FOR 356: Recreation Resource Planning

Course Instructor
Instructor's Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

Theory and function of recreation resource planning. Techniques for collection, storage, analysis and display of planning data. Practice in use of recreation planning models.

  1. Articulate a comprehensive definition of planning.
  2. Assess different models for decision making that are referred to as planning.
  3. Articulate the basic structure of integrated natural resource planning, ecosystem management planning, and the place of recreation in these forms of planning.
  4. Integrate supply and demand in formulating recreation management plans.
  5. Develop a management plan for a tract of land, with consideration of the relationship between people and resources in planning and design processes.
  6. Apply informed and critical analysis to contemporary planning issues.
  7. Critically evaluate planning problems and find workable solutions.
Natural Resources Librarian
Make the library work to your advantage Even though you do not have a specific assignment requiring use of the OSU Libraries' resources, your assignments and future work as a professional will be enhanced by your ability to identify and effectively use information related to recreational resource planning that you find on your own.
OSU Libraries on the Web

Be sure you can locate the the OSU Libraries Home Page and from there find these three links

OSU Libraries Catalog

Databases

E-Journals

Also look for the links to "Get help with a subject" and "Get help with a class" (see the navigation bar to the left).

Plan ahead! In general, the first week of classes is a good time to be sure you are familiar with the range of library services and resources related to your class and to assure yourself that you can: As you read your articles from the extensive list provided by your instructor:
  1. try to locate one or more of the items listed in the bibliography of references at the end of that article.
    • This is taking you back in time from the original article.
    • Recall that it is the journal title (not the title of the article) that is needed to identify the location of an item in the library.
  2. Next you might want to try the reverse strategy and see who has cited one of these articles since it was written.
    • To do this, use the cited reference feature of the Web of Science database.
    • This brings you forward in time;
    • In general, the more an article is cited, the greater its "impact" is considered to be;
    • If an article continues to be cited over a long period of time (decades) it may be considered part of the "core" literature for that field.
    • Of course it will be difficult to assess the long term impact of an article that has only been in print for a few years.
The process of looking for one or two good references on a topic can provide you with a lot of background information about databases that might be useful. It is also a time to make use of the new terminology you are using in class.
Throughout the quarter, compile a bibliography of readings that is as useful and relevant to your group project as possible. Use multiple resources: Try to have your final "literature review" done at least 2 weeks before you plan to put your draft presentation together. In this way, if you need to request items via Summit or via interlibrary loan you must allowed time for the request to be processed and the item retrieved and sent to you via the mail if it cannot be sent electronically.
Tips on searching databases

Follow the "read more" link below to learn about:

Accessing library databases

The Library purchases access to "indexing" databases in order for you to identify articles on specific topics. These databases are independent of the holdings of any one library.

To locate references to articles in the scientific literature using these databases, begin at the OSU Libraries home page: http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu. Click on "Databases," and then on the first letter of the name of the database you want to use.  Because they are not all provided on the same web "platform" you cannot (with a few exceptions) search across several databases as once.

Most databases are not freely available to the public.   They are licensed to the library for OSU use.  If you are not on campus, you will encounter our "proxy server" asking you to "authenticate" yourself as a qualified OSU user by entering your name and (new) OSU ID number.  Apart from this, you should never be asked for an username and password while attempting to use a database.   If you are asked for one, this is usually an indication that the ports are busy.  Just try again later.

 

Obtaining items from OSU Libraries In order to later cite items you locate and want to use in your own writing, you need to keep track of the complete "citation" or "reference." This means at a minimum, you need to record: author(s),  article or chapter title,  journal name or publication,  volume/issue  and  pages where the article appeared. If the item you find is available in full-text or as a pdf file via the web, you will also want to have the URL and date you located it.

E-Journal list: If you have a reference and want to see if OSU Libraries subscribes to the electronic version of that journal (or some service that provides the full-text from that journal), click the E-Journals link on the Library's home page and type in the name of the journal that you need, If the article that you need is not available via the E-Journals list, then try the catalog.

Online Catalog: Search the online catalog (limit to "journals") to see if the library has a paper copy of the journal. You can then photocopy the article if you are on campus, or if you are paying fees as an Extended Campus Student, then use the "Request" button and a copy of the article will be sent to you (usually in pdf format).

If you are trying to get an historical view of a place or looking for older material (especially state or federal documents) contact me in advance. This material can be difficult to find and/or not held by many libraries.

Some articles may be in journals to which OSU does not subscribe, in that case plan on using Interlibrary loan to obtain the article. It is a free service to you as a student and is an important part of the research process in that no library has everything.
Finding articles in the Recreation Resource Planning Literature

The Valley Library has several databases which index peer-reviewed journals relevant to topics in natural resource management and the social sciences including Recreation Research. The process of "peer-review" (sometimes called "refereeing") is discipline and journal specific. It assures that the articles which are published in these journals represent good scientific methodology and can be regarded as a contribution to the literature of that field of study. If in doubt about whether a journal contains peer reviewed articles, ask.

Most databases noted here index a high percentage of "refereed" journals and therefore a high percentage of peer reviewed articles. They may also include first hand reporting of research findings or state-of-the-art reviews from other sources such as federal agency reports, dissertations, conference proceedings, professional journals, etc. All of these may prove useful resources for your topic, though because this is a research methods course, you will want to place a high value on finding "peer reviewed" references.

Interlibrary Loans (ILL)

You can get a copy of any journal article not available at OSU Libraries by using Interlibrary Loan (ILL).  This service is free to you.

You must have an ONID account to register for ILL.  From the OSU Libraries catalog, look for the link to Interlibrary Loan  and select "Log on for ILL Service."  Consider registering now, before you actually need to request an article.

We are able to obtain the majority of requested articles within 5-7 days depending on the number of libraries owning the journal.   Some requests take more time some take less.  On the rare occasion that the Library is unable to identify a lending library, we will try to get the information you will need to contact the author directly. 

Articles usually come as PDF files that are sent to you via a secure website for your use.  You can also use ILL to request books (or chapters of books) if you are unable to locate then in the Summit catalog.

Selecting Databases to Search

When considering a database, it is important to be aware of its content including:

 All databases have accessible help pages that provide tips and advice for effective searching. Once you have done a search in one or more databases you should have a list of articles which are potentially relevant to your project topic.

 

Follow the "read more" link below for suggestions of databases to use for locating research findings in the field of Recreation.

Useful Websites for Recreation Research Follow the link to "read more" for some web resources that may be helpful for further study. Among them are many federal, state and local agencies as well as professional groups with a stake in planning activities.