1 UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI CCS 001 COMMUNICATION SKILLS INFORMATION SKILLS COMPONENT( REVISED NOTES) UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SKILLS 1.0 Introduction to the course In the recent years, the information environment in which students and scholars work has become more complex. Users now have more choices of information resources i.e.books non-books and electronic resources. These resources vary greatly in terms of structure, mechanism and purpose. If users are to fully exploit, the computer based resources effectively, they need new skills and knowledge. 1.1 Course purpose Communication skills- is a common under graduate course targeted to all freshmen during the first year. It comprises three components i.e. reading, writing and library skills. It is designed to provide a rationale, knowledge and skills needed to form a foundation of the university education. 1.3Teaching methods The teaching methods will combines lectures, demonstrations and discussions so as to illustrate theory with practice. 1.4 Evaluation Class assignments include a minimum of 1 continuous assessment test(CAT). This may include an essay on the role of an academic library, search strategies orthe research process. The C.A.T will be done during the teaching period. There will be two questions of information skills component in the final examination. 2.0(a)Objectives of the course To equip the students with skills necessary for the effective identification, location, selection and use of information sources by: (i) Establishing a link between classroom subjects and library/information resources.
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UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
CCS 001 COMMUNICATION SKILLS
INFORMATION SKILLS COMPONENT( REVISED NOTES)
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SKILLS
1.0 Introduction to the course
In the recent years, the information environment in which students and scholars work has
become more complex. Users now have more choices of information resources i.e.books
non-books and electronic resources. These resources vary greatly in terms of structure,
mechanism and purpose. If users are to fully exploit, the computer based resources
effectively, they need new skills and knowledge.
1.1 Course purpose
Communication skills- is a common under graduate course targeted to all freshmen
during the first year. It comprises three components i.e. reading, writing and library skills.
It is designed to provide a rationale, knowledge and skills needed to form a foundation of
the university education.
1.3Teaching methods
The teaching methods will combines lectures, demonstrations and discussions so as to
illustrate theory with practice.
1.4 Evaluation
Class assignments include a minimum of 1 continuous assessment test(CAT). This may
include an essay on the role of an academic library, search strategies orthe research
process. The C.A.T will be done during the teaching period.
There will be two questions of information skills component in the final examination.
2.0(a)Objectives of the course
To equip the students with skills necessary for the effective identification, location,
selection and use of information sources by:
(i) Establishing a link between classroom subjects and library/information
resources.
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(ii) Promoting the use of specific facilities such as special collections, reference
collections computerized sources e.t.c.
(iii) Familiarizing students with library operations and the organization of
knowledge.
(iv) Introducing standard methods of citing documents and other sources used for
research.
3.0 The Information Environment
The information environment in which a University student finds himself in is
characterized by:
(i) Massive, diverse, scattered and often conflicting information resources.
(ii) Multiple formats in which information is found.
(iii) Numerous special collections and locations where information resources may
be found.
(iv) Scarcity of some indispensable material.
(v) The interdisciplinary nature of studies whereby many different subjects must
be learnt at the same time.
(vi) The need for developing habits necessary for life- long self- education and the
skills required to separate useful information from useless information in
order to meet assignment deadlines and graduate in time. .
3.1 What is information?
Most dictionaries define information as ‘knowledge acquired through experience and
study. Information is described as organized data, which has been processed in such a
way that information now has relevance for a specific purpose or context, and therefore
meaningful, valuable and useful.
Information: A Definition
i) Communicated facts or ideas.
ii) Data to which a meaning has been given within a context for its use.
iii) An assemblage of data capable of being communicated.
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All the facts, conclusions, ideas, creative works of the human intellect and imagination
which have been communicated formally of informally.
Formal information-Formal information networks are those available through libraries
and information agencies e.g. access to professional and scholarly information,
government information and information disseminated through the media.
Informal information- Informal information includes information that has not entered
the formal channels or which does not properly belong to those channels. E.g. personal
beliefs, perspectives and values.
3.2Acquiring Information
Information may be acquired in the following ways:
(i) Life experience.
(ii) Study and learning.
(iii) Observation, listening, Debates etc.
(iv) Experiment and research.
(v) Lectures, workshops, seminars etc.
Organized information may be found from such places as:
(i) Libraries and their collections.
(ii) Museums.
(iii) Information Bureaus.
(iv) Exhibitions, Shows and Fairs.
(v) The Classroom, Workshops and Laboratories.
(vi) The Mass Media- Radio, TV etc.
(vii) Computerized sources.
3.3Information Literacy
The harsh and confusing information environment calls for an information literate person.
Information literacy is the skill necessary in finding the information one needs. It requires
knowledge of how libraries are organized, familiarity with the resources they provide
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(including information formats and computerized search tools) and knowledge of
standard search techniques.
3.4 Definition of information literacy (IL)
The American Library Association (ALA) presidential Committee on Information
Literacy Final Report (1989) states as follows:
“To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is
needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed
information”. To realize this goal, it requires a structuring of the learning process so that
students are taught problem solving techniques for life-long learning:
Information literacy in institutions of higher learning is necessary for both students and
staff. The goal of information literacy is to ensure that users are equipped and encouraged
to learn from the range of information resources available. It includes learning to use both
formal and informal information resources.
According to Bruce (1994) information literacy involves the following aspects:
� Understanding the nature of information society.
� Acquiring values which promoted information access to use.
� Being able to implement the process of identifying an information need locating,
retrieving, evaluating and synthesizing the information required.
� Developing a high level of communication skills, including the ability to
communicate with colleagues and information professionals.
� Developing a sound knowledge of network sources and strategies for using them.
� Developing the ability to manage the information retrieval through the appropriate
use of, for example word processors, spreadsheet, and bibliographic management
software.
It involves developing a familiarity with the hardware of information technology, books,
newspapers, videos, compact discs, computers and all their accompanying apparatus.
3.5Role of information
When well organized and disseminated information can be effective in the following
areas:
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• Facilitate planning, decision-making and problem solving.
• Enhancing social economic cultural scientific and technological development.
• Enable the development of the national economy.
• Promotion of recreation and leisure.
• Develop a cohesive nation of intelligent people
And in Academia, information is required to:
• Facilitate research, study and teaching.
• Enable success in studies, assignments and the passing of examinations.
3.6 An introduction to libraries
(a) Libraries: a definition
(I) A library is an organized collection of books and other literary material kept
for reading, study and consultation.
(II) A Library is a collection or group of collections of books and other materials
maintained for reading, study and research, organized to facilitate access by a
specific clientele and staffed by librarians and other staff, trained to meet the
needs of its users.
3.7 The University of Nairobi library system
This comprises the main Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library (JKML), six college libraries
as well as research libraries scattered all over Nairobi. The UON Library system is
uniform, rules are the same and a union catalogue of all publications is available on the
Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) which is web-based.
An inter-branch library loan system is possible once a member has been introduced by
their base librarian. Undergraduates may not ordinarily use research libraries.
3.7.1Services offered by the UON libraries
i) Staff assistance and guidance.
ii) Training of readers through orientation and the Information Skills
Course.
iii) Lending of books for home use.
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iv) Facilities for private study of own books, reference books etc; study
carrels for postgraduates and academic staff.
v) Books and other material for reference within the library.
vi) Reservation of books which are out.
vii) Inter-library loans; inter-branch loans.
viii) Photocopying.
ix) Book displays.
x) Computer service mainly the Internet.
xi) E- Journals through INASP & PERI.
3.8 Types of information resources
Information resources
These are materials that are used as resources of information for reference, research,
study and recreation.
Information resources are found in form of books, newspapers, computer disks/ tapes,
listening (radio), viewing (TV), and speaking (oral).
Books
A collection of leaves of paper or other material, written of printed, fastened together in
some manner with a cover.
In the USA for a publication to be called a book it must consist of 24 or more pages.
UNESCO defines a book as a non periodical literary publication consisting of 49 or more
pages, covers not included.
Newspapers
These are serial publications usually printed on newsprint and issues daily, semi weekly
or weekly containing news, editorial opinion, regular columns, letters to the editor,
cartoons, advertisements and other items of current, often local interest to a general
readership.
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Periodicals
These are publications with distinctive titles containing articles, stories or other short
works usually written by different contributors, issued in soft cover more than once,
usually at stated intervals.
Periodicals are published by scholarly societies, University presses, government agencies,
commercial publishing houses, private corporations, trade and professional associations
and other organizations.
The most comprehensive directory of world periodicals is Ulrich’s International
periodicals directory published by R.R Bower.
Periodicals are usually shelved alphabetically by title in a separate section of the library
stacks. In some libraries current issues are shelved separately from back files, which may
be available on microfiche or microfilm to save space.
Journals
These are periodicals devoted to disseminating current research and commentary on
developments within a specific discipline sub discipline or field of study usually
published in quarterly or bimonthly issues which Libraries bind into continuously
paginated volumes.
Most journal articles are longer than five pages and include a bibliography or a list of
works cited at the end.
Journal articles in science and social sciences usually include an abstract preceding the
text, which summarizes the content.
Magazines
These are popular periodicals containing articles on various topics written by different
authors. Most magazine are heavily illustrated containing advertisements and are printed
on glossy paper. Articles are usually short (less than five pages) un signed and do not
include a bibliography or list of references. Most magazines are issued monthly of
weekly.
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Abstracts
An abstract is a short statement of essential content of a book, article, speech, report and
dissertation. It gives the main points in the same order as the original work.
Index
An index is a list of terminologies arranged alphabetically in the last pages of a book. It
has page numbers which direct the reader to the specific page of a text on which the
desired information can be found.
Archival Sources
This is an organized collection of non current records of an institution, government,
organization or corporate body. Archival sources are managed and maintained by a
librarian with special training known as an archivist.
Serial Publications
A publication in any format issued in successively numbered or dated parts or issues,
appearing at regular or irregular intervals and intended to be continued indefinitely. In
our library the serial or periodical catalogue is known as a Kardex.
Patents
A patent is an official document issued by the government in response to a formal
application process in which the applicant (usually the inventor) is granted the exclusive
right to manufacture, use, and sell an invention for a specified number of years the
document is assigned a patent number by the patent office for future reference.
Standards
Standards are any criteria established by law, agreement, or custom, according to which
values, quantities, procedure performance, etc are measured or evaluated and to which
manufacturers, practitioners, researchers, etc seek to conform in order to ensure quality
and uniformity of results.
Audio- Visual Materials
This is a term used to describe non print materials such as films, film strips, slides, video
recordings, audio recordings, CD-ROMS, machine readable data files and computer soft
ware.
Computerized Sources
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CD-ROM
Compact Disk Read Only Memory.
It is a small plastics optical disk 4.72 inches or 12 centimeters in diameter similar to an
audio compact disk. It is used for storing information in digital format. Once information
is stored it can be searched and displayed on a computer screen. Information stored in a
CD-ROM can not be changed or erased.
Online information resources
These are information resources accessed through the internet.
In libraries we have the Online Public Access Catalogue. It consists of bibliographic
records in machine readable format. These records can be accessed from different
computers through the library website.
http://library.uonbi.ac.ke .The link is UONBI library catalogue.
The Internet
This is a network which inter connects computers of all types through out the world. It
enables users to communicate via email, transfer of data and program files. The internet
also enables users to find information on the World Wide Web and access computer
systems such as catalogues and electronic databases.
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UNIT 2: ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES
THE CATALOGUE
Catalogues are necessary whenever a collection is too big to be remembered item by
item.A catalogue is the complete stock of books, periodicals and any other type of
information. In order to access to the individual items contained therein, an index or a
systematic list of the collection is necessary.
The Catalogue: A Definition
A Catalogue is a list of books periodicals, maps or materials in a specific collection,
arranged in a definite order usually alphabetically, by author, title or subject.
The purposes of a library Catalogue are:
(i) To enable a person to find any intellectual creation whether issued in print
or non print, when one of the following is known;
(a) The Author
(b) The Title
(c) The Subject
(ii) To show what the library has
(a) By a given Author
(b) On a given and related subjects
(c) In a given kind of literature
(iii) To assist in the choice of a book:
(a) As to the edition
(b) As to it’s character ( Literary or character)
ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOGUE
This is a library catalogue consisting of bibliographic records in Machine readable format
maintained on a dedicated computer which provides uninterrupted interactive access via
terminals or workstations which are in direct continuous communication with the
central computer. To access this catalogue one needs to access the library website which
is http://uonlibrary.uonbi.ac.ke . The link is Library Services Portal . Once one clicks on
theOnline Cataloguea search window opens. Type the title of the book needed in the
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advanced search window and specify your field of search by clicking on the drop down
link.
One can do this by specifying:
(i) All fields of record.
(ii) Personal Author.
(iii) Corporate Author.
(iv) Title word.
(v) Subject.
(vi) ISBN/ISSN Number.
It is advisable to search by all fields of record if your first attempt at searching is not
successful.
Once the title you are looking for appears, click on it and write down bibliographic
details like the names of the author beginning with the surname, complete title of the
book and the call number. Use the signboards available on all the staircases to direct you
to the floor the Present these details to the librarian at the issue desk who will direct you
to the right shelf where the book is located.
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UNIT 3: CITATION/REFERENCING TECHNIQUES
Citation methods and referencing techniques refer to the standard established ways that
are used to document sources (works) used in the process of writing papers, assignments,
research projects and theses.
Works are cited in order to:
1. To give authority to statements made in a project paper; assignments etc.
2. To provide reference for further reading.
3. To acknowledge source for information used and therefore to a void plagiarism.
In this section, we will distinguish between four types of list of books and describe how
each is used. There are:-
1. Bibliography
Strictly speaking, a list of written works by a specific author or on a given subject,
usually including books, periodical articles, documents and other relevant materials. The
person who compiles a bibliography is a bibliographer. A bibliography can be
comprehensive or selective.
In the context of academic research,a bibliography is a list of references to sources cited
or for further reading, usually printed at the end of an article or book. Long
bibliographies may be published separately in book form.
The word bibliography also refers to the art and practice of describing books, especially
their authorship,publication, physical form, and literary content.
2. List of references
This refers to the works that have been directly referred to, or quoted from. The list
appears at the end of the research paper. The list must contain enough bibliographical
information to enable the user to locate the listed items.
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3. The reading list
This refers to a list of readings given to students by their lecturers for their various
courses or for specific topics.
4. Footnotes
Footnotes appear at the bottom or foot of a page, at the end of a chapter or at the end of a
paper. Terms such as endnotes are often used depending on where the notes appear. They
are used to do the following:-
i) Acknowledge direct quotations of other author’s words.
ii) Acknowledge figures or statistics taken from another’s work.
iii) Acknowledge original concepts or opinions of other authors.
iv) To provide cross-references to another section of your paper.
v) To amplify material included in the main body of the ext of your paper.
(You are saying e.g.: this is not from me, it is from…)
Each footnote is numbered. The first citation of a document must give complete
biographic information. Subsequent citations of the same work may be given in a
shortened format.
If there are no other references between two references to the same work, you use ibid
which is the Latin for: “in the same place”. When a different work is cited between two
or more citations to one work the Author’s name is given with Op. Cit, (Latin for “in the
work cited” followed by the appropriate page number, if different from the first page
cited.
Direct quotation
Direct quotations are used when the language of the quotation is especially strong e.g.
according to Einstein… or as Shakespeare’s wrote in merchant of Venice…
When you use quotations in your paper, follow the following conventions:
1. Introduce each quote in your text with a lead that makes it clear who is speaking
and why?
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2. Quote only as much as you need. Select a key phrase to establish authority,
paraphrasing or summarizing the rest of the author’s point.
Paraphrase and summary
When you repeat other author’s ideas in your own words, it is called paraphrase.
A summary takes even greater liberties than a paraphrase, often trying to condense a
great number of pages into a few words.
Differences from discipline to discipline
Each subject area in the curriculum has developed a tradition of documentary sources of
information e.g.
i) If you are a student of the social sciences, you will use the America
Psychological Association (APA) system.
ii) A student of literature will use the one preferred by the Modern Language
Association (MLA).
iii) A student of botany major will use the system recommended by the Council
of Biology Editors (CBE).
If you are not sure which system to use in writing your academic paper or assignment,
you should ask your lecture or instructor.
However, if you write a paper for publication in a professional journal, study the system
used in that particular journal.
In order to document your work properly it is necessary to acquire a style manual that
will explain the principles and demonstrate with examples e.g. how to document single
authors, corporate authors, two authors, three authors and more than three authors,
chapters within books, newspapers articles etc.
A. The Name/Year System or the America Psychological Association (APA)
This system is used by most of the social science and professional disciplines, including:
psychology, sociology, political science, anthropology, education and business.
It derices its name from the manual published by the American Psychological
Association.
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The key difference between MLA and APA is the stress on the date in APA format.
Below are brief guidelines to assist you document correctly in APA format.
1. When you refer to an author in your text, include date of publication immediately
after the name:
According to Smith (1986) and Jones (1974) the system is at fault.
2. When you quote directly, but do not mention the author’s name in your text,
include all necessary information immediately following the quotation: (Smith,
1986, p. 12).
3. When you refer to and quote an author, put date reference immediately following
his or her name and page references after the quotation.
4. Title your list of sources at the paper’s end “References.”
5. On your reference page, include the date immediately after the author, capitalize
only the first major word in the title, and include “p.” or “pp.” for page numbers.
Dawkins, Richard (1987). The Blind watchmaker.New York: Norton.
6. Include a separate title page for the paper.
7. Write a 50- to 75-word abstract and place it immediately.
The Harvard system and the American Psychological Association (APA) have
similar styles of citations as shown below:
1. Within the text
Insert the year of publication after the author’s name at every point that a reference is
made to a particular document. If the author’s name occurs naturally in the text, give the
year in parenthesis. If not, give both the author’s name and the year in parenthesis. For
two authors of one work, give the surname of both authors, followed by date.
2. At the end of the text-bibliography
Arrange all entries alphabetically in the order of the author’s surnames, then by the year
and letter where applicable.
Example of a biography using the Harvard method.
Fabel Medical Library (1975) 2nd
ed. London: Faber. Fletcher, J. (1916) Lactic acid in
amphibian muscle.Journal of psychology, Vo. 30, No. 1 P.247-399
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Hoel, P. G. (1971) Elementary Statistics, 3rd
ed. New York: Wiley. Journal of Applied
Chemistry, Vol. 1, No. 2 Jan 1991.
ELEMENTS OF A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCE
A bibliographical reference is a set of data describing a document or part of a document,
and sufficiently precise and detailed to identify and locate it.
The order in which the elements are given must be the same for each reference. The
format and order must be consistent and logical.
1. REFERENCE TO A CONTRIBUTION IN A PERIODICAL
i) Author of contribution
ii) Year of publication
iii) Title of contribution
iv) Title of periodical (underlined or italics)
v) Volume and part number
vi) Page number of contribution
Example: Fletcher, J. (1916). Lactic acid in amphibian muscle.Journal of psychology.
Vol. 35, p. 247 -399
2. REFERENCES TO A CONTRIBUTION IN A BOOK
i) Author of contribution
ii) Year of publication
iii) Title of contribution (followed by “IN”)
iv) Authors, editors or institution responsible for writing the book
v) Title of Book (underlined or italics)
vi) Edition no. If not the first)
vii) Place of publication
viii) Publisher
ix) Page number of contribution
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Example: Wright R, C. (1963) Report Literature. IN: Burkett, J. & Morgan, T. S. (eds).
Special material in the library, P.46-59
3. REFERENCE TO A PERIODICAL AS A WHOLE
i) Title of periodical (underlined or italics)
Example: Journal of applied chemistry, Vol. No. 2 Jan.
4. REFERENCE TO A BOOK
i) Author (s), editor (s) or institution responsible for writing the book
ii) Year of publication.
iii) Title of a book (underlined or italics)
iv) Edition no. (if not the first)
v) Place of publication
vi) Publisher
Example: Hoel, P. G (1997) Elementary Statistics, 3rd
. New York: Wiley.
When a part of a book or a chapter is referred to, give this as the final element of the
citation e.g.
Hoel, P. G. (1971). Elementary statistics, 3rd
ed. New York: Wiley, Chapter 4.
B. Name/Title system or the Modern Language Association (MLA)
The Name/Title system or theModern Language Association (MLA) is popular with
writers in English and modern language departments. This system came into widespread
use in 1984 when the MLA published its latest edition of the MLA Handbook for writers
of research papers.
The new MLA recommends footnotes or endnotes for only two purposes.
i) For commentary that is not appropriate for the text itself.
ii) For multiple sources.
(The same rule is applicable in other documentation formats described here).
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The logic of MLA format is to keep documentation in your written text brief and simple.
Remember that readers need to locate your complete source at the end of the paper in the
alphabetical listing of the works listed.
Below are brief guidelines to assist you to document correctly in MLA format:-
1. When you cite an authority in your text, place his or her last name in parentheses
at the end of the sentence making the reference (Twain).
2. When you cite more than one work by an authority, include a shortened version of
the title of the book or article after the name in parentheses (Twain, Huck Finn).
3. When you include a direct quotation in your citation, include the page number(s)
on which the quotation was found:
Huck’s moral character is evident when he decides not to turn Jim in and
exlaims: “All right then, I’ll go to hell!” (Twain 123).
Note: After the author’s name use neither comma nor “p.”
4. When you refer to the author of a single work in the text itself, no further
documentation is necessary because reference to him or her can be located on the
alphabetical “Works Cited” page at the end.
5. Keep parenthetical references outside the quotation marks but inside the periods.
6. For works with two authors, use both last names (Smith and Jones). With more
than two authors, include only the first author followed by “et al.”(Joplin, et al.)
7. At the end of your paper include a “Works Cited” page that lists in alphabetical
order all the works cited in your paper. Title this page Works Cited.
8. Type all entries double space. Use the following examples to help you cite
sources correctly:
SINGLE AUTHOR
Calkins, Lucy McCormick. Lessons from a Child: On the Teaching and Learning of
Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1983.
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TWO BOOKS BY ONE AUTHOR
Elbow, Peter.Writing Without Teachers. New York: Oxford UniversityPress, 1973.
_________Writing with Power. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.
TWO AUTHORS
Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style.3rd
ed, New York:
Macmillan, 1979.
MORE THAN TWO AUTHORS
Barr, Mary, et al. What’s Going On? Language/Learning Episodes in British and
American Classrooms, Grades 4—13. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1982.
ANONYMOUS AUTHOR
American Heritage Dictionary: Second College Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982.
AN EDITOR (OR TWO)
Ellmann, Richard, and Robert O’Clair, eds. Modern Poems: An Introduction to Poetry.
New York: W. W. Norton, 1976.
MORE THAN TWO VOLUMES
Parrington, Vernon L. Main Currents in American Thought, 2 vols. New York: Harcourt,
Brace, and World, 1927.
A TRANSLATION
Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Stuart Gilbert. New York: Random House, 1946.
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A CHAPTER IN AN ANTHOLOGY
Britton, James. “The Composing Processes and the Functions of Writing.” Research on
Composing.Eds. Charles R. Cooper and Lee Odell. Urbana: National Council of Teachers
of English, 1978.
AN UNSIGNED ARTICLE IN A REFERENCE BOOK
“Kiowa Indians.” The Columbia Encyclopedia.2nd ed. New York:Columbia University
Press, 1956.
AN UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATION
Fulwiler, Toby. “The Failure Story: A Study in American Autobiography.” Ph.D.
dissertation, The University of Wisconsin, 1973.
A PROFESSIONAL PERIODICAL
Ohmann, Richard. “Reflections on Chaos and Language.” College English44(1982): 1-
17.
A MONTHLY PERIODICAL
Mayersohn, Norman. “Rad Wheels.” Popular Mechanics May 1987: 84—87.
DAILY NEWSPAPER
“Ex-Officials See Lobbyists’ View.” The Burlington Free Press 12 April 1987, sec. 2:1.
FILM
The Hustler. Dir. Robert Rossen. With Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, and George C.
