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SPAN 301/302: Advanced Spanish

This course guide will help you locate information in English and Spanish for your Advanced Spanish research projects.

Identify key concepts of your topic

Concept maps are tools that help you brainstorm ideas, focus your topic, and identify possible keywords to create search strategies. Use a concept map to:

  • Identify key concepts (Who, what, where, when, why)
  • Add clarification terms to focus the topic
  • Identify synonyms to use in search strategies

 

Concept Mapping Exercise

Brainstorm (in Spanish and English):

Time period

Names (personal names, groups, etc.)

Geography

Key ideas

Relationships

Synonyms

 

Evaluating Resources

Criteria to always keep in mind when evaluating information. These criteria can be applied to both online and print resources.

Author

Who wrote it? What are their credentials or affiliations?

Audience

Who is it written for? What kind of language is used?

Purpose/Intent

What is the purpose? To inform? Sell? Sway your opinion?

Bias

Is the information presented objectively?

Currency/Date

When was it published or written?

Relevance

How relevant is it to your topic?

Scope

Is the information either too specific or too general for your purposes?