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ENG101 - F24- Greenup

Lesson and Resources

Scavenger Hunt Instructions

Welcome to the Library Database Scavenger Hunt! This activity will help you develop skills in strategic searching and using academic databases to find reliable information. Follow the instructions below, and use the provided log sheet to document your search process. At the end, you’ll share your experiences, challenges, and search strategies with the class.

Scavenger Hunt Topics

  1. Climate Change Solutions: Find a peer-reviewed article discussing emerging technologies for climate change mitigation.
  2. Mental Health in College Students: Locate an article focusing on the impacts of social media on college students' mental health.
  3. Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: Search for a source on how AI might change employment in the next decade.
  4. Renewable Energy Innovations: Find a current report or news article about a new renewable energy technology.
  5. Plastic Pollution: Locate a study examining the effects of plastic pollution on marine life.
  6. Vaccination and Public Health: Look for an article on the history of vaccine hesitancy and its impact on public health.
  7. Education and Digital Learning: Find research on how digital learning tools affect students' academic performance.
  8. Privacy Concerns in Social Media: Search for an article about privacy issues on popular social media platforms.
  9. Fast Fashion and Environmental Impact: Find a resource discussing the environmental impact of the fast fashion industry.
  10. Mental Health Benefits of Exercise: Locate a study examining the connection between physical exercise and mental well-being.

Share-Out

When sharing with the class, consider following this format:

  1. Topic: Introduce your assigned topic.
  2. Best Database(s): Share which database(s) provided the most relevant results and why.
  3. Keywords & Filters: Describe keywords and filters that were effective.
  4. Top Source: Summarize the main findings from the source you selected.
  5. Challenges & Tips: Explain any challenges and offer a useful tip for future searches.

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Recommended Sources and Searching Tips

LIBRARY RESEARCH DATABASES

Controversial Topics

  • CQ Researcher - reports providing in-depth, unbiased coverage of political and social issues
  • Opposing Viewpoints - reference, news, magazine, and journal articles as well as statistics, videos, audio clips and recommended websites providing pro and con coverage of controversial political and social issues

Periodicals - magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals

GENERAL TIPS

  • As you begin your research think about the search words you'll use.  For example, when searching for information on "self-driving vehicles" you might also try "autonomous vehicles" or "driverless vehicles."  Keep a list of your search words and add to it as you find new words.
  • When searching, use quotation marks to keep phrases together:  "voting rights'", "Black Lives Matter", "autonomous vehicles"
  • If you have too many results when using the library research databases try changing the search fields.  Here's an example from Academic Search Complete that shows the search fields changed to Subject Terms.  In other words, retrieved articles must really be about that subject, rather than just mentioning the words in a minor way.

sample Academic Search Complete search

 

LOOKING FOR DOCUMENTARIES?

The Spokane Public Library has a streaming service called Kanopy that includes an extensive collection of documentaries.  As an SCC student, you can use Spokane Public Library resources, regardless of whether you live in the city of Spokane or not.  This guide has information about how to access Kanopy.

Kanopy logo