Human Virtues

Human Virtues

Acceptance

Character

Compassion

Courage

Empathy

Endurance

Ethics

Friendship

Forgiveness

Fortitude

Generosity

Honesty

Humility

Integrity

Industriousness

Justice

Loyalty

Moderation

Modesty

Morality

Optimism

Patriotism

Patience

Prudence

Perseverance

Respect

Resilience

Responsibility

Sincerity

Sociability

Strength

Tenacity

Trustworthiness

Understanding

Conducting Research on the Internet

General Information on Writing Standard English:

Academic Writing Styles and Citation:

On Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:

On Piracy and Copyright:

Child Safety on the Internet:

Conducting Research on the Internet:

Three steps to effective Internet research:

perform effective Searches using proper search engines
Evaluate reliability of website
decide if site is Relevant to your topic

1. Conduct online searches using search engines

1.1 locate and use multiple search engines or meta-search engines

1.2 use Boolean operators to combine terms and narrow searches

1.2.1 use AND to make sure both terms are included

1.2.2 use OR to make sure either term is included

1.2.3 use NOT to exclude a term not wanted

1.3 place phrase in double quotation marks

1.4 place + signs in front of important terms

1.5 use various variations of terms

1.6 check search engines HELP feature to see what specific symbols are used

1.7 use metasites or subject directories which narrow fields or disciplines

1.8 use virtual libraries, encyclopedias, think tanks, or university research sites

1.9 the FirstGov.gov and Library of Congress (LOC.gov) sites are excellent for reliable information

2. Performing site evaluation:

look at URL extension and domain name
- is the site an org, gov, or edu (usually more reliable)
- do you recognize the name
what is the purpose of the site (informational or influential)
- does the site appear to be biased or opinionated
- is the site promoting an agenda or something to sell
determine accuracy of resource both grammatical and content wise
- compare content with other sites to verify facts
ask who is the authority or author and what are his or her credentials
is the website up to date and do all the links work
is there contact information at the site

3. Deciding on relevancy related to research topic:

does the site have information directly related to the topic
is the information a primary (original) or secondary (interpretive) resource
would a primary or secondary source be better for the assignment
does the assignment require different types of resources
is the material current or too dated for the assignment

Excellent site from the University of New York in Albany Library, for instruction and information on Internet research!

http://library.albany.edu/internet/research.html

I have created a list of over 200 reliable research links for the social sciences. Keep in mind many of them are think tanks or university sites and may be biased. Remember almost everything on the Internet probably holds a bias of some kind, even government sites may tend to portray their administration in an overly optimistic view, however the sites listed at the link below all should have good strong current information. Remember to evaluate and report on multiple sides of topics and issues.

General Information on Writing Standard English:

Indiana University Writing Tutorial Services

Please review link below if you are struggling with Standard English as a second language!

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml

Academic Writing Styles and Citation:

(MLA) Modern Language Association Writing Style Resources:

Modern Language Association

http://www.mla.org/

Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL) for MLA style:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html

(APA) American Psychological Association Writing Style Resources:

The American Psychological Association

http://www.apastyle.org/

On Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:

Central Texas College Distance Learning Policy on Plagiarism:

If you are a Central Texas College student, please review your school policy on academic integrity!

http://online.ctcd.edu/policies.cfm#plagiarism

Connecticut Community Colleges Ethical Policy:

If you are a Connecticut Community College student, please review the CCC's policy on academic integrity!

PDF\CCCethicalpolicy.pdf

Plagiarism and Cheating will not be tolerated!!!

I will return papers and ask for a different topic if I see a high degree of direct text coming from specific websites.
If I receive any papers taken directly from an Internet term paper mill you will receive a zero for the assignment.
A paragraph notation does not mean that you can copy text directly, you cite the "idea" not the direct "words".
Paraphrase the information "in your own words".
Direct quotations should be used sparingly and identified as such.
Paying other people to do your work is wrong and highly unethical!
Having another person sit for your exam is wrong and highly unethical!