Mining Bibliographies for Gold...

This week I am scheduled to teach five classes of 8^th graders and 4 classes of 6^th graders how to write citations for projects they have been researching in the school library.

At the beginning of my lesson on writing citations, I always explain why we include a works cited/bibliography with our papers and projects.  Some reasons include giving others credit for their work, avoiding being accused of plagiarism (for not crediting sources), and giving the reader/audience additional sources to look at if they want to find out more about their fascinating topic.

Most students do not think that their works cited page is anything more than a necessary evil that is required by their mean teacher and the picky librarian.  However, I know from experience that bibliographies contain a goldmine of information that can supply valuable resources.

When I find an article, book or website that provides information I am looking for on my topic, I always check to see the resources the author used.  More often than not, these bibliographies lead me to additional articles and sources on my topic.  It also helps me to identify the experts that are publishing and contributing to the research.  When I see the same people and their works being cited over and over, I know that this is another lead that should be investigated.

Some Experts - Part 2

While researching my topic, I have found several prominent people in the Library Science field that have been involved in studying programs and services provided to library patrons with special needs.  Although I am focusing on school library programs in the United States, a great deal of the research on this topic has been conducted by librarians in the public library sector and in other countries, most notably England and Australia.  It is interesting to see that many of the prominent scientists in the field of Autism research also come from these locations.

Lynn Akin

Karen Gavigan

Janet Hopkins

Jami Jones

Stephanie Kurtts

Keith Lance

Donna MacKinney

Janet Murray

Karen Voytecki

Carole Whalen

Alana M. Zambone

Neither list of experts is an exhaustive one.  As I continue my research journey, I am discovering additional experts along the way, which helps to inform my research.  I plan on revisiting this list on a regular basis and adding to the ever-growing number.

Some Experts - Part 1

In my research, I am finding that it is necessary to study two separate areas – I am looking at the work done by experts in both in the field of Library Science and specialists in Autism and Asperger research and education. 

The following is a list of some well-known leaders in the field of Autism research and education:

Dr. Tony Attwood

Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen

Dr. Uta Frith

Dr. Christopher Gillberg

Dr. Temple Grandin

Dr. Stephen Shore

Dr. Lorna Wing

Many of the people on this list have contributed significantly to the field of Autism research.  Others, such as Dr. Temple Grandin and Dr. Stephen Shore, have shared their experiences and the challenges they have faced as persons with AS, and have inspired others with their accomplishments.

This list is by no means complete. As I continue my research, I am discovering additional contributors to this field. The website, Autism Today, provides a resource list of experts and their biographical information.

Getting Started

This is the first post that I am making to my writing journal for EDUC815. I am sure that journaling will help me to organize my thoughts, become more conscience of the importance of the writing process, and help me to stay focused and on schedule with the necessary steps needed to complete the dissertation processes.

However --

I seem to be getting a slow start with this online journaling process. I had some difficulty setting up my account – passwords and email issues. It turns out that I had a long forgotten gmail account that I couldn’t remember the password to. After trying to set up new accounts with my Drexel, work and home email accounts, I finally figured out the “old” gmail password and was able to set up a new blog. I have always felt comfortable using technology, but this was not a fun experience!  This led to a conversation with work friends on how many id/passwords we have for all of the digital resources we use – it is mindboggling and almost impossible to remember them all. Ah, technology!