Law

For those students in the SPD section, access the slides from Elyse's presentation below.  

For those students in the SPE section, the content from Chris' session can be found on this page.

Hello!

To get started today, log into a classroom computer, or personal laptop, tablet, phone, etc. and open the Seneca Libraries website: https://library.senecapolytechnic.ca/

Once at the Libraries website:

1. Click Subject Guides
2. Click Law
3. Click Course Guides
4. Click PLR311

At any time during the class, feel free to "raise a hand", call out my name, or add a question to the chat.

Chris Thomas
Liaison Librarian
Faculty of Communication, Art and Design
School of Legal, Public and Office Administration
christopher.thomas@senecapolytechnic.ca

In today's class:

1. Agenda / Objectives
2. IRB website
3. Evaluating Sources
4. Search Strategies
5. Searching Library resources
6. Citing guides
7. Finding Help & Other Useful Guides

By the end of this session, you should be able to: 

1. Find the PLR311 course guide
2. Evaluate a website for credibility
3. Find the Immigration Case Management subject guide
4. Find the National Documentation Packages on the IRB website
5. Observe a search for resources @ Seneca Libraries
6. Find the Citing Sources guide @ Seneca Libraries
7. Locate help @ Seneca Libraries

Assignment Details Relevant to Today's Session

• Your research will be marked according to your ability to locate and report current and objective information that is relevant to the case scenario from a selection of credible human rights reports (a minimum of two) about a refugee-producing country (e.g., human rights reports, country reports, etc. as discussed in class).

• Research includes both general information about the country (e.g., location, government) and specific, substantive information about the issues raised in the claim.

• Wikipedia is not considered to be an academic source. Watch out for newspaper articles, blogs, and interviews as they are generally not primary sources of information and/or may “spin” information, or may be reflecting a subjective viewpoint

Immigration Case Management Subject Guide

• Under Websites / Government Organizations
  • IRB (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada)

Quality
Quality refers to how trustworthy and reputable your source is.

1. Purpose: Consider the purpose of the source.  Why did the authors create it and how do you know that?
   • Is it fact or opinion?  Is there bias?  (Does the source favour one thing over another in an unfair way (sometimes referred to as one-sided)?
2. Audience: Consider the audience of the source.  Whom did the authors create it for and how do you know that?
3. Authority: Consider who created the source and who is responsible for the source.  Are the creators experts on the topic and how do you know that?  Who is responsible for this information - a company, a government, a university, an individual?  How do you know that?
4. Currency: Consider when the source was published or written.  How recently was it written and how do you know that?
5. Reliability: Consider the information from the source.  Does your source provide details about where they got their information - such as references?
6. Relevance: What does it have to do with my topic?

1. Less is More: Start with one or two words and then add one additional term at a time
   • refugee
   • refugee canada
2. Phrase searching: Use "quotation marks" around key ideas made up of multiple words
   • "refugee status"
   • "convention refugee"
   • very useful when you have a specific phrase containing common words
3. Refine your search using features in the search tool
   • Date
   • Content / Material type

Additional Search Features

1. Description / Subject Headings
2. Access Options (physical location, online access)
3. Tools (Cite-It, Permalink)
4. Separate search for newspaper articles

Things to remember when using the Seneca Libraries search tool

1. Sign in to save searches, items, and to request materials.
2. Use the filters on the left. Common filters are Availability, Content / Material Type, Date.
3. When viewing an item record, scroll down to the View Online to access the item.
4. Some items won't be available. You can request unavailable items using interlibrary loan.

Key Guides.  (Available through the Citing Sources link on the Seneca Libraries website).

1. Plagiarism
2. Citing guides
3. Digital Assignments

Available through the Seneca Libraries:

1. Resources
   1. Academic Integrity and Citation
   2. Sandbox Digital Literacy
   3. Assignment Planner
   4. The Learning Portal - Writing & Communication
2. Library Tutorials
3. Getting assistance
   • Reach out to me directly
   • Research appointment
   • Live chat