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Writing Assignment #2: Finding and Evaluating Sources of

Information

Name

Institution

Course

Professor

Date
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Writing Assignment #2: Finding and Evaluating Sources of

Information (10%)
WHAT WHY

Demonstrate your ability to find and select Finding credible sources of

relevant, credible, and suitable sources of
information written at the level of
information to answer questions, solve problems,
and support interpretations. detail you require will help you

. to answer questions and solve

problems in many contexts.
These skills will help you guard
against misinformation and are
essential skills for academic
research and writing.

HOW

This assignment asks you to work with Conestoga’s library search page, using various
filters to find sources. You will also be finding some sources with basic internet searches
or Copilot prompts.

Carefully read and follow the assignment instructions below to complete the assignment
in full.

Please Note
This assignment requires you to include screen captures.
Once you have taken a screen capture, follow these steps to add screen captures to this
document:

i. Click on the text box where you want to add a screen capture.
ii. Select “Insert” from the menu of your writing software.
iii. Click “Pictures.”
iv. Click “Insert Picture from This Device.”
v. Select the relevant screen grab.

If you are using Microsoft’s Snip Tool, follow these steps:

i. At the same time, press the Shift+S+Windows Icon key.
ii. Click the rectangle option that appears at the top of your darkened screen.
iii. Put your cursor where you want one corner of the rectangle and use your
mouse to draw the rectangle around what you want in your screen shot.
(When you release, the rectangle you captured will be copied to your

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clipboard.)
iv. Go to the template and put the cursor in the correct text box. Right-click and
select Paste or click Ctrl-V to insert the image into the box.

Imagine you have been assigned to write a research report on one of the following
questions or another provided by your professor:

A. In what ways will the warming climate affect human migration patterns (in
a particular region)?
B. What will be the primary impacts of the warming climate on agriculture (or
a particular agricultural sector) in Canada (or another country that you
specify)?
C. How will rising temperatures affect the Canadian economy (or a particular
sector of it)?
D. How does the warming climate affect human health today or in the future?

SELECT KEYWORDS
1a. Highlight the topic from the list above that you have chosen to research for this
assignment in the box below

1b. In the box below, list three keywords that would enable you to perform a
successful advanced search on your topic in the library databases.

Three keywords (search terms)

1. Climate change
2. Impact
3. Human health

Put these terms into the database search tool and see what you get.
Even a good search can be tweaked in one or more of the following ways:

 Add a new search term, change one, or remove one

 Use quotation marks around two or more terms to keep them together
 Use a combination of operators (AND, OR, NOT) instead of just AND
 Truncate a search term with an asterisk (*)

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1c. Make at least two adjustments to your search terms to improve the range and
relevance of your results. Paste a screenshot of the revised search terms you
ultimately used as they appear on the library search screen.

Screenshot showing refined search terms

APPLY FILTERS TO IMPROVE RELEVANCE AND SUITABILITY

2. Looking at the results of your revised search, decide what filters you can use to refine
them further. Use at least 3 relevant filters to limit results only to results that are recent
enough to be useful and include the types of sources that are likely to be most
specific (for your research question) and most accessible (in terms of vocabulary and
complexity) to you. Paste a screenshot below of the filters you used.

Screenshot showing at least 3 useful filters

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SELECT A VARIETY OF SOURCES

3a. Using the same search you have been working on, identify a relevant article in a
general interest magazine, and click on the source to get the detailed information
about it. (Remember that you can use Wikipedia or Copilot to learn about a source—
who the audience is, what kind of content it publishes, etc.) Paste a picture of the
bibliographic information in the box below.

Screenshot of bibliographic information for specific magazine article on your topic that
looks useful

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3b. Now identify a relevant article from a newspaper, click on that source, and paste
a picture of the bibliographic information below.

Screenshot of bibliographic information for specific newspaper article on your topic

that looks like a useful source

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3c. Finally, identify a relevant peer-reviewed article in a specialized academic or

trade journal, click on the source, and paste a picture of the bibliographic
information below.

Screenshot of bibliographic information for specialized peer-reviewed article on your

topic that looks useful

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3d. Fill in the chart below, describing the three sources you found in terms of
readability, level of useful detail, and references to sources and research studies.

Readability (length, difficulty of Level of detail (from References to sources (no

vocabulary, complexity of sentence very general to identification of sources, informa
structure) extremely detailed. identification of sources, or
complete citations and

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references)
General The magazine article “why The article
interest climate change is still a threat to human combines the general This article does not
magazine health” by McKeever (2021) is and extremely contain complete citations and
article relatively lengthy as it is 14 minutes detailed overview of references. However, it uses
read. It includes several paragraphs with the topic. It starts informal identification of
various effects of climate change on with general references the studies, opinions
human health. Therefore, it may take discussion on of experts and reports. For
time for the reader to finish reading it. malnutrition and instance, it mentions experts
The vocabulary ranges from climate change. It such as Dr. Tiff-Annie Kenny
simple to moderately complex. For then goes into details and draws information from
instance, there are some terms like on particular areas of the Environmental Protection
"solastalgia" may require prior concern, for Agency. However, it fails to
knowledge. However, most language is instance, effects on make full bibliographic
straightforward enough for the general Indigenous peoples references.
audience to understand. and the transmission Even though complete
The article is characterized by of communicable citations are not given, the
simple and clear sentence structure in diseases. information from the experts
the paragraphs. This makes it easy for as well as organizations
the reader to understand. provides credibility. However,
this reduces the chance of the
reader being able to confirm
certain facts. It also makes it
hard for the reader to find
where the author got their
information for further
reading.

Newspaper The newspaper article “nearly 1 The article The article utilizes both
article in 3 Americans experienced a weather offers a very detailed informal sources and
disaster” is moderately lengthy (11 analysis of the references to the scientific

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minutes read). This may be a challenge warming climate and articles and experts. For
for some readers. its effects. For instance, it cites Craig Fugate,
Most vocabulary can be instance, it covers who is the former head of
understood by any reader who is the details like FEMA, but does not provide
knowledgeable on the current events. incidents of the formal citation.
However, some of the terms may be wildfires, floods, The article refers to the
difficult to understand without prior heat waves and how United Nations
knowledge. For instance, some audience they affect human Intergovernmental Panel on
may not understand what is meant by health. It also talks Climate Change. (UNIPCC) It
the term “planet warming emissions”. about the explains UNIPCC’s report on
The words used are fairly complex, but psychological and global warming and emissions
can be understood by a wide range of physical reductions. While the report is
people. consequences of analyzed in detail, there is no
The sentence structures vary. these incidents to reference directing the readers
Some of the statements are short and Americans. to the particular document.
straight forward while others are Moreover, the This can make the article less
compound and complex. Short authors utilize reliable for the researchers.
sentences help in stressing some points, scientific
or to add clarity. On the other hand, information about
complex sentences they are used to the growing number
explain more about a particular point. and intensity of
catastrophes. It also
discusses the
political, and social
aspects of the
climate change. For
instance, the article
discusses the details
on the U.S. response
to climate change. It
highlights the

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difficulties in
passing the
Democrats’ $3.5
trillion budget bill
that contains
measures to fight
climate change
Peer- The peer-reviewed article on The article is very The article follows a formal
reviewed “climate change and human health” by detailed. It offers academic structure for citations
journal Butler (2024) is quite long, as it thorough and references. It consistently
article contains various sections and subtopics. descriptions of provides complete citations for
There are seven sub-topics in total, and climate change all the studies and reports it
each of them is explained in a number effects on human mentions. For instance, the
of paragraphs. The details provided health, including authors reference that
requires the readers to take more time to primary, secondary, Woodbury (2019) argues that
read. and tertiary effects. the immigration as a result of
The article contains complex For instance, the climate change results in
vocabulary. It includes words like direct impact entails psychological impacts and
“Anthropocene” and “Malthusian.” effects such as heat a dissociative syndromes.
Such terms can be difficult for the stroke due to
general audience who are not familiar increased
with environmental science terms. temperatures. On the
The sentence structure is other hand, indirect
complex as the authors integrate various impacts include
ideas and concepts. For instance, the diseases caused by
authors note that “At the worst, global mosquitoes. Each
ecosystems will be unable to adapt to a effect is expanded
rapidly changing climate, world food with descriptions and
production will collapse, and coastal examples to
areas will be inundated by rapidly rising demonstrate how
sea levels. ” This sentence integrates these health issues

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three ideas in a single sentence, are interconnected.

showing that the effects of climate Such details are
change are interconnected. beneficial to the
professional readers
but may be
confusing for those
who want to get the
general idea of the
topic.
IDENTIFY A POTENTIAL TEXT

4a. Select one text from the three that you identified that you think will help you
answer the research question you selected. Provide an APA reference for that text
in the box below. The easiest route is to use the citation tool provided within the library
database platform and then confirm and correct it using the guidelines provided on the
APA @ Conestoga website

APA reference for the library source you chose

Butler, C. D. (2024). Climate change and human health: Primary, secondary, and tertiary
effects. Elsevier EBooks, 213–240. [Link]
1.00007-1

4b. In the box below, explain why you think this text might help you to learn more about
your topic. Refer to at least two the following features in your explanation:

 the bibliographic details included in the APA reference in your explanation

 the subject terms listed on the detailed record
 the abstract or summary (if provided) on the library record

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 anything else you noticed while skimming or scanning the text

Your explanation of why you think it will be useful

The source "Climate change and human health: Primary, secondary, and tertiary
effects” by Butler (2024) is most useful for understanding the current and future impacts of a
warming climate on human health. The key terms provided in the article include ‘climate
change’ and ‘human health,’ which is related to my research topic. In addition, the concept of
‘three levels of organisation of the health impact of climate change’ is included in the abstract.
These include the primary effects (those resulting immediately such as heat waves), secondary
effects (indirect health impacts for example diseases transmitted by vectors), and tertiary
impacts (long-term societal effects of climate change). This makes it a useful resource for
studying present and future health risks. This inclusive method guarantees that the material
addresses different aspects of the topic.

SELECT AN APPROPRIATE INTERNET SOURCE

5a. Now use an internet search engine or Copilot to find another relevant (provides
information necessary to answer your question), credible (trustworthy, authoritative),
and suitable (containing the appropriate level of detail in language you can understand)
source on the same research topic. Paste a link to the source in the box below.

Link to source you found through internet source

[Link]
are-most-vulnerable

5b. In the box below, explain what features indicate to you that this source is relevant,
credible, and suitable and discuss whether the source adds something valuable to
your library search results.

Your explanation of why you think the will be useful and what it adds to the knowledge

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from your library source

This article is reliable as it uses data from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
and World Health Organisation. These are reliable sources of information on global health and
environment. Also, the article is from the UN Chronicle which is a reputable magazine. This
increases the credibility of the source. The source adds value to the library search results by
focusing on targeting the vulnerable groups of people (developing nations) and forecasting
future health challenges. For example, the article highlights that the increase in temperatures
result in the increase in the mosquito population which escalates the risk of malaria in the
tropical regions. In addition, the extremely high temperatures significantly affect the
vulnerable populations like the sick and the elderly. This information complements the
findings from the library search. It also offers a clear description of the social-economic
factors that worsen climate change health effects.

5c. In the box below, provide an APA reference for the text you linked in 5b. Most
internet sources do not include a citation, so you will have to use the guidelines
provided on the APA @ Conestoga website for the type of source you found.

APA reference for internet source

Kasotia, P. (2020). The Health Effects Of Global Warming: Developing Countries Are The
Most Vulnerable | United Nations. [Link]; United Nations.
[Link]
countries-are-most-vulnerable

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REFLECT ON THE PROCESS

6. Describe your experience completing this assignment. You might discuss things
like the challenges you faced trying to use the library database or deciding which
sources are credible, the differences between using the library and searching the web,
any additional strategies/tools you used to overcome challenges or improve your
search, and/or how you might use the skills you have developed while doing this
assignment. Be sure to write in your own voice and use the first-person pronoun (I) to
write about this experience.

Your reflection on what you just did

I found this assignment enlightening and challenging to some extent. The first
challenge that I encountered was how to conduct searches on the library database. At the
beginning, I was confused by the available sources and filters. Thus, I spent a significant
amount of time figuring out how to use the search engine tools to get credible sources.
However, I had to make sure that the articles I chose are not only credible but also relate to my
research question of the impacts of warming climate on human health. Finally, I was able to
evaluate the sources by determining the credibility of the publishers and whether they used
other reliable sources.
I realized that there are various differences between the library database and searching
the web. For instance, the library database only contains the peer-reviewed articles, meaning
that it guarantees the trustworthiness of the sources. Thus, one does not need to analyze if the
sources are reliable or not. These articles offer substantial information on the given topic.
However, this is different when it comes to the general web search. The internet search
provides quick results, but the verification of information is time-consuming. However, they
also provide some trustworthy material, such as peer-reviewed journals that focus on the health
impacts of warming climate. In addition, there are some important sources that are found in the
library database but not on the internet search engines. Another difference relates to relevance
in that the web search results can lead to many irrelevant hints. On the other hand, the
information from the library database is subject-focused; hence, it often means more relevant
information. Despite such differences, the use of academic sources together with the
information from reliable online sources expanded my knowledge about the effects of the

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warming climate on how the warming climate affects human health today.
This assignment made me gain valuable research skills that I will apply in other
research activities in the future. I found out that keywords are significant and should be used
properly. This can be done through filtering the search terms to obtain more relevant results
and differentiating the sources. Therefore, I am confident that I can do extensive research on a
particular topic and analyze the reliability of various sources of information. These skills will
not only help me in writing academic papers but will also improve my understanding of the
important issues in society. Such include the matters concerning the current implications of the
warming climate in the society.

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References

Butler, C. D. (2024). Climate change and human health: Primary, secondary, and tertiary effects.
Elsevier EBooks, 213–240. [Link]

Kasotia, P. (2020). The Health Effects Of Global Warming: Developing Countries Are The Most
Vulnerable | United Nations. [Link]; United Nations.
[Link]
countries-are-most-vulnerable

MCKEEVER, A. (2021, September 9). Why climate change is still the greatest threat to human
health. National Geographic; National Geographic.
[Link]
greatest-threat-to-human-health

National Post. (2021, September 4). Nearly 1 in 3 Americans experienced a weather disaster this
summer. Nationalpost; National Post. [Link]
americans-experienced-a-weather-disaster-this-summer

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