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FYRS -- First Year Research Seminar (Winter 2023): Partain

Course topic - gather background

Before diving into the hardcore research aspect of FYRS, it can be helpful to learn some basics about your topic. Try using Credo to visit some encyclopedia entries that can help you learn more about the topics you're looking into!

The mind map below is for the topic of "conspiracy theory" - click on it, or any other parts of the map to explore related terms and help build your vocabulary network.

More background info - encyclopedias & dictionaries

Subject Headings

You can search the catalog by specific subjects, which can help focus your search. Below are some possibilities related to your course topic:

Books

Below are some relevant resources - this isn't everything the library has, but there are some broad resources to get you started as you think about your topic.

Search the catalog for more books

Articles

In-Class Activity

Montes-Valentin, Lucas. “Enchanted Flim Flam.” Skeptic, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 2004, pp. 58–63.

WEEKS, MATTHEW, et al. “The Implicit Relationship Between Religious and Paranormal Constructs.Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 47, no. 4, Dec. 2008, pp. 599–611.

Your Librarian

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Susan Brown
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Make an appointment to talk about your research. Or email me for an appointment that works best for you.
859-233-8408

Section topic

Mind reading, astrology, talking to the dead, alien abduction, faith healing, prophecy . . . Do such ideas have validity? Was the moon landing a hoax? Is the earth flat? Do trees talk to each other? How do we know? In Stalking the Weird, we will examine these and many other extraordinary notions to determine whether, when, and why to believe. We will learn how to question claims (and ourselves) with an open mind, but not so open that our brains fall out. The topic is fun-but deadly serious.

Text: How to Think About Weird Things, 8th ed., by Theodore Schick Jr. and Lewis Vaughn.