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Santa Clara UniversityUniversity Library

RSOC 14: Exploring Living Religions (Drescher FA21)

Introduction Exercise 2: Find and Evaluate Your Sources

In this next exercise, you'll practice finding, citing, and evaluating a variety of different kinds of sources. Complete these activities:

1. We'll watch the 2-minute video below. It explains article databases, which you'll be using in this exercise.

2. Work through Tasks 1-3 one at a time. Tasks 1-2 you'll answer in a Google Form, and Task 3 in Camino.

Task 1: Background

You are looking for scholarly, background or introductory information relating to aspects of a living religion.

(Hint: scholarly books, encyclopedias, or research reports are appropriate when you need a broad overview of a topic).

In this guide, go to "Find Books" to begin looking for that kind of background source. (For other assignments, using an encyclopedia article is also acceptable).

Find a scholarly book that gives you a broad overview of the customs or practices in the religion you're exploring:

Examples: Hindu* AND custom* / Sikh* AND (practice* OR tradition*)

Answer the following questions about your source (choose Task 1): https://forms.gle/NGBUnb8M5LZXDR749

Here is an example of a book search. Click on the image to see the actual search results, which are a mix of print books and ebooks. You'll know it's a print book because it says a location in the library where you can find the book (e.g. ARS or Main Stacks). You'll know it's an ebook because it doesn't say a location but has a link to read the book online. Click on OSCAR on library homepage and enter search terms for the book.

 

Task 2: Scholarly

You are looking for scholarly, nuanced analysis and research on your topic.

Step I: Brainstorm 2-3 different possible subject areas that your topic might fall under.

Step II: For each of those subjects areas, identify 2 possible databases for further exploration.

Step III: Find 2 (two) academic source within one of those databases that contains research written by scholars or experts on your topic.

Ex. Hindu* AND (ritual* OR rite* OR custom*)

Answer all of the above following questions about your source (choose Task 2): https://forms.gle/NGBUnb8M5LZXDR749

Here is an example search in the database called "OmniFile Full Text". Click on the image to see the actual search results. 

OmniFile Full Text search for Hindu and customs.

Sometimes you will find just the summary, not the whole article. Click on "Find It at SCU Libraries" to see if the article is in another library database. Click on the image below or this link to launch a short video which shows you how this work.

 

Note: Be sure to check the citation for accuracy against the OWL Purdue site, for example.

Task 3: Evaluate and Rank Your Sources

You should have 3-4 sources for this Task, including two from the previous tasks and two additional ones from the Web.  Use the criteria below to evaluate these sources.

The Author (Research the author using the web and the library databases)
0. He or she does not have other articles published on the topic or is not an expert in the field.
1. He or she has other articles published on the topic and has some expertise or knowledge in the field.
2. He or she has published extensively on the subject and is an expert in the field.
The Writing and Fairness
0. The source is poorly written, poorly organized, does not consider the opposition, or has an inappropriate tone.
1. The source is fairly written, fairly organized, considers the opposition, and has an appropriate tone.
2. The writing is engaging, organized, and the tone is confident and objective in its consideration of opposition.
Support and Thoroughness
0. Claims are unsupported and the evidence is inaccurate or skewed.
1. Most claims are supported with evidence and the evidence is accurate.
2. Claims are supported with evidence and the evidence is accurate.
Publication Origin
0. The origin of this source is unreliable or unknown.
1. This is a popular source (magazine or newspaper article, website, book for a general audience).
2. This is a scholarly source (peer reviewed journals/websites, university press publication).
Now, add up the total for each source.  
  • Total Below 5: An unreliable source.
  • Total of 5 or 6: A quality source by an accomplished author, well-written, and well-supported.
  • Total of 7 or 8: An exceptional source, written by a reliable author, containing flawless research and thorough analysis, and published in a scholarly journal, book, or website.

Of all your sources, which one would you pick as your top ranked and which is your lowest ranked source?