Handedness Research Institute | Scholarly Search Guide

This page is provided by the Handedness Research Institute at Indiana University as an aid for students and professionals. We do not have the personnel available to individually answer questions, so we offer these online resources to help you judge the quality of information, conduct library research, conduct online searches, improve study skills, devise a junior science project, improve writing skills (including guides for writing term papers, theses, posters, dissertations, and funding proposals), find help with statistical analyses, and locate reliable neural science resources.

INFO WARNING . LIBRARY RESEARCH . ONLINE RESEARCH . NEUROLOGY RESOURCES . STUDY SKILLS . WRITING WELL

i n f o w a r n i n g t h e q u a l i t y o f i n f o r m a t i o n

All info is not equal ! If you want to make sure that the information you receive is accurate, you have to be able to judge the quality of information.

For instance, statements found in tabloid newspapers are frequently exaggerations, misleading remarks, and rumor (unverified gossip) - this is some of the poorest quality of information, sometimes bordering on, or including, outright lies. The "popular press" includes books, magazines, newspapers, CD-ROMs, radio and tv shows written for non-specialist audiences. The quality of information found in the popular press ranges from poor tabloid stories to very accurate and reliable articles. Better still, working professionals in all fields have professional publications for their fields, written, edited, and often peer-reviewed by experts (e.g., scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc.). Which of these types of sources you go to for information depends on why you need the information (for entertainment, casual reading, or research for school or work.) If it's important that the info you find is accurate, you should use only sources you know are reliable (such as sources with editors and fact-checking systems). Scientific and professional sources written by experts which are edited and peer-reviewed provide the best assurance of quality.

Internet publications (including books and CD-ROMS that mirror web pages) are especially problematic, since it is possible for anyone to publish "information". The quality of information ranges from outright lies and false information to info provided by the world's experts in their field - the trick is learning how to tell the difference! Is that page about left-handedness posted by a left-hander as a hobby, or by a scientist at a research institution? I know one web page devoted to a famous artist that is full of statements that are not true; it was created by a knowledgable fellow who tired of school children sending him rude e-mails demanding help with homework. He thought having a web page full of lies that children would put in their reports and get bad grades was a way to teach rude children a lesson. This is why it is important to know how to judge information!

TIPS for JUDGING THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Indicators to help you assess the type of person or organization who publishes info on the Internet:

Is the name of the person who wrote the text listed, along with a way to contact the author/s (e-mail or street address)? The first warning sign is lack of easy accountablity for posted info.
Does the author list her/his qualifications (e.g., M.D. medical doctor, J.D. lawyer, Ph.D. scientist, position in company or institution, years of experience with the topic, etc.)
If no author is listed, is the page part of a well-respected institution with editoral policies, and a contact address for the institutional web site (e.g., National Geographic)?
For web sites originating from the USA, the suffix (end) of the host address provides some information (most advanced search engines allow you to limit your search by these, and other, domain names:

.edu
Educational site. Research universities have many pages written by experts in their field. "K-12" in the address indicates Kindergarten-High School pages. Be aware that student reports are also often published on .edu pages.

.com
Commercial site. Some of these pages may be written by experts, but many are not, and the ultimate aim of these content providers is to make money, which may or may not encourage the offering of accurate info. Be careful.

.gov
United States government sites. Most of these pages include offical statements that have been cleared by several people; often written by experts (e.g., NASA, NOAA, etc.)

.mil
United States military sites.

.org
Non-profit organization sites. Text may or may not be written by experts, but at least profit is not a motive (although fund-raising might be).

.net
Network sites for network provider computers. Wide range of information quality.

.int
International. For organizations established by international treaties, including specialized agencies of the United Nations and organizations that have UN observer status.

MORE ABOUT ASSESSING INFORMATION
The integrety of information
Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion? You Decide!
Who Dunnit: What Kind of Web Page is This?
Evaluating Website Content
ICYouSee Guide to Critical Thinking About What You See on the Web
Evaluating Web Sites
Evaluating Internet Information
Evaluating Quality on the Net
Web Evaluation: Criteria
Evaluation of Information Sources

l i b r a r y r e s e a r c h g u i d e

The most successful students and researchers regularly use the library and professional librarians to find the information they need. If you are not familar with your local public library, school library, or university library, go in and ask for the reference librarian. Ask them to show you how to find info using: the card or online catalog, the library's reference materials, inter-library loans for books not in your library, databases provided by the library (including various indices, CD-ROMs, and online subscription services), and ask if your library has Area Specialist librarians. Don't worry that you will "bother" them -- this is their job, and I think you'll find most are very happy to help.
LIBRARY PROFESSIONALS U.S. Public Libraries Online K-12 School Libraries on the Web (worldwide) Reference Librarian Area Specialists Librarians	LIBRARY INDICES Social Sciences Citation Index Various CD-ROM Databases Subscription Databases (e.g., IU)	LIBRARY REFERENCE MATERIALS Various Reference Books (non-circulating) Libraries also have videos, audio, and other media forms

o n l i n e r e s e a r c h g u i d e

The Internet is great for finding certain kinds of information quickly, but not as comprehensive or reliable as a library for other types of information. The types of things the Internet does best include quick delivery of: searchable full text of some newspapers, magazines, books, and manuscripts; searchable subscription databases (e.g., Lexis-Nexis, Academic Full-Text, etc.); searchable reference materials (dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.).
SEARCH ENGINES Google Search AltaVista HotBot Advanced Search Northern Light Power Search Yahoo! Search Options Search Engine Colossus (international)	SPECIALIZED SEARCHES PubMed Web of Science Scirus Search Infotrieve Search Search the ERIC Database Searchable Neurology Databases AskA+Locator Primate Info Net Search Ask Primate (from PIN)	REFERENCE MATERIALS AltaVista Translations (text, web pages) Online Dictionaries (over 100 languages) Encyclopedia Britannica Online Roget's Thesaurus Search William Strunk's Elements of Style

w r i t i n g w e l l & s t u d y s k i l l s

The most successful students and professionals have developed effective study skills and have learned how to write well. You can, too. Check out the step-by-step guides listed below and improve your current skill level. Resources range from grammer school to Ph.D. and post-doctoral level.
WRITING Paradigm Online Writing Assistant Advice on Academic Writing Purdue Writing Lab Topics A+ Research & Writing for High School & College Students Basic Prose Style & Mechanics Writing Papers Procedure for Writing a Term Paper Guide for Writing Research Papers Organizing Term Papers Writing Essays: The Basics Writing & Proofing Page Avoiding Plagiarism Non-Sexist Language Common Errors in English HperGrammer WRITING SCIENTIFIC PAPERS Writing Lab Reports & Scientific Papers Introduction to Scientific Writing Scientific Writing The Graduate Student's Guide to Writing Scientific Papers The Science of Scientific Writing American Scientist Vol. 78 Checklist for Writing Scientific Papers PREPARING A SCIENTIFIC POSTER PRESENTATION How to Prepare a Poster (Sven Hammarling & Nicholas Higham) Poster Presentation of Research Work (M.T. Tham) Effective Scientific Posters Quick Reference (G. Hess & L.H. Liegel) Poster Presentation Guidelines, Medical Library Association SCIENCE PROJECTS IPL Science Fair Project Resouce Guide How to Do a Science Fair Project Science Fair Internet Resources	STUDY GUIDES Study Guides (available in 9 languages) Selecting the Right Source Internet Reference Links Librarians' Index to the Internet Study Skills Study Strategies Improve Your Studying Skills Kruschke's Virtual Mentor WRITING GRANT PROPOSALS NSF Guide for Proposal Writing NSF Grant Proposal Guide Hints for Writing Successful NIH Grants Funding Your Best Ideas (Joan Straumanis) Getting Funded: It Takes More Than Just a Good Idea Proposal Writer's Guide (Don Thackery) Dos and Don'ts of Grant Writing Grants-Writing Guide for Non-Profits A Proposal Writing Short Course Writing Research Proposal & Reports Guide to Writing a Funding Proposal (S.J. Levine) STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Statistics for the Social Sciences A Painless Guide to Statistics (Robert Gerwien) Statistics & Statistical Graphics Resources Web Resources on Power Analysis (U.S. Gov't.) Russ Length's Power & Sample-Size Page (U. of Iowa) WRITING A DISSERTATION Dissertation / Thesis Guide (S.J. Levine) Writing Your Dissertation Masters Thesis Handbook

s e l e c t n e u r a l s c i e n c e r e s o u r c e s

This is not a comprehensive listing of web sites, rather a selected listing of sites that offer basic neuroscience information for those new to the field, online tutorials for students of clinical neurology, general info and resources for brain disorders and injury, and a few searchable databases.
FOR BEGINNERS Brief Anatomy of the Brain Overview (AANS) Explore the Nervous System (good simple introduction) GENERAL REFERENCES Glossary of Neuroscience Words Glossary of Neuroanatomical & Neurological Terms NeuroNames (searchable neuroanatomical terms) Neurosciences on the Internet (searchable index) Harvard Undergraduate Society for Neuroscience The Neurosciences Institute NEUROIMAGING Some Brain Imaging Methods (short & simple) Overview of PET (Positron Emission Tomography) fMRI Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (T.R. Gregg) The Whole Brain Atlas (Harvard Medical School) BRAINMAP: The Manhattan Project of the Mind Atlas of Brain Perfusion SPECT McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (McGill U.) Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (UCLA) Human Brain Project (THOR Center for Neuroinformatics) BRAIN INJURY / NEUROPATHOLOGY The Brain Matters brain disorder resources Traumatic Brain Injury: Cognitive & Communication Disorders (NIDCD) Traumatic Brain Injury Information (NINDS) National Stroke Association Internet Stroke Center Malignant Brain Tumors & Neuro-Oncology Resources (Mass. Gen. Hospital) A Primer of Brain Tumors (ABTA)	PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS SCIENTIST BIOGRAPHIES / HISTORY of RESEARCH Classics in the History of Psychology Founders of Neurology Biographies (U. of Illinois) Neuroscience Nobel Prize Laureates Milestones Neuroscience Research MISCELLANEOUS Brain Facts & Figures (E. Chudler) Taxonomic Hierarchy Used in Zoological Record Vernacular / Common Names for Animals MORE NEURAL SCIENCE RESOURCES List of Neuroscience Links (Keck Foundation) Neuroanatomy & Neuropathology on the Internet (U. of Debrecen) CLINICAL TUTORIALS Neuroscience Tutorial (Washington U. School of Medicine) Neuroanatomy Lab Assistant (M. Sodicoff, Temple U.) Neuroembryology of the CNS (M. Sodicoff, Temple U.) Global Brainstem (J.K. Harting, U. Wisconsin Medical School) Global Spinal Cord (J.K. Harting, U. Wisconsin Medical School) Global Cerebellum (J.K. Harting, U. Wisconsin Medical School) Internet Neurosurgery Grand Rounds (Harvard / Mass. Gen. Hospital) 6 Months of Neurosurgery (slideshow of what neurosurgeons do)

G O B A C K T O > INFO WARNING . LIBRARY RESEARCH . ONLINE RESEARCH . NEUROLOGY RESOURCES . STUDY SKILLS . WRITING WELL

Scholarly Search Guide prepared by M.K. Holder, Ph.D.