that cover this question in great detail. 
3. Is DNA Identification ethical?


For number three I would need to focus the lens a lot more and therefor I would start with Internet websites about the ethics of DNA use.

Exploring Topics Wikipedia

Privacy Research Questions:

1. Is the Patriot Act constitutional?

2. Does family privacy permit
 domestic violence?

3. Is DNA Identification ethical?

I find that using Wikipedia comes a little easier than GVRL likely due to my familiarity with it. On the other hand, I can see that GVRL will be a more reliable source with more accurate information. The GVRL takes a little more effort to uncover something. I never really narrowed my topic down adequately. I like the DNA question but still think it's a little broad. I would need to narrow it down to a specific context. Wikipedia is definitely useful for getting ideas quickly. The Iris tutorial were really helpful and informative as well. I found the information on the Deep Web and Subject Encyclopedia to be most helpful.

Citation:
“Privacy.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 22 Jan. 2011.

Exploring Topics GVRL

I always new there was more out there on the web but I didn't want to pay for it. It's a nice surprise to find out that we can access this Deep/Invisible Web via the Gale Virtual Reference Library. The topic I chose was Privacy. After searching through some of the documents I composed the following list of related terms.

Privacy

Constitution

Civil Rights

Family

Domestic Violence

Child Abuse

Elder Abuse

Healthcare

Ethics

Sex Offender

National Security

Human Rights

Internet

Law

Espionage

Bugs

Search and Seizure

Medical Records

HIPAA

DNA

From this list I focused in a topic that seemed interesting to me and here is the citation.

Juengst, Eric T. "DNA Identification." Encyclopedia of Bioethics. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 677-683. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Plagiarism- "Safe Practices"

1. Last summer, my family and I traveled to Chicago, which was quite different from the rural area I grew up in. We saw the dinosaur Sue at the Field Museum, and ate pizza at Gino's East.
My response to number one is that it is not an example of plagiarism. The references are just names. There are no quotations or specific ideas or opinions to cite.

2. Americans want to create a more perfect union; they also want to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for everybody.

This is plagiarism for sure. Here you have fragments of the constitution being used without any reference what so ever. If the author was trying to paraphrase, it is far to close to the original in my opinion. I would certainly use quotations and a citation when using the U.S. constitution. Or I would paraphrase without using nearly the exact wording found in the original. Either way there needs to be a parenthetic citation here at the end. 

3. I find it ridiculous that 57% of high school students think their teachers assign too much homework.
This is likely plagiarism. The reader would no doubt appreciate the origin of this statistic, even if it is a result of the author's personal study. Use a parenthetic citation here at the end.

Numbers 4, 5, and 6 all refer to the following passage from Martin Luther King's "Letter from the Birmingham Jail":

You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.

4. Martin Luther King was certain that nobody would want to be contented with a surfacy type of social analysis that concerns itself only with effects and doesn't deal with root causes.
This is a fine paraphrase of the original idea. It captures the essence without stealing any of the wording. However, the author didn't use a citation at the end of the sentence or paragraph. Unfortunately this could be considered plagiarism.

5. Martin Luther King wrote that the city of Birmingham's "white power structure" left African-Americans there "no alternative" but to demonstrate ("Letter from the Birmingham Jail" para. 5).
 Overall I see no plagiarism here. However, this is confusing to the reader because the author has their own words mixed in too closely with the original. I would consider quoting the entire sentence here instead, or perhaps paraphrase completely. The citation at the end looks fine. 

6. In "Letter from the Birmingham Jail," King writes to fellow clergy saying that although they "deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham, your statement fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations."
The quotations here look good but again, the citation is missing at the end of the sentence. 

7. My friend Kara told me that she loves living so close to the ocean.
This is fine. There is nothing here that requires citation. This would fall under the "common knowledge" category I suppose. 

8. Americans are guaranteed the right to freely gather for peaceful meetings.
As far as I know this is acceptable. Unless it's stolen from something I just don't recognize. I'd say it's fine. It appears to be the author's personal or original concept. 


This assignment has given me a more focused perspective on what is and what is not plagiarism. I learned a little about it in my English 101 class but this assignment has taken it much further. In the future I can avoid plagiarism by taking notes as I use various sources. I can follow the COP (collect, organize, punctuation) guidelines of the given format required for my situation. If I should have questions about citation, I have many resources online including our library. I also own a copy of "The Curious Researcher" in the event that I need a reference. Above all, I've learned that it's very important to understand plagiarism so you don't have to find out the hard way. As long as I follow these precautions I should be able to avoid plagiarism throughout my academic and professional life.

Genesis

Let this be the official beginning of my digital transformation from man to machine. Perhaps these ones and zeroes possess that elusive elixir of immortality. I shall begin with a gradual upload of all my thoughts and feelings regarding everything and nothing at all. I'm searching my mind in vain for something relevant to say here. This creation is the result of an online assignment prescribed as an educational endeavor in the art of the blog. More specifically, it is a blog focused on the myriad of ways one can research information on the Internet. This is only the beginning of an idea; an idea that will evolve much like anything else. As my research continues I will be returning frequently to post new memories. Welcome to my mind. Welcome to the Machine.