religion in philadelphia
All answers should be typed, double spaced, in 12 point font.
1) Please give a brief description of the idea or topic you are interested in. It must be related to one of the course themes. Then write down five keyword (or, keyword phrase) search terms. (Think of important words and phrases from class lectures, discussions, and readings.)
2) Go to this page: http://guides.temple.edu/religionphiladelphia/evaluate. Choose three databases to search after reading the brief descriptions. Write down the databases you choose.
3. Now search for articles on your topic. (Think about the search methods demonstrated in the library workshop.)
Tips:
• Use 2 or 3 keywords in your search.
• Use quotes (“ ”) if you want to search for a phrase.
• On the results page, look for the search limiters to narrow your results (i.e. by date, source type, subject, or by re-sorting).
• Peruse the detailed article records to pick up better keywords and to learn about your topic.
Cite the article you are going to write about in a major citation format (APA, Chicago, MLA).
4. Briefly describe your search experience (approx. 100 words), including in your description answers to the following questions.
• Which database did you find the article in?
• Which keywords worked best?
• Which search limiters did you use?
• Is your article a peer-reviewed journal article? How do you know?
• Did anything surprise you?
• What did you learn about your topic and about research?
5. Write a 500-700 word essay about your article. Include the following:
• Who wrote the article and where was it published?
• What is the article about?
• Describe a key argument in the article and the evidence the author uses to support the argument.
• How strong is the argument? How would someone counter this argument?
• How does this article (and the argument you describe) connect to other readings in this course?
