Events This Week
At the Library

• Message from the Head Librarian
• Keep Your Library Card Privileges
• Library Lessons :
  • Lesson 1:  Mixed Method
  • Lesson 2:  Action Research
• Circulation Desk
• Next Week at the Library

A Message from
the Head Librarian

Welcome to your tenth week at the library.  This week marks the final week of chapter readings in our text as well as the final 2 quizzes!  I know everyone is very upset about this but am sure you will get over it soon :-)

Feedback has been mostly positive and constructive. I appreciate the constructive comments especially when they help explain the rating given so that I can determine exactly how to focus improvements. Some have mentioned the idea that it would be better if we could be covering the content at the exact same time you are working on that section. I completely understand this suggestion and have tried various ways to structure the coverage each week to try to do this but it almost always seems that we work ahead in the readings at times before we actually get to writing the section. Most of this is because I feel the need for everyone to have time to write drafts and then receive feedback before being graded on a final draft and it is almost impossible to allow for this without condensing the weeks so there is some "dead" time left at the end of the semester where everyone can just focus on improvements for the final draft. Several mentioned the need for an extra week on the literature review and I know many of you requested extensions and received them. The shortened summer semester, however, allows for little wiggle room with due dates.

We are closing in on the final weeks. As you await feedback on your Section III and IV draft this week remember to loop back through your previous drafts and my feedback as you begin working on your final draft of your entire proposal.

Your main task for the next two weeks will be to polish up your entire proposal into a final draft that will make me proud! After this week we will have no new course content so you should be able to devote your time to your final draft and then studying for your final exam.

APA Tidbit

This week the APA tidbit is one that will be used more in the future than is used now.  Here is an example of a text citation from a dissertation we reviewed this week.

Bandura stated, "To be an agent is to intentionally make things happen by one's actions" (2001, ¶ 1).

The question is, why did the author use the paragraph symbol instead of using p. to indicate a page number?  Does the reference for the citation help?

Bandura, A. (2001).  Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective.  Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1-26.  Retrieved September 15, 2001, from the Wilson Select database.

The online database gave the page numbers the article occupied in the journal, but the author of the dissertation used the paragraph symbol rather than a page number because the online source did not have page numbers. So, she had to indicate the quote's location by giving the paragraph number.  All the details are on pages 213-214 of the APA manual.

Our goals this week are to:

• Describe the different designs for conducting mixed methods research
• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of mixed method designs
• Describe key characteristics of mixed method designs
• Describe the steps of conducting a mixed method study
• Identify types of action research designs
• Describe key characteristics of action research
• Describe the steps in conducting an action research study

Don't Forget Your
Library Card!

Task #1:
Complete the Library Patron Feedback Form for Week 9.

Contact the
Library Staff

Need Help?

Have a question but can't find the answer? Here are some options:

• Check the FAQ page to see if your question has already been answered.
• Email the Head Librarian (Dr. Curda) .
• Email the Assistant Librarian (Melissa).
• Check with the other library patrons.

Now let's move to our Library Lessons
for This Week!