About the Research Information Network
How to Use the RIN
Credible Research Information
Searching Large Data Sites
About the Center for Research on Women and Gender
About The Chicago Community Trust
About the Research Information Network
How to Use the RIN
The Research Information Network is divided into broad subjects which impact
the lives of women and girls in Illinois and beyond:
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Education and Training
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Employment and Poverty
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Health and Aging
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Violence and Safety
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Family and Caregiving
Each category is further broken into more specific topics, including information
on research findings and reports, policy issues, and organizations which
provide further resources. We indicate the level addressed by research
reports, i.e.: city/county/state, federal, and international levels. The
resources listed on the RIN are web pages, listservs, print publications,
and networking contacts.
We primarily include resources which give information specifically based
on women's lives. For example, we highlight research findings that disaggregate
by gender. Where we are not able to find gender-specific data, we report
on the general conditions of the population.
Objectives of the RIN Project
During 1998, the following objectives are primary for the start-up of the
RIN.
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To establish a research information network accessible and useful to individuals
and organizations interested in improving the lives of Illinois women and
girls.
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To optimize the accessibility and usefulness of the network through careful
assessment of the audience's needs, new World Wide Web technology, community-wide
library systems, collaboration with established organizations, effective
publicity for the network, and multiple means of communication.
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To obtain long term project feasibility and support. Feasibility and sustainability
of this network is key. Planning for long term funding will be conducted.
Who is the audience?
The audience includes researchers, teachers, students, non-profit service
and advocacy organizations, philanthropic foundations, elected and other
government policy makers, media, and other citizens.
What are the perceived topics of interest?
Perceived audience needs at the start of project include:
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Issues of importance include health, violence, poverty and economic security,
education and the work place according to The Chicago Community Trust 1996
poll, Women in Illinois.
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Research findings on the status of girls and women in Illinois.
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Networking opportunities to connect with researchers or organizations.
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Pragmatic information for organizations seeking funds and conducting project
evaluation.
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Reports on key issues of importance.
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Links to other sources of information such as databases.
We encourage you to let us know your research interests and needs by participating
in our online RIN User
Survey.
Credible Research Information
The goal of the Research Information Network for Women and Girls in Illinois
is to assist you in finding accurate and up-to-date information on the
Internet and in other locations. The Internet offers so much information
but unfortunately much of it is not accurate and the sources from the which
the information is drawn are not described. Before we add information to
the listings on the RIN, we check for the credibility of the information.
The following are some of the clues we use to tell if information is likely
to be trustworthy. We suggest you consider the following list and also
check out the link below which gives a wide variety of resources about
how to evaluate information found on line.
Trustworthy Internet information typically includes:
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Source of information is cited in a way that reader can go look at the
original information in more detail.
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A contact person is listed on the web page.
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A date of last update is listed on the web page.
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The web site is often created by a credible organization or person whose
identity and/or agenda is made clear.
Bibliography on Evaluating Internet Resources
http://refserver.lib.vt.edu/libinst/critTHINK.HTM
Designed to help Internet users evaluate information found online,
a database of academic resources on the Internet, and much more.
For an opinion article on teaching students the importance of critically
assessing the reliability of information on the Web, see the article "The
Web demands critical thinking by students" by Kari Boyd McBride and Ruth
Dickstein in the March 20, 1998 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
A General Introduction to Searching Large Data Sites
Much of the data and the documents listed on the pages of the RIN come
from very large governmental or other public data sites and search engines,
such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control, the American
Medical Association, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the National Center
for Education Statistics. Although these sites are tremendously useful,
they can be somewhat overwhelming for the first-time user.
When you get to the homepage of one of these data sites, you should
get a quick overview of how this site is structured. There often is an
"about this page" button that will give you helpful information about the
site itself. Read this information carefully. Then click on some of the
other options to see what types of information are offered under each.
For example: when you go to the U.S. Department of Labor homepage (http://www.dol.gov/),
you have a number of options, including going to a specific department
(eg. the Bureau of Labor Statistics), or finding out about DOL activities.
There is also a Site Info, a What's New, and a Search button.
If you start with the Site Info button, you gain access to:
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Web Site Structure -- a roadmap to the web site
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Web Site Information -- information about the different buttons on the
web site
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Web Site Navigation -- explains different paths for finding specific information
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Web Site Searches -- explains what you can search
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Webmaster Communications -- links to contacting the people managing that
particular web site
The most important button to find is the search button. Most developers
of large sites have spent much time finding ways to guide you through their
site. In our above example, clicking on the search button moves you to
the search page. From here you have the option to start your search immediately
by typing in your search term, or to get more help. When you go to the
help page, you can further choose among several options:
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Constructing a Query
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Operators
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Category Searches
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Tips for Better Results
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Additional References
If you are new to this, you should definitely start with Constructing a
Query, which provides step- by-step instructions and definitions of commonly
used terms.
In general, your query should:
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be as specific as possible
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start more general and become more specific
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specify what part of the web site should be queried (when appropriate)
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vary your search terms to explore different ways of describing the same
topic
For example: When you search for "sex" (i.e. gender) on all DOL pages,
you get 100 documents that have something to do with "sex". Most of these
documents will seem completely irrelevant to you. However, if you search
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (a particular department of the DOL) for
"wages" and "sex", you get 33 documents, including the Monthly Labor Review
Online. If you run the same search using the terms "gender" instead of
"sex", you get 35 documents. Some of these are the same as in the previous
search, but some are not. Similarly, using income instead of "wages" will
result in slightly different search results. These differences have to
do with how documents are indexed. For instance, the Census uses "sex"
in their surveys and data files. Searching for "sex" will therefore include
Census documents that are indexed to include information about gender differences.
It is therefore important to conduct searches using these different terms
in a variety of combinations (i.e. "sex", "gender", and "women" -- or "wages",
"income", and "earnings").
It takes some time and practice to become efficient with these searches.
Any time spent in the beginning on reading the information provided by
the web site is likely to minimize your frustration with your search. However,
you will still need to learn how to best use these sites by practicing
different search strategies and by varying your search terms.
About the Center for Research on Women and Gender
The Center for Research on Women and Gender (CRWG) at the University of
Illinois at Chicago designed and now coordinates the Research Information
Network for Women and Girls in Illinois (RIN). Begun in 1997, the RIN project
fits well with the mission and past experiences of the CRWG.
History
In September 1991, the Illinois Board of Higher Education voted to approve
the Center for Research on Women and Gender. Since July 1992 Dr. Alice
Dan has served as the appointed director of this Center as it has expanded
its staff, funding, and space. The Center currently includes a dozen women:
full-time and part-time staff, graduate student research assistants, visiting
scholars, and volunteers on special projects. The CRWG director reports
directly to the UIC Vice Chancellor for Research, who provides core funding
for the Center. An Executive Board composed of UIC faculty serves the Center
in an advisory capacity. The Centers independence from disciplinary and
departmental lines facilitates its ability to work with faculty from a
wide variety of fields on research and policy questions of an interdisciplinary
nature.
Mission
The mission statement of the Center identifies the following four key goals:
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Stimulate and increase knowledge about women and about gender as an explanatory
category of research.
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Study and evaluate the impact of policies related to women and gender.
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Improve the dissemination and use of new scholarship on women and gender.
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Create alliances with outside organizations sharing interests in women
and gender-related issues.
Projects
The CRWG conducts funded research and evaluation about women and gender
crossing a range of disciplines, holds major conferences and other research
discussion meetings, has a seed grant research funding program for UIC
faculty, periodically hosts and funds visiting scholars, and offers technical
assistance and training to facilitate the evaluation of community organizations
in the Chicago area. Given these projects, the Center has many strong ties
to Chicago area community organizations with shared interests in women
and gender-related issues. These organizations include many that are the
audience for this Research Information Network.
To see a sample of current projects underway follow this
link.
CRWG Supporters
The Center has received generous support for previous projects from a number
of sources in addition to its allocation from the University of Illinois
at Chicago. The Chicago Community Trust supports the RIN project. The John
D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has funded the Center's work on
several previous and current projects on women's health. The US Department
of Health and Human Services Office of Women's Health, the Association
of American Colleges and Universities, Girl's Best Friend Foundation, the
Lesbian Community Cancer Project, the Illinois Humanities Council, the
Spencer Foundation, the UIC Great Cities Institute, Campus Research Board,
and others have also provided funding for Center projects.
About The Chicago Community Trust
The Chicago Community Trust is Chicago's community foundation. For more
than eighty years, thousands of individuals, families, and businesses have
used the Trust as an innovative way to put their charitable dollars to
work to address the many needs of our diverse community. These numerous
bequests and contributions form permanent endowments, the income of which
is used to make grants to not-for-profit organizations serving the residents
of greater Chicago.
The Trust's reach extends to organizations and programs filling diverse
needs across metropolitan Chicago. The Trust makes roughly $35 million
per year in grants to organizations in the arts and humanities, social
services, civic affairs, education, and health, as well as other projects
and special programs.
As Chicago's community foundation, the Trust also recognizes its important
role as educator and convener. As such, it has initiated and funded surveys
and other projects to gather and disseminate valuable information to community
and civic leaders, service providers, public officials, donors, and the
general public. Recent surveys sponsored by the Trust include a comprehensive
study of children at risk, and a statewide poll of women on issues of concern
to them. In addition, the Trust annually sponsors the Chicago Matters public
broadcasting series and a newspaper supplement that have addressed such
issues as aging, immigration, religion, the arts, and the family. Many
people in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors have come together
to discuss these issues and learn from one another as a result of the Trust’s
efforts.
Because of its central role within our community, the Trust has seen
countless examples of how important informed, compassionate and creative
leadership is in the success of communities and organizations. In response,
the Trust has developed and supported a variety of programs to encourage
and nurture leadership talent. These include Leadership Greater Chicago,
Young Leaders Forum and Fund, Future Leaders Chicago and the Community
Service Fellowship, each of which strengthens leadership skills at different
ages and career stages.
In 1996, The Chicago Community Trust initiated and co-sponsored, with
Chicago Foundation for Women, a statwide poll of women. This survey grew
out of a desire on the part of the Trust to explore women's issues in the
community. An advisory committee was convened in November 1995 which identified
a pressing need for new, comprehensive and detailed information about women's
priorities, concerns, and goals. The survey would represent a continuation
of the Trust's ongoing commitment to inform its own grant making and the
wider community with community-based input and fresh research data. This
project followed on the heels of the Trust's very successful Children at
Risk poll, which was released in March 1996.
The statewide survey which the Trust commissioned comprised women all
backgrounds, varied by region, race, age, class, religion, education level
and career. The resulting report highlights key issues and findings from
a comprehensive telephone survey of 1,203 women in Illinois conducted in
July, 1996. The survey uniquely provides these women with the opportunity
to raise their own concerns and list their own priorities pertaining to
their communities, families, professional and personal lives.
Date Last Updated: 8/21/00
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