public affairs
PAF 101 EXERCISES: MODULE TWO
Exercise 2.1: Locating Quantitative Data in Various Sources
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 6 points)
A. Using the Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Researcher, find a document on your societal problem using the site search engine. The document must report at least one statistic. Write one sentence describing the statistic reported in the document, and include the actual number in your description. Make sure to provide an MLA-style internal reference below and a full citation on the Works Cited page. (3 points)
Part A score:______
A. Using the Congressional Quarterly Researcher, in 1980, Public Elementary and Secondary School Enrollment, by state was 13,231, as well as in 1985 the enrollment decreased to 12, 388.
B. Using the search tables feature on Lexis-Nexis Statistical, find a statistic relevant to your topic. Record and describe the statistic clearly. Do not use statistics from the U.S. Census. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below and a full citation on the Works Cited page. (3 points)
Part B score:_____
B. According to the Congressional Quarterly Researcher, from 1990 to 1996 the statistics for Public Elementary and Secondary School Enrollment by state for 1990was 11,338 and in 1996 was 12,834.
Exercise 2.2: Using Newspaper Indexes
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 4 points)
Using the "Proquest Research Library" database, locate an article from the New York Times that is at least one year old and gives either historical or general background information on your topic, and includes a graph or chart. Find the full text of the article using the microfilm version of the New York Times (microfilm 96). Print it or photocopy it, attach it to your exercise on the next page. State one relevant statistic related to the topic from the article. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below for the article and a full citation on the Works Cited page for the actual article.
The article tells about how New York City after years of slacking on their recycling system, they are finally getting back to recycling. Statistically, the city produces 12,000 tons of daily residential and institutional trash and landfills are getting more and more expensive to uphold. The city, however, rather than weekly recycling pickups is now changing their recycling schedule to every other week for recycling pick ups, which may result in the city’s recycling system either going downhill or making strides to a better system.
Exercise 2.3: Researching Periodical Articles through Indexes
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 14 points)
A. Using the Reader's Guide Abstracts, locate an article relevant to your topic at any geographic level. You may not use a newspaper article. State one relevant fact related to your topic from the article. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below for the article and give a full citation for the actual article on the Works Cited page, and attach a photocopy or printout of the first page of the article. (6 points)
Part A score:_____
B. Using PAIS International, Sociological Abstracts, or some other subject index, find an article related to your topic at any geographic level. You may not use a newspaper article. Write down the name of the index used. State one relevant fact related to your topic from the article. Describe how you plan to use the index to gain more information on your topic. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below for the article and give a full citation for the actual article on the Works Cited page, and attach a photocopy or printout of the first page of the article. (8 points)
Part B score:_____
B. In the article, it refers that a paperless office is still a dream and that the United States should be recycling more and develop an alternative to wood-based paper. This is relevant to the topic of recycling because by finding an alternative to wood-based paper, we may be able to find something easier to recycle and reuse that will help save the last remaining 5 percent of the United States forests.
Exercise 2.4: Locating Books
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 5 points)
Using the SU Library catalog, find a book on your subject at any geographic level. Write a complete sentence directly quoted from the book. Books published by the government may not be used for this exercise. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below for the quote and give a complete citation for the book on the Works Cited page, and attach a photocopy of the title page directly behind the page on which this exercise appears.
Exercise 2.5: Using United States Government Publications
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 14 points)
A. Using the SU Library catalog, locate one United States government publication relevant to your topic at any geographic level. Attach a photocopy of the cover or title page of the document. Record the Superintendent of Documents Class Number (SuDoc Number). Give a full citation for the item on the Works Cited page. Do not use U.S. Census information. Since many U.S. government publications are available electronically, you may also want to check the web site of the relevant government department or agency for your document (attach first page of the document not the home page of the web site). (7 points)
Part A score:_____
B. Using the American Statistics Index (ASI) (found on the "Search Abstracts" page of Lexis/Nexis Statistical database), identify a publication that contains statistics relevant to your topic at any geographic level. Record the following: the date of the publication, the ASI entry (or record) number, and the title or author (this may be a government agency) of the publication. Finally, read the abstract that summarizes the publication and provide a description of one statistic you could find if you looked at the actual publication. You may not use U.S. census data. (7 points)
Part B score:_____
B.
Exercise 2.6: Using United States Census Data
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 6 points)
Using the 2000 online census report (http://www.census.gov), locate the information for your home census area. Write down your zip code. Also record the county or city under which you are listed, the total number of people in that county/city, and one other fact about the area from the census report. Give a full citation for the item on the Works Cited page.
According the 2000 online census report for Nassau county in the town of Hempstead (11793), there are a total of 18, 971 people living in Wantagh. (Census).
Exercise 2.1: Locating Quantitative Data in Various Sources
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 6 points)
A. Using the Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Researcher, find a document on your societal problem using the site search engine. The document must report at least one statistic. Write one sentence describing the statistic reported in the document, and include the actual number in your description. Make sure to provide an MLA-style internal reference below and a full citation on the Works Cited page. (3 points)
Part A score:______
A. Using the Congressional Quarterly Researcher, in 1980, Public Elementary and Secondary School Enrollment, by state was 13,231, as well as in 1985 the enrollment decreased to 12, 388.
B. Using the search tables feature on Lexis-Nexis Statistical, find a statistic relevant to your topic. Record and describe the statistic clearly. Do not use statistics from the U.S. Census. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below and a full citation on the Works Cited page. (3 points)
Part B score:_____
B. According to the Congressional Quarterly Researcher, from 1990 to 1996 the statistics for Public Elementary and Secondary School Enrollment by state for 1990was 11,338 and in 1996 was 12,834.
Exercise 2.2: Using Newspaper Indexes
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 4 points)
Using the "Proquest Research Library" database, locate an article from the New York Times that is at least one year old and gives either historical or general background information on your topic, and includes a graph or chart. Find the full text of the article using the microfilm version of the New York Times (microfilm 96). Print it or photocopy it, attach it to your exercise on the next page. State one relevant statistic related to the topic from the article. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below for the article and a full citation on the Works Cited page for the actual article.
The article tells about how New York City after years of slacking on their recycling system, they are finally getting back to recycling. Statistically, the city produces 12,000 tons of daily residential and institutional trash and landfills are getting more and more expensive to uphold. The city, however, rather than weekly recycling pickups is now changing their recycling schedule to every other week for recycling pick ups, which may result in the city’s recycling system either going downhill or making strides to a better system.
Exercise 2.3: Researching Periodical Articles through Indexes
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 14 points)
A. Using the Reader's Guide Abstracts, locate an article relevant to your topic at any geographic level. You may not use a newspaper article. State one relevant fact related to your topic from the article. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below for the article and give a full citation for the actual article on the Works Cited page, and attach a photocopy or printout of the first page of the article. (6 points)
Part A score:_____
B. Using PAIS International, Sociological Abstracts, or some other subject index, find an article related to your topic at any geographic level. You may not use a newspaper article. Write down the name of the index used. State one relevant fact related to your topic from the article. Describe how you plan to use the index to gain more information on your topic. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below for the article and give a full citation for the actual article on the Works Cited page, and attach a photocopy or printout of the first page of the article. (8 points)
Part B score:_____
B. In the article, it refers that a paperless office is still a dream and that the United States should be recycling more and develop an alternative to wood-based paper. This is relevant to the topic of recycling because by finding an alternative to wood-based paper, we may be able to find something easier to recycle and reuse that will help save the last remaining 5 percent of the United States forests.
Exercise 2.4: Locating Books
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 5 points)
Using the SU Library catalog, find a book on your subject at any geographic level. Write a complete sentence directly quoted from the book. Books published by the government may not be used for this exercise. Provide an MLA-style internal reference below for the quote and give a complete citation for the book on the Works Cited page, and attach a photocopy of the title page directly behind the page on which this exercise appears.
Exercise 2.5: Using United States Government Publications
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 14 points)
A. Using the SU Library catalog, locate one United States government publication relevant to your topic at any geographic level. Attach a photocopy of the cover or title page of the document. Record the Superintendent of Documents Class Number (SuDoc Number). Give a full citation for the item on the Works Cited page. Do not use U.S. Census information. Since many U.S. government publications are available electronically, you may also want to check the web site of the relevant government department or agency for your document (attach first page of the document not the home page of the web site). (7 points)
Part A score:_____
B. Using the American Statistics Index (ASI) (found on the "Search Abstracts" page of Lexis/Nexis Statistical database), identify a publication that contains statistics relevant to your topic at any geographic level. Record the following: the date of the publication, the ASI entry (or record) number, and the title or author (this may be a government agency) of the publication. Finally, read the abstract that summarizes the publication and provide a description of one statistic you could find if you looked at the actual publication. You may not use U.S. census data. (7 points)
Part B score:_____
B.
Exercise 2.6: Using United States Census Data
Your Total Score:_____ (Maximum: 6 points)
Using the 2000 online census report (http://www.census.gov), locate the information for your home census area. Write down your zip code. Also record the county or city under which you are listed, the total number of people in that county/city, and one other fact about the area from the census report. Give a full citation for the item on the Works Cited page.
According the 2000 online census report for Nassau county in the town of Hempstead (11793), there are a total of 18, 971 people living in Wantagh. (Census).