User:Victoriak17/sandbox

Instructions:

 * 1) Research and list 3-5 Wikipedia articles that you will consider using for your main project.  Provide the citation, in MLA style, for each of these articles.
 * 2) Locate other encyclopedia sources that have articles on the same topics as the ones you listed in Wikipedia.  Provide the citation, in MLA style, for each of these articles.
 * 3) Write a few paragraphs about your search process and how you chose those Wikipedia articles.  Discuss also how you found the other encyclopedia articles and your initial thoughts on the differences between Wikipedia and the other encyclopedia.

Wikipedia

 * “Interior design.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 19 Sep. 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2013.


 * "Volcano." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Sep. 2013. Web. 23 Sep. 2013.


 * "Greece." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Sep. 2013. Web. 23 Sep. 2013.


 * “Cat.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 22 Sep. 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2013.


 * “Polar bear.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 10 Sep. 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2013.

Other Encyclopedia Sources

 * “Interior Design.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Web. 23 Sep. 2013.


 * “Volcanoes.” UXL Encyclopedia of Science. Encyclopedia.com. 2002. Web. 23 Sep. 2013.


 * “Greece.” Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations. Encyclopedia.com. 2007. Web. 23 Sep. 2013.


 * “Cat.” The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition. Encyclopedia.com. 2013. Web. 23 Sep. 2013.


 * “Polar bear.” The Encyclopedia of Earth. The Encyclopedia of Earth. 07 Sep. 2011. Web. 23 Sep. 2013.

Comparing Encyclopedias
When I started the search process for these articles, I decided to choose topics that I am interested in learning more about. I had a lot of different topic ideas so I decided to read through all of the Wikipedia articles to determine which ones I was going to choose. I thought these articles were the best. There seems to be quite a bit of information on all of these topics on both Wikipedia and other encyclopedia sites.

When I typed my topics in to Google, the first thing that popped up was Wikipedia. To make it easier to find articles on these topics on other Encyclopedia sites, I decided to go directly to the site and use its search box to type in the topic.

Comparing Wikipedia and the other encyclopedia sites, I have to say that I prefer Wikipedia. I find the layout and the overall look of the site much more easy to browse through. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to looking at a Wikipedia page when I want to learn about something, but to me it is easier to read through. I also found that there was more information on Wikipedia then on the other encyclopedia sites.

Assignment 2 - Research Paper - Wikipedia Comparison
Having compared both articles about Polar Bears on both Wikipedia and Encyclopedia of Earth, I have found quite a few differences and some similarities between the two Encyclopedia pages.

Wikipedia Summary Article Summary
The Wikipedia article extensively summarizes the long list of information about polar bears. The article starts off by giving a brief overview of polar bears. It then, under the heading Name and etymology, discusses where the polar bear got its technical name, Ursus Maritimus. Next, the article explains where the polar bear came from and how long they have been around; this information is under the heading Taxonomy and evolution. The article then provides information under the headings Population and distribution, Habitat, Physical characteristics, Hunting and diet, Behaviour, Reproduction and lifecycle, Maternity denning and early life, Later life, Life expectancy, Ecological role, and Long distance swimmer. The article then discusses hunting of polar bears and laws to protect them in multiple different countries. In addition, the article goes into detail about how climate change is affecting the bears. And finally, there is some discussion about the use of polar bears in culture. There are also multiple pictures of polar bears and a few videos.

All the information is very well organized under different headings and sub-headings to make it easier to find what you are looking for. There is significant information under each heading.

The Encyclopedia of Earth Article Summary
The Encyclopedia of Earth article also has quite a bit of information about polar bears. Like Wikipedia, it starts off by giving a brief overview about polar bears. It then divides into different sections including: Distribution and Migration, Morphology, Life Cycle, Behaviour, Population, Hunting, Climate Change, Accumulation of Toxins, and finally, Protection. The majority of the information focuses on distribution and migration and also behaviour. In addition, there are several different pictures of polar bears in their natural habitats.

Comparing and Contrasting the Articles
The articles contain some of the same information; however, Wikipedia discusses additional information that is not found in the Encyclopedia of Earth article. One additional heading found in the Wikipedia article is ‘Naming and etymology’. Under this section, there is some information about the name of the polar bear and it’s history. There is also extensive information under the heading ‘Taxonomy and evolution’ about the evolution of polar bears. This section discusses when and where polar bears originated. It also discusses bear fossils from more than 100,000 years ago, the polar bear’s connection to the brown bear, and how they’ve physically changed over many years. The Wikipedia article also goes into greater detail about the physical characteristics of polar bears. This section not only discusses the physical size of both the female and male polar bears but also discusses their developed sense of smell, how they swim, and their similarities to the brown bear, the bear they are said to have come from. The Wikipedia article also discusses the hunting and diet of the polar bear; there is no information about this in the Encyclopedia of Earth article. It also discusses the reproduction and lifestyle, the maternity and early life, the later life, and life expectancy of a polar bear. In addition, the Wikipedia article also offers information about the ecological role of a polar bear and information about their incredible swimming skills. The Encyclopedia of Earth briefly discusses the hunting of polar bears, but Wikipedia goes into more detail including information on polar bear hunting and laws in different countries, including Canada. There is also much more information found in the Wikipedia article about the environmental impacts on polar bears.

There can also be found in the Wikipedia article, information about how polar bears have influenced culture, including in indigenous folklore, symbols and mascots, literature, and video games.

This is all additional information found in the Wikipedia article that the Encyclopedia of Earth article does not contain. The rest of the information contained in both of the articles is very similar. Some of this information includes habitat, behaviour, protection and conservation, and how climate change is affecting polar bears. However, Wikipedia extensively expands on all of this information compared to the Encyclopedia of the Earth.

References and Further Reading
Wikipedia provides a significant amount of external information under the ‘Notes’ heading. There are a total of 164 notes including links to sites such as United States Fish and Wildlife Service, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Polar Bears International, Oxford University Press, and the World Wildlife Fund. There are also links to news articles from The New York Press, CBC News, Maclean’s, National Post, The Globe and Mail, and The Wall Street Journal.

In addition, there are also a few very reputable external links for information about polar bears. These links are to articles such as Biodiversity Heritage Library, National Wildlife Federation, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, BBC, and Polar Bears International. Each one of these articles extensively discusses polar bears. These sources are very reputable and very much respected.

There were, however, multiple links in the Notes and External Links areas of the Wikipedia Article that did not work. But overall, the list of references and further readings appear to be thorough, relevant, and, for the most part, current.

The Encyclopedia of Earth’s references are quite limited. There are only a total of 9 references compared to Wikipedia’s 164 notes, 7 references, and 8 external links. The references in the Encyclopedia of Earth’s article are not current; they are from the 1980s and 1990s. Based on this, the references would only be considered relevant for some information, such as information on the history of polar bears.

Assessing the Articles
Both the Wikipedia and Encyclopedia of Earth articles contain a lot of information regarding polar bears. While they both provide significant information, the Wikipedia article appears to discuss polar bears in greater details whereas the Encyclopedia of Earth’s information is very brief. Both articles contain a lot of information; Wikipedia just expands a bit more on each section. Wikipedia also provides additional information that is not provided in the Encyclopedia of Earth article.

I my opinion, the Wikipedia article provides a comprehensive amount of information on polar bears. There are many headings throughout the article and there is a significant amount of information under each heading. The article really goes into detail in each section. Wikipedia goes into detail about polar bears much more than the Encyclopedia of Earth. But, not only does it go into more detail, the article also discusses information that the Encyclopedia of Earth does not mention, such as polar bear hunting habits and how polar bears influence culture.

In the Wikipedia article, under the History tab, there have been reports of possible vadalism. However, under the talk tab, it states that the article “has been listed as one of the Natural sciences good articles under the good article criteria.”

In my opinion, the Encyclopedia of Earth article also provides a comprehensive amount of information on polar bears; however, I feel that the information could be expanded and could go into a bit more detail than what is provided now. But overall, this article is very good.

Additional Resources

 * Amstrup, S. C., et al. "Polar Bear Research In The Beaufort Sea." Occasional Papers-Iucn Species Survival Commission (2002): 109-126. British Library Document Supply Centre Inside Serials & Conference Proceedings. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Barbeau, Christine D., et al. "The Potential Use Of An Interactive Web-Based Informatics Tool To Decrease The Incidence Of Human-Polar Bear Encounters Along The Western James Bay Coast Of Ontario, Canada." International Journal Of Technology, Knowledge & Society 8.5 (2012): 113-127. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Bechshoft, Thea A., et al. "Polar Bear Stress Hormone Cortisol Fluctuates With The North Atlantic Oscillation Climate Index.(Report)." Polar Biology 10 (2013): 1525. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Cahill, James A., et al. "Genomic Evidence For Island Population Conversion Resolves Conflicting Theories Of Polar Bear Evolution." Plos Genetics 9.3 (2013): 1-8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Dawson, Jackie, et al. "The Carbon Cost Of Polar Bear Viewing Tourism In Churchill, Canada." Journal Of Sustainable Tourism 18.3 (2010): 319-336. Business Source Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Johnson, C. "Polar Bear Co-Management In Alaska: Co-Operative Management Between The US Fish And Wildlife Service And The Native Hunters Of Alaska For The Conservation Of Polar Bears." Occasional Papers- Iucn Species Survival Commission (2002): 139-144. British Library Document Supply Centre Inside Serials & Conference Proceedings. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Plotkin, Rachel. Canada's Polar Bear [Ressource Aelectronique] : Falling Through The Cracks? / Rachel Plotkin. n.p.: Vancouver, B.C. : David Suzuki Foundation, 2007 (Saint-Lazare, Quebec : Gibson Library Connections, 2008)., 2007. Algonquin College Library Catalogue. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Robbins, Charles T., et al. "Hibernation And Seasonal Fasting In Bears: The Energetic Costs And Consequences For Polar Bears." Journal Of Mammalogy 93.6 (2012): 1493-1503. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Stirling, Ian, and Andrew E. Derocher. "Effects Of Climate Warming On Polar Bears: A Review Of The Evidence." Global Change Biology 18.9 (2012): 2694-2706. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.


 * Thiemann, Gregory W., et al. "Effects Of Chemical Immobilization On The Movement Rates Of Freeranging Polar Bears." Journal Of Mammalogy 94.2 (2013): 386-397. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.