Information Literacy Skills for First-Year Writing Courses

Information Literacy Skill: Students will learn how to use a general periodical database.

Assignment: Within the context of one of their papers, students will complete a Research Log 

The online tutorial for FW courses is titled "Research in Databases" and is linked off the Library website.

The table below reflects current goals and behaviors.   This table is under revision in academic year, 2011-2012.  Class practice may reflect anticipated changes.


                                                                                                                           
 

  Teaching Goal  

  		 

  Outcome Behavior  

 

Define index  

Students will choose to search an article index when they need an article  

Distinguish between Newspaper, Magazine, and Scholarly Journal articles  

Students will be able to distinguish between various article formats based on standard criteria  

Indicate variety of materials and time periods covered by online article search tools.  

Students will know that there are materials (e.g. reports, dissertations, book chapters...) other than periodical articles frequently found in these search tools and that each tool generally covers only a limited time period of publication.

Indicate variety of indexes  

Students will choose an index best suited to their need relative to:  

  •   assignment requirements  
  •   topic  
  •   discipline  
  •   complexity of content (i.e. magazine level or journal level)  
 

Explain how to read an article record  

Students will be able to interpret the field tags in an article record to determine:  

  •   Author  
  •   Title  
  •   source title  
  •   date  
  •   volume  
  •   issue  
  •   page numbers  
  •   abstract (if available)  
  •   controlled vocabulary (subject headings, descriptors, etc.)  
 

Explain the numbers found in citations:  

Students will be able to identify and use the numbers associated with article citations in an index, especially:  

  •   Volume number  
  •   Issue number  
  •   Page numbers  
  •   ISSN / ISBN  
  •   accession numbers (where pertinent, e.g. in the ERIC database)  
 

Outline basic database structure (Database, record, field) and its relationship to searching  

Students will select an appropriate field tag (i.e. title, author, subject) to search in a given scenario.  

Discuss standard evaluation criteria (authority, timeliness,…)  

Students will evaluate results lists and be able to select the “better” results. Students will note the order/ranking in which results lists appear (in databases often by date).

Outline the technique of using each search result to improve subsequent searches  

Students will understand that the first list of results is usually not the “best” and may not even be “good”.  Students will use good results from previous searches to modify and improve subsequent searches.

Explain controlled vocabulary ("subject") vs. keyword in information seeking.  

Students will seek out suitable controlled vocabulary for a given topic in an organized database, and recognize that only keyword searching is generally available on the free web.

 Explain Boolean connectors and logic (AND, OR, and parentheses) and how it can expand or limit search results  

Students will be able to connect search terms correctly using Boolean logic.  

Explain truncation and its function in expanding a search.  

Students will be able to truncate words to a suitable length and apply the correct wildcard/truncation symbol for a given database.

Locate Help screens  

Students will be aware that online help is readily available and that librarians are also available to help with all information needs.

Determine if the library owns a particular magazine or article  

Students will be able to use the SFX software link from within a database record.  

Explain the value of recording the search process for future need and/or personal reference in order to replicate results  

Students will record key elements of their search process during their searches.