Open Science – Sharing Research in a Wiki Environment

Scientists have always thrived in a collaborative environment in efforts to further their research. The web has made geography a minor detail, and open-source software and wikis have made it even quicker and easier to share research and findings openly.

The first wiki software was developed by Ward Cunningham, and the name comes from the Hawaiian “wiki-wiki,” meaning “quick.”

Science majors will find a wealth of new scientific research and data on the pages shared by researchers. Explore these links to learn more about these interactive resources.

Open WetWare is an effort to promote the sharing of information, know-how, and wisdom among researchers and groups who are working in biology & biological engineering.

The OpenScience Project is dedicated to writing and releasing free and Open Source scientific software.... Much of the work of science depends on having appropriate tools available to analyze experimental data and to interact with theoretical models…. The missing piece of the puzzle is software that lets the scientist choose between models and make sense of his or her observations. That is where the OpenScience project can help.

The Science Commons serves the advancement of science by removing unnecessary legal and technical barriers to scientific collaboration and innovation.

The Rio Framework for Open Science from iCommons contains information on policies, contracts and other guides to assist audiences ranging from large research institutions to individual enthusiasts.

Finals Week Stress Busters - Top 10 Stress Relieving Study Breaks

10. Declutter! You’ll feel so much better when all of your notes and study sheets are organized.

9. Listen to music – Close your eyes for a few minutes and listen to a couple of your favorite tunes.

8. Lay off the sugar – substitute water for soda -- and fruits, veggies, and salty snacks instead of sugary ones.

7. Stretch! Stand up and take a few minutes to shake out the cobwebs, and then try these stretches either standing or seated:

Finger Fan

Extend your arms straight out in front of you with palms up. Spread your fingers as far apart as possible and hold for 5 seconds.

Upper-back Stretch

Sit up straight with your fingers inter-laced behind your head. Keep your shoulders down, lift your chest and bring your elbows back as far as you can. Hold for 10 seconds.

Ear to Shoulder

Lower your right ear to your right shoulder and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on other side.

Overhead Reach

Raise your arms over your head and interlace your fingers with your palms facing up. Keep your shoulders down and stretch upwards. Hold for 20 seconds.

Knee Pull

While seated, pull one knee up to your chest as high as possible. Hold with both hands for 10 seconds then repeat the other knee.

Waist Bend

Reach arms overhead with finger interlaced. Keep shoulders down and bend to one side at the waist. Hold for 20 seconds then repeat on the other side.

6. Comfort food! Enjoy pancakes in the cafeteria on Tuesday, December 12^th at 8:30 p.m.

5. Relax and take a break with a movie in the Social Room each night at 9:00, sponsored by the Chestnut Hill Activities Team

• Monday: Charlie Brown Christmas

• Tuesday: The Grinch

• Wednesday: SGA Game-a-palooza w/DDR

• Thursday: The Elf

• Friday: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

4. Take a walk around campus with a friend.. A half-hour in the fresh air will give you a boost for the next study session.

3. Kick things off with “Stress-Free Night” in the Social Room on Sunday, December 10^th. (Tell us how much you loved the massage.)

2. Yoga or other exercise. There’s no better way to clear your head and get that “ah-ha!” solution you were looking for.

1. Take a Power Nap! – Studies show that a 20 minute nap in the afternoon will help.

World AIDS Day. - "Silence is death."

"Silence is death." ~UN Secretary General Kofi Annan

December 1, 2006 marks the 19^th World AIDS Day. An estimated 25 million people have died from the virus, and nearly 40 million more are living with HIV/AIDS.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, known as UNAIDS, an estimated 39.5 million people around the world live with HIV and another 4.3 million will be infected this year, with nearly two out of every three new infections occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

Among the press reports today are these from Catholic sources:

Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise
Catholic Relief Services
December 1, 2006

"If it infects one of us… it affects all of us."
Message from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
December 1, 2006

Bishop echoes pope in calling for end to AIDS prejudice
Groups throughout state to hold World AIDS Day observances
By ROBIN BROWN, The News Journal
Posted Friday, December 1, 2006

Church to be instrument of peace for those with AIDS, Catholic priest says
By Michael Swan
12/1/2006
The Catholic Register

World AIDS Day 2006 a Good Time to Join the Fight
Shawn McEvoy
Crosswalk Faith Editor

World AIDS Day – Peru Catholic ministries impact affected youths
By Barbara J. Fraser
12/1/2006
Catholic News Service

Fair Trade Event Tomorrow!

Chestnut Hill College is dedicated to issues of social justice and stewardship of the Earth. The Mission of the college is to provide holistic education that includes, "...service to one another and to the global community, and concern for the Earth."

The Fair Trade Event -- 1-5 p.m. in the St. Joe's Rotunda -- gives us all a chance to put our money where our hearts are. If you don't find everything you need there, here are some links to high-interest, low-impact gift alternatives:

• Ten Thousand Villages Fairly traded handicrafts from around the world. 8331 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118.
  
  
• Handcrafting Justice A fair trade partnership working with women struggling for economic justice and independence in developing countries. 8540 Verree Rd. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111
  
  
• Joe Coffee Bar Fair trade, shade grown, organic and estate coffees. 1100 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
  
  
• Heifer International Giving a life sustaining gift of farm animals as a gift in the name of someone on your gift-giving list.
  
  
• Equal Exchange Coffee Organic, gourmet coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, and chocolate bars produced by democratically run farmer co-ops in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
  
  
• Fair Trade Federation List of members with on-line catalogs.
  
  
• Thanksgiving Coffee Company Another fair trade coffee company.
  
  
• Kokopelli's Green Market Environmentally friendly products and fast delivery!

If you like another fair and environmentally friendly place, let us know!

Holiday Shopping Tips for College Students (and Everyone Else!)

Tip #1 Consumer Reports is getting the message out with full-page newspaper ads telling consumers NOT to fall for the extended warranty sales pitch. Read the article, Extended Warranty Hooey in the August 2006 issue at the Library (page 70), or right here to find out why.

Tip #2 Save time shopping:

• Shop on Mondays or Tuesdays, preferably before noon
• Make a list, and don't get sidetracked by that extra cute thing for someone already checked off
• Shop on the Internet (see the next tip!)
  

Tip #3 Tips for on-line shopping safety from the Federal Trade Commission. (Here are the highlights):

• Order only on a secure server
• Know who you're dealing with
• Check delivery dates
• Check shipping and handling fees
• Keep receipts & website printouts

And of course, since shopping on-line is the fastest, easiest way to compare prices, do it and get the best deal you can!

With all the spare time you save shopping early and/or on-line, you'll have time to work on this:

ACROSS 1. Nickname for the Internet 4. Vendors 6. Federal agency charged with protecting consumer rights 7. First letters of most web addresses 8. Santa's gift delivery method 11. Gadget clicked on the computer 12. A consumer transaction 13. Web location of a business, organization or person 14. Computer symbol 19. Federal _____ Commission 20. Symbol often used to identify that a server is secure during online transmissions 21. Personal information to protect during online transactions 23. Time of celebration 26. Activity done under mistletoe 27. On a computer 28. Trickery 29. Santa's Work____

DOWN 2. Kind of tree gifts are placed under 3. Safest type of card to use to pay for online purchases 5. Software required to access the Internet 9. North Pole workers 10. Encryption often used to transmit financial information online 13. Red-garbed man who brings holiday gifts 15. Holiday song 16. Common delivery method for online purchases 17. Kind of vendor to buy from 18. Method of paying with money when items are delivered 21. Identification used to access a computer or network 22. Person to protect online transmissions from 24. Snoozing 25. A present

Puzzle Solution

But don't forget to study for those exams!

Word of the Day

Firedrake: A creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings.

Decidedly not a Griffin!

Senior Seminar Help!

We received this blog comment:

“Make sure to put lots of

information on stereotypes

of African Americans in the media

on the blog. I need my senior

seminar to be perfect!”

You’ve come to the right place!

(Any other requests?)

Stereotyping in the Media

Articles:

• Using EBSCOhost’s Sociology databases, you can see a big difference between entering the phrase media stereotyping (which returns only a few, mostly about stereotyping women) and entering these individual search terms in separate boxes:
  

media
stereotype

• To search within the 1,180 hits (this number changes as new resources are added), click on term in left hand menu called "STEREOTYPES (Social psychology)" and see that now you have about a hundred well-targeted hits.

The huge term ( media and stereotype ) and DE "STEREOTYPES (Social psychology) in mass media" will be sitting in your first search box.

• Add an additional search term to the second search box to narrow your focus, like: African American or black

Do separate searches, or type black OR African American in the second box to combine the search.

(Note: African Americans returns only half the results as African American (not plural). Keep it simple for the best results.)

If your topic is about another stereotyped group of people, adjust your search terms accordingly. Remember to look for synonyms.

Books:

• Select SEPCHEcat from the FirstSearch databases list.
  
• Search for media stereotype. (To narrow further add black OR African American or another stereotyped group.)
• Add another term to narrow your results further.
  
• If the book is available at Logue Library, you will see the Chestnut Hill College logo next to it.
  
• If it is not at Logue Library, you can click the Libraries: All SEPCHE Libraries: link to see which SEPCHE library owns the book. You can then travel to that library and check it out, just like you would here.
  
• If you can’t get to the SEPCHE library, Interlibrary Loan is available.
  
• To broaden your search to libraries worldwide, change the database you are searching to WorldCat.

E-Books:

• Go to NetLibrary and search for media stereotype.
• Add another term to narrow your results further.
  
• When you find a book of interest, click on it and then browse by chapters listed in the left menu, or use the search box to find specific ideas inside the book.
• Click the link at the top of the NetLibrary home page to "create a free account" while you are on campus, so that you can use NetLibrary from any Internet connection.

Good luck and . . don't forget to cite your sources!

Art & Literature Students: Check out this Gallery!

Did you see the link included in a comment to the Melville post? It links to the website for the Rosenbach Museum & Library.

Maurice Sendak fans, take note: This beloved author & illustrator is featured in a permanent installation. The Maurice Sendak Gallery combines the artist's notes with interviews and works from the collection to demonstrate the challenges of creating a picture book.

This exhibition is a must see! Among Sandak's awards are the 1964 Caldecott Book Medal for the illustrations in Where the Wild Things Are and the 1970 International Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustrations.

Weekly Brain Teaser - This week: Herman Melville

Most people know that Herman Melville was the author of "Moby-Dick" (often spelled as two separate words) but there was a lot more to the man than this. See if you can answer these questions about Herman Melville and his work.

(Compliments of Xreferplus)

• Questions:
  1. In which American city was Herman Melville born?
  2. What was the name of the captain in "Moby-Dick" who led the voyage to kill the white sperm whale?
  3. Was Melville's "Billy Budd" published before or after his death?
  4. What is the opening sentence of "Moby-Dick"?
  5. Name one of the five novels which Melville published before "Moby-Dick".
  6. To which English port did Melville sail in 1839?
  7. Where did Melville work from 1866 to 1885?
  8. Which British composer wrote an opera, first performed in 1951, called "Billy Budd" which was based on Melville's book of the same title?
  9. Herman Melville dedicated his "Moby-Dick" to which other writer?
  10. Which islands are the setting for Melville's novel "Typee"?

• Answers:Find out the answers here, or copy and paste this link into your browser address bar: http://www.xrefer.com/quiz

Newsflash! Citation Machine Upgrade

As of today, the Landmark’s Son of Citation Machine now includes Chicago Style! Now you can cite sources in all of your subjects using Son of Citation Machine.

Question and Answer

You need quick statistical information, or just advice concerning a complex research question. How will you answer your questions? We’ve been trying out a couple of new on-line reference resources that will help get you the right information fast.

• We've already introcuded you to AskHerePA, a 24/7 chat reference service. It's staffed by reference librarians at all times, so if you have a question any time of the day or night, log in and ask away!
  

• Also new to us is XReferPlus The world's largest online reference collection, containing full-text content — 1.8 million entries and 40 million cross-reference links — covering every subject imaginable, from music to law to business and more, plus language dictionaries, conversion guides, and computer jargon. Check it out!

These are two brand-new references resources, available for the Chestnut Hill College community to use on or off campus. Let us know how they work for you.

XReferPlus has Entertainment Value!

Oh, yawn, you say? Reference books? Well, who wouldn't love to look through "Rawson's Dictionary of Euphemisms and Other Doubletalk"?

This dictionary takes the phrase you're looking for, defines it, and shows how it has been used.

For example, under "highly confidential (or sensitive) source" it says:

• "A hidden microphone or wiretap, a bug; FBI-ese, from the long (1924-72) reign of J. Edgar Hoover as director of the Bureau. Such bugs often were emplaced during illegal black bag jobs, with the result that information from them had to be reported discreetly. For example, an agent might say that a *highly placed sensitive source of known reliability* was contacted and furnished items of personality (New York Times, 9/23/80)."

and

• "Inanimate highly confidential sources, used in technical surveillance, should not be confused with the animate though usually cold-blooded confidential informant or source and source of information, i.e., an informer, a.k.a. informant. "
  
  

Wait, what is a "black bag job?" Hmmmnn... it says here:

• "An illegal entry by a government employee, typically a member of the FBI or CIA, in order to gain information or to install a highly confidential source (a bug). "

This definition goes on for quite a while, and says it might be obsolete by now, but hey, for when you're watching those old movies, right???

Coming up on Crunch Time

What’s not to love about November? The Autumn sky, crisp air, Thanksgiving holiday.... And those research paper deadlines!

• Check the Links on the left for direct access to EBSCOhost and FirstSearch databases.
• Click here for some tips on writing a good paper.

Don’t forget to cite your sources!

Here are the two most popular methods reported by users of Logue Library:

• The Landmark Citation Machine – Now called “Son of Citation Machine.” This is the fill-in-the-blank-and-click-submit citation generator for APA and MLA styles.
• The Duke University Libraries “Works Cited” page, which shows examples of APA and MLA, as well as the Chicago Style, used by the CHC History Department.

Concerned about Plagiarism?

• Check here for some “dos” and “don’ts.”
• If your professor requires it, submit your paper to TurnItIn.com.

Who Are They?

Do you know these people?

Happy Griffin Halloween!

Ask Anytime!

Need research help at 2 AM? Logue Library now provides that help by participating in Ask Here PA, Pennsylvania's new statewide live chat reference service. This free service offers live research help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Now Available 24/7

A reference librarian is online right now to provide fast answers to your questions, using information found on the Internet and in proprietary databases funded by libraries. In most cases, Ask Here PA librarians will provide an answer online in 15 minutes or less! If your question involves lengthy research, we'll get you started and/or provide a referral for you or your question.

All you need to begin is an Internet browser!

R I P Habeas Corpus?

Researching Habeas Corpus.

On Tuesday, October 17, the U.S. Congress passed a law, which was then signed by the President, restricting Habeas Corpus rights.

Habeas Corups in Latin literally means, "You have the body." It is a court petition which orders that a person being detained be produced before a judge for a hearing to decide whether the detention is lawful. Habeas corpus is a basic individual right against arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.
www.leanlegal.com/dictionary/h.asp

For a history of Habeas Corpus in the U.S. using Academic (“peer reviewed”) resources type habeas corpus in the search box of these databases:

• JSTOR
• EBSCOhost’s Academic Search Elite

All JSTOR results are considered scholarly. To see only scholarly sources in EBSCO, click the “Academic Journals” link at the top of the list of search results.

To find the history of Habeas Corpus, type habeas corpus England into the JSTOR search box. See especially the article titled The Most Wholesome Law: The Habeas Corpus Act of 1679.

Current Issues and Analysis from the Press:
Type habeas corpus in the search box of these databases:

• Newsbank
• EBSCOhost’s Newspaper Source
• Historical Perspective from the New York Times, from 1887 to 2003
• What are they saying in Philadelphia? Check the Inquirer Archives.

Our Blogging Debut!

We at Logue Library are launching our blog just in time for Halloween! Our goal is to give the Chestnut Hill College community another way to use the library's resources, and to post current events, pictures, maybe a contest now and then, and give you a place to comment.

Tell us what you think here in the comments spot, or stop into the library, have some Halloween candy and tell us about it in person!