Based on the interview with the IT professional (client) to discuss his/her information need related to the job, the (student) Consultant will
search, locate, and evaluate at least
10 reputable and relevant electronic information sources that are
varied (e.g., websites, journal articles, news stories, etc.) using search engines and databases. At least
TWO of the
10 sources must be obtained using the
Rutgers University Libraries databases (see below for a list of “Rutgers University Libraries Research Resources” for the IC Project).

Important! Follow these guidelines:

· Search and locate at least
10 reputable, and relevant sources (that meet the 7 evaluation criteria: accuracy, currency, authority/credibility, quality, objectivity, coverage, relevance –
more on this below) that are
varied (e.g., websites, journal articles, news stories, database articles, etc.). The sources may not be from one predominant publication or author.

· Use search techniques you’ve learned thus far (Boolean operators, keywords, phrasing with quotes, parentheses, and/or ordering) to search and locate your 10 information sources using search engines and academic library databases.

· Including at least
two sources from Rutgers Libraries databases (see list of library databases below; Google Scholar should not be used as one of the two library databases, but may be used as another type of information source).

· All information sources (from search engines AND library academic databases) must be obtained from
“full-text articles” (not just article “abstracts”) so you can properly evaluate them.

· All information sources must be
electronic sources (i.e., not print-based or point to “books” found on the web unless the entire
e-book is available online for your IT client’s review).

· Include only those information sources that you
RECOMMEND for your IT client’s information need (do not include sources that you have evaluated and have found to be lacking based on the evaluation criteria – see below).

· Citations and annotations are to follow
APA style/format (6th edition). Provide
URLs for all openly available online sources and
names/titles of databases.
When using Rutgers Libraries databases, include the
name/title of the database at the
end of the citation (Retrieved from XXX database) – do not include the URL for the purposes of this assignment. See below (Citing Sources in an Annotated Bibliography using APA Guidelines) for assistance in proper style and formatting for APA citations.

Please read the instructions below carefully, which will help you succeed in completing this assignment.

Rutgers University Libraries Research Resources

In addition to using search engines (e.g., Google, Google Scholar, Yahoo, Bing, etc.), the following resources are academic databases/indexes, search tools, and IT-related resources through Rutgers University Libraries that can assist you in doing research to complete ICP Assignment 3 (i.e., searching, locating, evaluating information sources for an information need, and then preparing an Annotated Bibliography):

Specific Academic Databases: (

*** use at least TWO databases below to find at least TWO information sources

***)

·
Academic Search Premier

·
Links to an external site.

·

·
ACM Digital Library

·
Links to an external site.

· (Association for Computing Machinery)

·
Business Source Premier

·
Links to an external site.

·

·
Compendex

·
Links to an external site.

· (Engineering Village)

·
Library and Information Science Abstracts

·
Links to an external site.

· (LISA/ProQuest)

·
Library Literature and Information Science Full Text

·
Links to an external site.

· (H.W. Wilson)

·
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts

·
Links to an external site.

· (LISTA)

Aggregated IT-Related Resources:

·
Rutgers University Libraries Articles

·
Links to an external site.

· (Aggregator that searches multiple databases at once when you enter search criteria)

·
Information Technology-Specific Databases/Indexes

·
Links to an external site.

·

·
Information Technology and Informatics (ITI) Library Tutorial

·
Links to an external site.

· (for assistance in all aspects of research related to ITI)

·
Library and Information Science LibGuide

·
Links to an external site.

·

Note: Go to:
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/indexes

Links to an external site.

to view a list of all Rutgers Libraries Indexes and Databases listed alphabetically. These databases are restricted resources for Rutgers students, faculty, and staff only (free-of-charge). Please be aware that if students want to access these restricted resources off-campus, they must
log-in

Links to an external site.

using their
Rutgers NetID and Password.

After evaluating each electronic information source, students will make a determination as to whether the source is to be recommended to the IT Professional (based on the evaluation criteria) and included as one of the 10 sources in the Annotated Bibliography. See APA Resources below.
Only those information sources that you recommend should be included in your Annotated Bibliography.

Writing an APA-Style Annotated Bibliography of Evaluating Electronic Information Sources

After evaluating and selecting the
10 electronic information sources from
“full-text” articles that you are
recommending to the IT Professional, students will prepare/write an
Annotated Bibliography (called a “Reference List”) in a
Word document that is
5-7 pages in length, following
APA style and guidelines (6th edition) in alphabetical order by author’s last name and include the following:

·
Introduction – At the beginning of the Annotated Bibliography, include: (paragraphs; double-spaced)

· Your IT client’s name, position, and company or organization.

· Brief description of your IT client’s information need.

· Brief description of the
search strategies (search techniques and queries), search engines, and subscription databases (Rutgers Libraries) you used to research and formulate your Annotated Bibliography, and a statement as to whether you succeeded in locating the required 10 relevant and reputable information sources for the IT professional’s (client) information need pertaining to the job.

·
EACH annotation entry is to include the following: (single-spaced with APA citation format; skip a line between the citation and summary and evaluation of each source – see
SAMPLE ANNOTATION ENTRY below)

·
Source citation (as the heading of the annotation) following the appropriate APA format for different types of sources (e.g., journal article from a subscription/library database, news article from a website, online periodical from a website, etc.).
Indent the second line of the citation (as needed). Provide
URLs for all openly available online sources and the
name of the database for academic databases that you used (after the “Retrieved from” at the end of the citation).

·

·
Descriptive Annotation about the information source: (in paragraph form)

·
Summary of the article and author (
one paragraph)

· Who wrote the article (person or organization/site)

· Summary of the article content

· Purpose of the article

·

·
Your evaluation of the source
(include the 7 criteria; one paragraph)
(Please ”
bold” each evaluation criterion as you discuss in the paragraph – see sample below. Example: “The article is of high
quality because a bibliography of sources is provided at the end.” This will help you make the connection between each evaluation criterion and your explanation/rationale.)

· Accuracy
(Provide the rationale in your evaluation: is the information accurate? are there any mistakes or contradictions in the content?)

· Currency
(Provide the rationale in your evaluation: is the information timely and current especially important for technology topics? does the site or article include the date it was published and/or a date as to when it was updated/revised?)

· Authority/credibility
(Provide the rationale in your evaluation: what are the author’s/editor’s credentials or background and/or the organization’s/site’s purpose? Is the author or organization/site a recognized, reputable, and reliable authority in the field? Is the URL extension .edu (education), .org (non-profit), .gov (government), or is it a .com or .net (business)?

· Quality
(Provide the rationale in your evaluation: are the sources of the article documented in footnotes or in-text citations and/or include a bibliography at the end? is the information based on evidence or research? Are there links to more information and do the links work?)

· Objectivity
(Provide the rationale in your evaluation: does the author or organization’s site or article give a balanced viewpoint and/or with multiple perspectives or is it biased based on personal opinion)?

· Coverage
(Provide the rationale in your evaluation: is the information on the site or article comprehensive enough (or contain key information) for the information need? Does the site or article cover too much or too little generally? Is important information missing?)

· Relevance to the IT Professional’s topic or information need
(Provide the rationale in your evaluation: how is the information source directly relevant, important, or useful to the IT client’s topic and information need?)

·
Note: If you do not recommend the information source for the IT client’s information need as a result of your evaluation, then
find a different information source. All information sources in your Annotated Bibliography are those that you recommend and have “passed” your evaluation.