FCC133 Information Literacy

Search Strategies Basics

When to use keywords, subject headings, phrases, single words?

This week's lesson was on the topic of how to search for information using basic strategies, like which terms to be used in order to get the broader result. Usually keywords are widely used when searching or brainstorming on some concerned topic. There is also the Subject headings which uses a standardized vocabulary, usually giving you more specific resources on your topic. Some examples are Library Subject headings, Science subject headings, Thesaurus of psychological index terms, etc.

Boolean Searching

Boolean operator or keywords

This searching allows you to group words together in a database or environment such as the World Wide Web to receive a number of different results. The results widely varies depending on the way  you group words. It is a common search strategy.

Boolean operators are words that connect a search that may add or subtract a concept to your search. It allows OR to expand or AND to limit our search. Most of the search engines allow the use of some Boolean searching.

Boolean queries- AND

It allows grouping of words for variety of results. For example, the query 'Beach AND California' produces results containing both words.

Image 1

Boolean queries- OR

Using OR will broaden the search. The query 'Beach OR California' will yield results containing either the word beach or California. Image 2

Boolean queries- NOT

NOT helps exclude words from the search. If a result has the word that you would like to search but it also contains another word you want to exclude, then it will not show that result. Image 3

Search Strategies Basics

Truncations and Wildcard

This week was spent on learning the usage of truncation and wildcard. These two help to broaden our search capabilities by allowing us to retrieve multiple spellings of a root word, such as singular and plural forms.

Truncation: Using a wildcard at the end of a word to search for multiple results.  It expands the search to locate all words beginning with the same root. Example: Teen* will give teen, teens, teenage, teenager, etc.

Wildcard:  A wildcard is a special character, such as an asterisk (*), question mark (?), or pound sign (#), that replaces one or more letters in a word. It usually represents a single character. Example: wom?n will give woman, women, etc.

Phrase Searching

This type of search is used with a string of words (instead of a single word) to search with. It will yield fewer results. When looking for information on Information Literacy the result of the search will yield many irrelevant documents since each of the words has its own meaning. But it has whole different meaning when put together so to be precise we either use "  " or (  ). Example: (Information Literacy).

Its use has been proven to be very effective and time-saving. This subject is certainly a must for the people of the information age. This is all for this week!

Information literacy FCC133

Information resources

There are three types of information sources: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary sources are a first-hand information. Where the teller or the writer has witnessed the event or story by himself. Primary sources usually enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical event or time period. Secondary source is information derived from primary sources. Second Hand conveys the experiences and opinions of others. The teller or the writer did not witness the actual event. For example news television program.  The journalist who broadcasts news reported by his colleague journalist. Lastly, tertiary source is a combination of primary and secondary sources. The writer includes both primary and tertiary sources in his work. Most of the researchers and students come in this category. 

Information literacy FCC133

Information literacy process model Big 6

This trimester we started a bit late, due the replacement for IL lecturer. The first lecture was mainly about BIG 6. Basically Big 6 is a six stage process to help students to solve problem and make decisions by using information. The six stage are

Task definition

Information seeking strategies

Location and access

Use of information

Synthesis

Evaluation

Narrowing a topic down

When doing a research one must choose a topic and narrow it down. To narrow the topic down you have to develop your thesis statement and formulate questions like what? Who? Where? When? And why? This help you to be more specific and to address the real issue in your research. 

Example of a topic which narrowed down: the Wi-Fi usage amount amongst AIU students.

Web 2.0

The web 2.0

The main aim of this lesson is to know the services provided by internet and different types of web. First and first what is web application? Web app is term that refer to application or services on internet. There three generations of web: the first one is the static web. This web allow people to search and read information. They cannot edit the web content. For example Web 1.0 such as AIU website.

Secondly there is the dynamic web: this web allows interactions with people and they can upload or change web content. For example Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 (YouTube, blog, etc.)

In addition Web 2.0 Uses and implement the Application software like Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash player, Microsoft Silverlight, Oracle Java, Windows Media, etc. to make the Web more interactive Web. The best categories for Web 2.0 are online social networking. They are also called aggregators which means they mix and match content from other websites.in order to create web 2.0 a programmer will use 7 languages of programing to communicate the instructions to a computer.

XML= Extensible Markup Language,  it contains structured information including words and pictures

AJAX= acronym referring to Asynchronous JavaScript and XML.  Java script                         

  Some examples of web pages using AJAX is: YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps and most of web 2.0 website

 Tagging: it is about metadata it is part of the nature of Web 2.0. Keyword for a piece of information in Web (Describe the item)

Blogs: short for weblog.it is informal website (articles, diary, journal) a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies

Wiki: a collaborative website that allows users to create, add, modify or delete                 website content via their web browser. Many wikis are open to modification by public. A popular wiki are Wikipedia and Web encyclopedia

RSS (RSS 2.0) Really Simple Syndication. RSS is a technology that is being used by millions of web users    around the world to keep track of their favorite websites. Examples RSS Reader= Google reader, Blog lines

Podcasting and Video casting

                -  Digital media consist of (audio, video)

                - Technology in web 2.0

                - download/upload digital media (online)

For example: use the iTunes free software to subscribe to a                       specific podcast.              

  And lastly Web 3.0 which is about semantic web. It is based on intelligent web applications using: Machine-based learning reasoning and intelligent applications. Examples: Decision Support System, Expert System portal.

Internet

INTERNET 

In 1690 the internet used to be called Arpanet till in 1969 where people started calling it internet. It is important to know that no single person who owns internet. Basically internet is the largest network that connects people or organization around the world. Usually internet is used to find or access information. To send or receive files, to chart with friends or conferencing, shopping and etc. there are seven main services of internet:

The email: electronic mail. It allows messages to be exchanged from computer to computer.  Email Program is used to create, send, receive, forward, store, print and delete email. Examples, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN, Hotmail etc.

The web is a collection of linked Web pages that has a common theme or focus is called a Web site. While a Website is a Collection of the documents. Markup language for displaying web pages and other information that can be displayed in a web browser

Transfer protocol: The transfer protocol is the set of rules or software that the computers use to move files from one computer to another on the Internet.

Chat rooms which are like mediums between to people connect by internet and lastly the news group (online chat or conference for a specific topic) and the VoIP. VoIP is to use a call on internet like Skype, messenger, etc.  

Before we moved on to web application the teacher gave us a brief knowledge about the bibliography and how to write references using APA style.

DATABASE MANAGEMENT

DATABASE MANAGEMENT

Firstly database is simply a place to store information or a collection of information which is organized alphabetically. The main role of database is to collect, organize store, and retrieve the information when needed, for example in collage or food production. A software which is used to manipulate the database is called database management system. There are 4 components of database: data items which is a distinct piece of information, relationships which represents a correspondence between different data, constraints this one I still don’t understand it. I have to read about it again and lastly schema; schema describes the organization of data and relationships within the database. For example in this three courses the schema will tell u the data for the student x in these three deferent subject. It will relate all information for student x from different subjects

The student x has got 30 in math, 25 in English and 73.

DBMS is database management system and how it function is very important. The five main functions of DBMS are: 1. define, create and organize a database: the DBMS establishes the logical relationships among different data elements and also defines schemas and subschemas using DDL.

2. Input data: it performs the functions of entering the data into the database through an input device (like data screen, or voice activated system) with the help of the user.
3Process data: It performs the function of manipulation and processing of the data stored in the database using the DML.
4. Maintain data integrity and security: It allows limited access of the database to authorized users to maintain data integrity and security.
5. Query database: It provides information to the decision makers that they need to make important decisions. This information is provided by querying the database using SQL.

In order to create database we have to use database models, they tell us how data can be classified or organized in a database. There are three database models: “entity” which symbolizes or represents   data in the real world, it is always in raw. The second entity is: “attribute” which represent the characteristic of the entity (always in column). The last one is relationship; describes the relationship in entities.

Lastly I studied three types of database: hierarchical, network and relational database. The first one allows “one to many” relationship, the 2^nd allows many to many and lastly relational allows one to one relationship between entities. This one is mostly used in small organizatons.

INFORMATION SYSTEM (IS)

First and what is system? A system is a set of element that works together, such as input, output, processing mechanism and feedback. For instance in an organization (for example restaurant) how the information is passed out from customers, to the cook till to the top manager of the restaurant. This people to complete their task, they use an application which is called CBIS (computer base information system).basically there are so many IS  such as  TPS, DSS, ESS, MIS, OAS …but mostly there are classified in this to category : support decision making ex: MIS and support business operation ex: TPS, OMS,  ECS

Now let talk about IS components. there are seven components first and first people who operates the system, secondly the hardware, thirdly the software, fourth application software, programming language software,  procedures which are  strategies rules or methods used to manage the IS telecommunication and lastly the database which is the place where the information is stored.

There are there types of planning in almost every organization: strategic, tactical, and operational. The top manager will use the strategic planning and ESS to manage and set goals and missions for the company. While the Middle manager, will use tactical planning and MIS to support decision making. the MIS produces reports whereby  The input of MIS is the output of TPS. The low manager will use TPS and the operational planning to monitor, collect, keep records and process data generated from business transaction. Each department in a company must have its own TPS.

After this, the lecturer gave us an activity here is the picture of the activity: three case studies 

IT and ICT

Information technology is a term that covers all forms of technology used to create, store exchange and use information. It is very important to know and understand the  concept of IT.

IT has two concepts that a student will use later in his project of IS. IT architecture which is the structure of the entire organization i.e.  IT architecture focuses more on how you structure your information-the design and IT infrastructure which deals with physical facilities; IT component, IT service, IT personnel that support the entire organization.

ICT

ICT is similar to IT but it focuses mostly on communication technologies such as internet wireless networks cell phones

the application of ICT, was very much useful, in a sense that all what I knew ideally; I could put them in practice and compare it with examples in the real world. This made understand more this lesson much better.

For instance, ICT is used in Banking (e-baking), education (e-learning) healthcare, science government and businesses. Most importantly the activity (how is ICT applied in Kenya) we did in the class, also helped me to understand more this lesson. We were like 5 students the activity was about to describe how ICT is applied in one of our group members country so we chose kenya.in Kenya ICT is used in many domains as showed by this following picture.