Library News

Last week Falvey Memorial Library hosted a conference featuring this year’s Falvey Scholars. Representatives from our Library and each of the University’s colleges consider senior class Villanova applicants on the basis of outstanding undergraduate research. This selection committee then chooses five students to be distinguished as Falvey Scholars. The competition confers awards for each of the following five disciplines: the liberal arts, science, engineering, nursing and business.

We caught up with Victoria Horn, this year’s winner from the Villanova School of Business, and asked her about her project, entitled “Examining the Experiential Pedestal: The Negative Side of Experiential Consumption.”

CA: First, congratulations on being named a Falvey Scholar—I’m sure it feels great to see all that hard work paying off.

VH: Thank you! But I can’t celebrate just yet — there’s still a lot of hard work to be done since our study is not complete. I can assure you I will still be spending many of my nights in Falvey Library.

CA: What was the first germ of thought that directed you towards your larger research project?

VH: I’ve always had an interest in Consumer Research. Actually, one of my application essays to Villanova was about branding, materialism and the psyche behind needing a product. I’d say I’ve always had a Consumer Research seed planted in me, but Dr. Chaplin’s Buyer Behavior course was the one that really made it blossom. After her class I realized I wanted to pursue a larger, more intense, research project with her outside of a classroom setting.

CA: What’s the most exciting thing you discovered during your research process?  Anything that made you feel like you were really onto something unique?

VH: One of my favorite finds was an explanation of how experiences are difficult to compare, and thus tend to be safe from disadvantageous comparisons. The author wrote that it was “literally like comparing apples to oranges.” That description really helped put into perspective how unique my research was going to be since we’re trying to apply a set of standards to something that is inherently unique to each person. I also really loved reading one author’s notion of how materialism was evolving to include more than just traits or values, but extrinsic motivation. Basically, materialism wasn’t just about collecting objects anymore but included people having extrinsic (i.e. need validation from other people) goals and motives. This piece I thought would be vital to our study and it made me feel like my notions weren’t far-fetched.

CA: Where is your favorite spot in our Library, or just on campus generally, to hunker down when you have some serious reading, writing or researching to get done?

VH: The President’s Lounge in Connelly used to be my big go-to for work, but there were many times when it was closed for unknown reasons or there was a function going on inside so I had to go to Falvey instead. I typically do work on the first floor either at one of the tables near the printers or in the 24-hour lounge.

CA: Do you have a research tool you use that you think a lot of people on campus may not know about? A database or a resource you find useful.

VH: I think one of the best things someone can utilize is the [Course] Guide page on Falvey’s website. If you don’t know exactly what database or journal to use, you can just pull that up, click the appropriate subject, find the course/professor you’re taking and you’ll see recommended databases/journals. That page saved me so much time and energy when I first started my research because I really wasn’t sure where to begin my searches.

CA: What’s the best thing you bought this year so far?

VH: I’m a bit of a fitness nut, and I found a Groupon with some friends for 10 kickboxing classes in Ardmore. The classes were amazing and I loved going with some fellow Villanovans. I actually ended up buying more classes from a friend who wasn’t too into them so I can keep going once my work subsides.

CA: Do you have a favorite app?  If you don’t use a smart phone you can pretend I meant “appetizer.”  

VH: I’m probably one of the only Falvey Scholars that doesn’t have a smart phone. But hopefully I can get my hands on one soon. My favorite appetizer would have to be a spinach and artichoke dip; it’s too good.

Corey Waite Arnold is a writer and intern on the Communication and Publications Team. He is currently pursuing an MA in English at Villanova University.

What do Jane Goodall, Martin Luther King Jr., Vladimir Putin, Stephen Harper, George Harrison, J.K. Rowling, Maureen Dowd, and Joe Biden all have in common?

All of the above, as well as countless others, have been accused of plagiarizing their sources.

While we tend to think of plagiarism as some secret process done in the dark of night to cover for shoddy work, it is possible to engage in plagiarism simply by trying to incorporate information from sources you did not fully read or understand. Without a good grasp of your source and your topic, it can become all too easy to plagiarize your source without intending to be dishonest.

With this in mind we welcome Steven Schultz from the Writing Center with a few words about how to effectively use and attribute sources in your next paper.

Start by embracing the research process. Locate sources early and incorporate them into the very first draft of a paper. This approach produces better writing than shoehorning a couple quotes into the final version and gives you time to understand each source and its relationship to your topic. Sure, some sources—numbers, data, and statistics—may appear straightforward enough, but complex thinkers such as St. Augustine, Friedrich Nietzsche and Adrienne Rich probably won’t be. Also, use sources for more than just garden-variety support by including some whose perspective on your topic diverges from your own. Critical debate enriches a paper.

Writers use three techniques to integrate outside sources: summary, paraphrase, and direct quotation. An effective writer chooses among them like a painter chooses among paintbrushes with bristles ranging from broad to fine: each technique conveys a different level of detail. A summary offers the broadest overview of a source by restating a main idea, thesis statement, or a lengthy passage. Think of summary as the view from an airplane cruising at 30,000 feet: big features are enhanced but small ones may be invisible. Summary is effective technique for condensing long sources such as a research study or a book chapter.

Quotation is the opposite of summary: it preserves the original writer’s exact words and reproduces all the original detail. Quote when rephrasing an idea would lessen its impact or when including the original writer’s words enhances your credibility. We quote Ernest Hemingway, not paraphrase him.

Paraphrasing someone else’s idea means being able to explain it in your own words, not just restate it. If a writer includes an idea from an outside source by changing a few though not all of the words from the original but still provides a citation, is that an acceptable paraphrase? Not so much. Faulty paraphrases like this are called “patchwriting,” a term used to describe writing that attempts to paraphrase a source but fails because it either 1) retains most of its wording from the original source or 2) replaces select key terms with synonyms but otherwise reproduces the source’s syntax. Both are problems and usually happen when a writer doesn’t fully comprehend the material she or he is attempting to paraphrase. In fact, done well, paraphrasing is a great way to draw attention to a particular facet of an idea or offer a new interpretation of it.

Lastly, vary how you use these techniques. Not only will it make your writing style more engaging, but by adapting your technique to each source’s purpose, you’ll demonstrate to your audience that you’ve thought about each source’s unique relationship to your argument and therefore be more persuasive.

Are you having problems working with your sources? If so it is time to contact the Writing Center and make an appointment to work with one of their phenomenal tutors. Appointments can be made by phone at 610-519-4604 or in person at the Writing Center in the Learning Commons on Falvey’s 2nd floor. Act fast though because appointment slots fill quickly.

Robin Bowles is a research librarian on the Academic Integration Team and a liaison librarian to the Villanova University School of Nursing.

It’s been a long haul, and you’re almost there! To help you prep for exams and finish those papers, the Library is providing extended hours for the next two weeks, so you can hunker down and study in comfort. We will stay open until 3 a.m. most nights and until midnight on Saturday. And as always, the 24-hour lounge will be available too!

We’re also working with the Campus Activities Team (CAT) to provide a stress-buster event on Friday, May 3, from 3-6 p.m. Massages and snacks for everyone!

Luisa Cywinski is the team leader of Access Services and editorial coordinator on the Communication & Publications team.

RefWorks in 30 minutes: Never Type a Bibliography Again!

Got 30 minutes? Learn how RefWorks can organize your references and then produce your bibliography in a snap – and in any of the major documentation styles. Participants should bring their own laptops (PC or Mac). Students, staff and faculty welcome.

Sign up for a 30-min session. Registration encouraged but not required. Be sure to bring your laptop!

Rm 204, Learning Commons, 2nd floor, Falvey Library

4 pm on Wednesday, April 10, 2013

To register, please contact Barbara Quintiliano at 610-519-5207 or by email.

Barbara Quintiliano is a Nursing and Life Sciences Liaison and an Instructional Services Librarian.

With Thanksgiving behind us and the end of the semester fast approaching, the season for paper writing has begun in earnest.  Here at the Library, we offer a number of resources to aid you as you research and write.  Take a look before you get too swamped—we might be able to help you with some of the heavy lifting:

1. Citation Styles: A Primer with Resources—This topic guide features resources for all the major citation styles. If you’re having trouble collecting and arranging sources, or if you’re interested in the finer details of a certain style, this guide can point you in the right direction.
2. RefWorks Tutorial—RefWorks is a tool which automates some of the work behind citation gathering. Here’s a tutorial detailing how to use this valuable resource—definitely worth checking out if you have a longer research paper.
3. The Writing Center—The Writing Center is located in the Learning Commons on the second floor of the Library. Make an appointment with a member of the very capable staff there as you build or edit your work, and your paper will show for it. Tutors are available to help writers in any field, and with any amount of experience.

As always, check out the Library website often for more information. Happy writing!

By Alice Bampton

Three junior librarians, Laura Bang, Robin Bowles and Kristyna Carroll, were promoted from Librarian I to Librarian II, University Librarian Joe Lucia recently announced. “They have each made a substantial contribution to the success of the Library, and all of them have been engaged professionally at a national level in advancing new ideas or promoting new initiatives that will help shape the future of academic libraries,” Lucia said.

Laura Bang, curatorial assistant in Special and Digital Collections, came to Falvey in 2010. Bang hires, trains and supervises students and staff in the Digital Library. She also develops and mounts the Special Collections exhibits, both online and physical, and catalogs Special Collections acquisitions. She has a master’s degree in library science from the University of Maryland. Bang’s undergraduate degree is in comparative literature from Bryn Mawr College.

Robin Bowles, Nursing and Life Sciences librarian, was appointed in 2009. She serves on the Biology/Nursing/Environmental Studies and Science/Technology subject teams. She earned her master’s degree in library and information science from Drexel University. Bowles holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a concentration in science and mathematics from West Chester University.

Kristyna Carroll, a research support librarian, graduated from Villanova with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and honors. She returned to Villanova in 2010 after graduating from Drexel University with a master’s degree in library and information science. Carroll serves on the Geography/Political Science/Naval/Cultural Studies and Communication/Education/Psychology/Sociology subject teams.

Librarians, like faculty, are appointed through the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

A librarian seeking promotion submits a dossier to the Library Promotion Committee comprised of librarians who hold the rank of Librarian II or higher. The Committee, chaired this year by Taras Ortynsky, descriptive services librarian, Resource Management Center, makes its recommendation to the University Librarian who sends his decision to the VPAA who takes the final action.

Lucia said, “Promotions are made on the basis of excellence in service to the University academic community, professional engagement at the local and national level, and contributions to the profession of academic librarianship as evidenced by a record of significant publication or presentation at major library conferences.”

Also contributing: Judy Olsen

Falvey Memorial Library announces its institutional membership to Hindawi Publishing Corporation. Launched in 1997, Hindawi publishes a growing number of open access journals in engineering, medicine and the sciences, and now includes Nursing Research and Practice, as well as social sciences titles such as Journal of Anthropology and Urban Studies Research.

Read more about Hindawi and open access publishing on Barbara Quintiliano’s recent blog post.

Many graduate students completing theses and dissertations at Villanova are required to post them to Dissertations and Theses Full Text (ProQuest). Posting your thesis gives scholars all over the world access to your work. Because your thesis becomes fully searchable, students and researchers are able to benefit from the work you put into your project.

But before you sit down to submit your thesis to ProQuest, there are a few things you’ll need to get ready. We’ve prepared this topic guide to help you.

Instructional Design Librarian Barbara Quintiliano recently spoke about the online, web-delivered component she developed in  collaboration with Nursing faculty to teach research skills to students enrolled in the “Nursing Care of Adults” courses.

Barbara presented “Teaching InfoLit in Cyberspace: Jing and SurveyMonkey as Weapons of Mass Instruction” to an audience of faculty colleagues attending Teaching and Learning Strategies 2011 on May 11, sponsored by the Villanova Institute for Teaching and Learning (VITAL).

When the class periods previously allotted for information literacy instruction were replaced in fall 2008 by clinical training sessions in the state-of-the-art simulation labs located in Driscoll Hall, the new home of the College of Nursing, Barbara sought to find a new approach to teaching the next level of curriculum-related research skills to nursing students: she resorted to creating an online activity.

The component combines short instructional videos produced with Jing screen cast software and an online questionnaire administered via SurveyMonkey online survey software.

The exercise requires students to prepare and execute a search in the databases CINAHL (Current Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) and PubMed (the National Library of Medicine’s database), choose five pertinent journal articles from each, and create a bibliography formatted according to APA 6^th style.

If they wish, students may also take advantage of RefWorks citation management software, which imports citations from the database and generates the bibliography.

The librarian reviews each questionnaire and bibliography and gives feedback to each student individually via email.

Run as a pilot in fall 2009, the online infolit module is now a required component of the courses. A rubric is used to evaluate the students’ work and their score is incorporated into their semester grade. Barbara continues to make enhancements to the module, and in fall 2010 Blackboard/WebCT was used as the platform for the questionnaire.

With online tools providing flexibility, information skills can now be taught anywhere, anytime.

“Falvey users now have full text access to the Cochrane Library’s systematic reviews of health care interventions.” See the Nursing blog for more information.