Elan Shiang UCD IS10050: Digital Judgement Group Project: Digital Resource Guide.

SOC10060: Ireland in Comparative Perspective:

This level one sociology module is delivered in semester two and aims to develop the students critical
thinking ability by exploring Irish society through a comparative lens. The module descriptor is available
via the UCD interface Blackboard. The module examines Irish society pre and post-independence, all the
way up to our current timeline. Whilst the module coordinator has not specified a core text, there are
several outlined as key texts or readings, two of which shall be explored here alongside an online
resource.

Source 1:
Share, P., H. and Corcoran, M.P. (2007) A Sociology of Ireland. 3rd Edition. Dublin: Gill & MacMillan
ISBN-13: 9780717142101

Abstract: This book is meant to give an insight into Sociology from an Irish National perspective. A
primary purpose of this source is to serve as an introductory work into sociology, meaning it is
specifically targeted at students, most of whom might not have an extensive background in the field of
Sociology. While Ireland is by all accounts a modern society, there are many stark differences between
itself, and other modern societies, stemming from the relatively short period of time in which Ireland
has existed as an independent nation, and moreover existed in the modern technological and social
community in which we see today. These difference and similarities are highlighted in this book, and
provide for an in depth look at Irish society as a whole.

1|Page
Elan Shiang UCD IS10050: Digital Judgement Group Project: Digital Resource Guide.

Pathway:
This source was identified using the course syllabus for the UCD class Ireland in Comparative
Perspective, a required introductory course for all first-year sociology students. The source, A Sociology
of Ireland. 3rd edition, while generally found and utilized in a print version, can be found as a digital
source using the following pathway: First, the Google Scholar tool was accessed, and the title A
Sociology of Ireland was subsequently searched for. After this search, the first result of the page was
accessed, which was the source that was initially being searched for. Please note, that while it is not the
most up to date version of the source available or the edition recommended it in the syllabus, it is very
likely still a perfectly good source to use.
Evaluation:
This source is likely very credible for a multitude of reasons. The first is that it was recommended to a
module by an expert in the field of sociology for use as a reference in an introductory sociology class.
After a quick regular google search of the authors, it can be found that Tovey is a current lecturer on
Sociology at Trinity College Dublin, and an Emeritus fellow, and that Share was formerly head of the
Business and Sociology department at the Institute of Technology in Sligo. Both of these positions are
highly prestigious, and it can be then assumed that both of the authors are highly revered and respected
in their fields of study. This knowledge adds a great deal of certainty to the level of credibility about
their work in this particular source. This method of evaluation was highlighted in IS10050. Another clue
towards this sources credibility is the publisher of the book. Gill Education, a educational focused
publishing company, would be incredibly unlikely to knowingly publish information that would be found
to be false, irreputable, or otherwise misleading. For all of these reasons combined, in can be safely
assumed that this source is not only reputable and trustworthy, but also a good source for a pupil
looking to become educated on sociology in Ireland in one manner or another.

2|Page
Elan Shiang UCD IS10050: Digital Judgement Group Project: Digital Resource Guide.

Source 2:

Kirby, P. (2010) Celtic tiger in Collapse: Explaining the Weaknesses of the Irish Model. 2nd Edition.
Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 978-0-230-27803-5

Abstract:
As the title of this book might suggest, this source details the collapse of the Irish Economy in the
worldwide economic recession of 2008. This book examines not only the economic factors of the
housing market crash, but also takes a look at the social, cultural and political facets of the issue as well.
What this allows for in the course of the book is an in depth look at not only how the missteps leading
up the crash affected the economy, but the toll it took on Ireland as a society as well, thus creating a
further understanding of the underlying sociology principles in the context of the current economic and
social challenges that Ireland faces in the current day.
Pathway:
The retrieval of this source begins with the determination made that this source is a useful source not
only for understanding sociology, but a good resource for a beginner in sociology. This can be
determined by its recommendation on a course syllabus for a first-year module on the sociology of
Ireland. Once this is determined, the pathway continues through Google Books. In order to find this
source in an electronic format, it is required to do a search on the google books database. The search
words used in this particular retrieval were Celtic Tiger in Collapse. Upon this search, the first result on
Google Books was the source in question, and after clicking on the link it can be determined that the full
source is available for use without having to pay for a copy.

3|Page
Elan Shiang UCD IS10050: Digital Judgement Group Project: Digital Resource Guide.

Evaluation:
This source is likely credible for a plethora of reasons, however the utility of the source outside the
module that it was recommended for, and particularly in the case of this guide is uncertain. The first
clue to the credibility of this source is the author of the text itself, one of the items that one should look
at when determining the credibility of any source. Peader Kirby, the author of this book, has a long track
record in academia in Ireland, specifically in the area of politics and public policy, and he has numerous
publications and books in the subject. The volume and content of publications of a person in academia is
often a good indicator of the success they have enjoyed in their field. Suffice to say, Kirby is more than
trustworthy as an author on this subject. At the surface, the utility of this document in educating and
informing first year students about sociology might not seem obvious, as the case is very specific to a
certain situation in Ireland. However, the lessons and examples of what can go wrong and the indicators
and preliminary signs of when things are going wrong from a sociological standpoint, provide an
essential base for the understanding of sociology as a whole. Thus, this source would prove useful for a
novice in the field of sociology.

Source 3:
Khan Academy:

https://www.khanacademy.org/
Creator: Sal Khan
Created: 2005
Accessed: Oct 2017
501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Abstract:
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization that is designed to help facilitate learning across
a wide spectrum of subjects. Although primarily focused at enabling high school and secondary
students, this source can also be used to help prepare students for their classes in higher education as
well. Although at the current moment, Khan Academy does not have any specific modules that are
solely dedicated towards sociology but there are many sociological concepts which have been broken
down and deconstructed to help facilitate a foundation of principles in the desired topic.

4|Page
Elan Shiang UCD IS10050: Digital Judgement Group Project: Digital Resource Guide.

Pathway:
Khan academy is a popular site in the educational world, however, finding material on in that specifically
pertained to sociology proved a little bit more difficult. Using the and operator on the google advanced
search, searching for Khan Academy and Sociology yielded much the desired result. Although, as stated
above, there were not any specific modules designated solely for the purpose of sociology, there were
many modules that included sociology as part of their overall curricula. Upon entering Sociology in the
sites search bar a large volume of sociological themes and concepts in both video and text format were
returned, including the MCAT preparation tutorials.
Evaluation:
Khan Academy is one of the leaders in online education, and is publicly and officially endorsed by a
multitude of educational institutions, ranging from tertiary education, high school and secondary
education, and advanced course curricula providers (College Board). From this, it can most likely be
safely inferred that Khan Academy is a credible and trustworthy tool to use as a supplement to other
learning materials. On the other hand, however, Khan academy is not an academic work, meaning,
despite the fact that it is compiled by mostly experts in the field, it would, under most circumstances,
not serve to cite it in an academic work. Another aspect that needs to be evaluated is the usefulness of
this source in the context of sociology. As previously stated, there are no specific modules for sociology,
only pieces of principles in other subjects. This might lead one to believe that there is a relatively
diminished usage for Khan Academy in the field of sociology for first year students. However, because of
the wide range of topics and subjects that Khan Academy offers, it provides not just a basis for
sociology, but a basis for learning across any assembly of courses that a first-year student of sociology
might take. For this reason, Khan Academy can enjoy a very large utility among first year students of
sociology.

5|Page
Elan Shiang UCD IS10050: Digital Judgement Group Project: Digital Resource Guide.

References

Gill Education. (2017). About us. Retrieved November 10, 2017, from Gill Education website:

http://www.gilleducation.ie/about-us

Khan Academy Team. (2017). Khan Academy [Computer software]. Retrieved from

https://www.khanacademy.org/

Kirby, P. (2010). Celtic Tiger in Collapse: Explaining the Weaknesses of the Irish Model (2nd ed.) [EPUB].

Retrieved from

https://books.google.ie/books?id=QrlsCwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Celtic+tiger+in+coll

apse&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE9OfGv77XAhUKDMAKHU6eABkQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q&

f=false

Kirby, P. (2017). Peadar Kirby. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from http://www.peadarkirby.ie/

Share, P. (n.d.). Perry Share. Retrieved November 14, 2017, from

https://www.linkedin.com/in/perryshare/

Tovey, H., & Share, P. (2003). A Sociology of Ireland (Second ed.) [EPUB]. Retrieved from

https://books.google.ie/books?hl=en&lr=&id=EU4NqA7RIHUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=A+sociolog

y+of+ireland&ots=NP2GEpr7Lc&sig=YU0IcOz9HVPMB8K-

VUA0WrJJ4QM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=A%20sociology%20of%20ireland&f=false

Trinity Research. (2016, January 26). Hilary Tovey. Retrieved November 10, 2017, from

https://www.tcd.ie/research/profiles/?profile=htovey

6|Page