We'll start by going to the FMCC website - listen for directions, because although the basic address from off-campus is http://fmcc.suny.edu, access to the site varies depending upon where you are (and how it's been set up last). The main FMCC "entrance" site is the home page of an internet website - it has a brief, simple address and many webpages it links to (anything that "turns" the cursor into a hand is a link, which in this case will send you to other FMCC-related places). From wherever you are, find the link for "The Evans Library" and click on it.

Once the transfer is complete, what is the Address? http://______________________________
(It's in the long white box just above the window.)

Click on "Find Articles and Essays - Search our Databases." Take some time to look over what's offered at the new page. These are collections of magazine and newspaper articles stored on distant computers. When you click on one of them, you're not really going to an internet site - you're accessing a service over the internet lines. This resource is equivalent (almost) to getting the actual magazines and newspapers themselves and reading the articles. Click on "Academic Search Premier." This takes you to a database "search" page - the computer will search the database for all of the articles it has for whatever terms / words you tell it to look for. It can do this simply or, by selecting a different option from the lower boxes, look with particular focus and/or limitations.

Pick a biology-related topic - something specific works better... __________________________
put it in for a search.

What are your search's results (how much did the computer find)? (If you don't get any, try a different term and write it
here with those results.)___________________________________________________________

You may need to "Narrow" your focus to get a manageable result, but eventually, ask to "View" your results, then look through until you find an article that seems appropriate to what you were looking for. Click "View text" (an abstract is just a brief summary, not very useful) for that article.

What source is the article from? __________________________________________
It should have the magazine, author, the publication date, the volume, issue, and page numbers, the sort of information you'll need to list it as a reference in a paper or class abstract.

Briefly, what's the article seem to be about? _________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________


Return to the library's "Articles & Databases" webpage and click on the "Science Reference Center" link. Run a search on the same subject you used above. Although the search page looks the same, this should access at least some different sources.

What are your search's results? __________________________________________

Look through - the details below each entry will tell you if an abstract (a brief summary) or the whole article text, or more is available - until you find a whole article (there's an option toward the bottom on the search list that lets you confine the list only to whole text) that seems appropriate to what you were looking for. Click on that article.
What source is the article from? __________________________________________________

There may be parts of the original article not available through the database - if you use a database article in a paper, always cite the database at the end of the reference so that info missing because of the database's omissions doesn't get blamed on you.

Briefly, what's the article seem to be about? _________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Return to the library's "Articles & Databases" webpage and briefly check out the other databases available under "Science & Medicine." Please note that some of them will be more useful in this type of search than others. Pick one and run a search on the same subject you used above.

Which database did you decide to use? ____________________________________________

What are your search's results? _________________________________________________

Pick a periodical reference (often what you find is a pamphlet, or book entry, etc.) if there are any. Look through until you find a whole article that seems appropriate to what you were looking for. Click on that article.

What source is the article from? _______________________________________________


Briefly, what's the article seem to be about? _______________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Go back to the library’s home page and click on "Find Internet sites...." Take a look down the webpage - there are several research aids available here. Return to the first section, Search Engines (both the banners and the list). Pick an engine for your first search.

OPTION TWO: put "www.infopeople.org/search/chart.html" or "searchenginewatch.com/links/" (you have to click on a link in the list there) in your address window and work from there. Also, "www.scirus.com" and "www.biologybrowser.org" are specialized biology-oriented possibilities.

Which Search Engine have you chosen? __________________________________________

Now choose a different Biology-based Topic again. It can be the same as Part One’s or something else.

Which Topic have you chosen? _________________________________________________

If your chosen topic is more than one word, put down how you are going to put it into the Search Engine so that only sites with all of the words will be found:

If needed: _______________________________________________________________

Begin your search. If your response is 5 or fewer hits, try another topic. Use the line below to keep track of any additional topics until you get at least 5 hits - the last topic listed should be the one you’re working with for the rest of this section.

Other topic (if needed)_________________________________________________________

On the line below, tell how your search engine gives you the results of your search on this topic. What does it say it found, overall?

____________________________________________________________________________

Pick another search engine and repeat your search for the same topic. On the line below, give the name of the engine and tell how your search engine gives you the results of your search on this topic.

Engine:_________________Results_______________________________________________

Look over some - at least 20 if you have that many - of the descriptions of possible pages your search called up. You don’t have to actually click on them.

What sorts of Non-biology pages have come up (a couple of brief examples), if any?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Pick what seems a promising Biology-related page and click on it to go there.

What is the page name?

(Blue bar, top of screen) ________________________________________________________

What is the page address/location?

(Long white box) __________

Briefly describe the page you're on: ______________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

What sorts of links (usually in blue, cursor turns into a hand when your point at them) are here?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What main site is the page part of? Look for a home link, or "peel" (you may need to ask for help)
the address back to slashes or to the end of ".com" or ".org" or whatever. Give the site name, (blue bar) not the address. It probably will be in the top blue bar, but may be on the screen.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Would this source be a reliable reference for a college-level paper? Why or why not?

____________________________________________________________________________
Clue: who put the information there, and do they have the expertise to be trustworthy?

Repeat the procedure you just did.

Pick a different topic and different webpage this time. You can try a different search engine, too.



Which Search Engine have you chosen this time? ___________________________________

Now choose a different Biology-based Topic again.

Which Topic have you chosen? __________________________________________________

If your chosen topic is more than one word, put down how you are going to put it into the Search Engine so that only sites with all of the words will be found:

(If needed) _________________________________________________________________


Begin your search. If your response is 5 or fewer hits, try another topic. Use the line below to keep track of any additional topics until you get at least 5 hits - the last topic listed should be the one you're working with for the rest of this section.

(If needed) ___________________________________________________________________


On the line below, tell how your search engine reports the results of your search on this topic.

____________________________________________________________________________


Look over some - at least 20 if you have that many - of the descriptions of possible pages your search called up. You don't have to actually click on them.





What sorts of Non-biology pages have come up (a couple of brief examples), if any?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Pick what seems a promising Biology-related page and click on it.

What is the page name?
(Blue bar across top of screen) ___________________________________________________

What is the page address/location?
(Long white box) http:// __________

Briefly describe the page you're on: ______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What sorts of links (usually in blue, cursor turns into a hand when your point at them) are here?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

What main site is the page part of? Look for a home link, or "peel" (you may need to ask for help)
the address back. Give the main site name, not the address.

____________________________________________________________________________

Would this source be a reliable reference for a college-level paper? Why or why not?

____________________________________________________________________________
Clue: who put the information there, and do they have the expertise to be trustworthy?
Repeat the procedure you just did.

You can repeat topics or search engines, but don't repeat any exact combinations from the last two pages - in other words, try new mixes.


Which Search Engine have you chosen this time? ___________________________________


Now choose a Biology-based Topic again.

Which Topic have you chosen? __________________________________________________

If your chosen topic is more than one word, put down how you are going to put it into the Search Engine so that only sites with all of the words will be found:

(If needed) _________________________________________________________________


Begin your search. If your response is 5 or fewer hits, try another topic. Use the line below to keep track of any additional topics until you get at least 5 hits - the last topic listed should be the one you're working with for the rest of this section.

(If needed) ___________________________________________________________________


On the line below, tell how your search engine reports the results of your search on this topic.

____________________________________________________________________________


Look over some - at least 20 if you have that many - of the descriptions of possible pages your search called up. You don't have to actually click on them.






What sorts of Non-biology pages have come up (a couple of brief examples), if any?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Pick what seems a promising Biology-related page and click on it.

What is the page name?
(Blue bar across top of screen) ___________________________________________________

What is the page address/location?
(Long white box) http:// __________

Briefly describe the page you're on: ______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What sorts of links (usually in blue, cursor turns into a hand when your point at them) are here?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

What main site is the page part of? Look for a home link, or "peel" (you may need to ask for help)
the address back. Give the main site name, not the address.

____________________________________________________________________________

Would this source be a reliable reference for a college-level paper? Why or why not?

____________________________________________________________________________
Clue: who put the information there, and do they have the expertise to be trustworthy?

Part Three - Plagiarism of Internet Resources.

Choose a Search Engine to work with and click on it.

Which Search Engine have you chosen? __________________________________________

For this part, you need to find a definition of "plagiarism" from a web page about plagiarism and the internet.

If your decide to do your search for more than one word (a good idea), put down what you are asking the engine to search for.

If needed: ______________________________________________________________

Begin your search. You need to find a source that defines plagiarism and relates it specifically to internet sources. For the webpage you’re going to use as a source for the definition, give the...

Page Name ___________________________________________________________

Page Address ____________________________________________________

Below, give the definition of plagiarism in your own words, using your internet source as a reference. To avoid plagiarism, do not copy your source. You need to rephrase , which involves substantial rewriting - changing only a word or two is still plagiarism.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________