Essential Research Skills
Library Intro (15-30 min.)
Students will be introduced to library spaces, resources, and collections and learn how research librarians support their academic success. They will come away with an understanding of the library’s importance as a place to study and socialize.
Database Demo (~15 min./database)
Students will explore one or more library databases and learn what a database is and what it is not, develop search terms, and filter results to their advantage. They will understand the differences between a library database and Google searching.
Importance of Research (10-20 min.)
Students will understand the importance of research in academic essays, learning to support arguments with credible evidence. They will promote critical thinking and ensure the relevance and reliability of their writing.
Research Process (10-20 min.)
Students will investigate the iterative nature of the research process from developing topics and search terms, conducting pre-research, and searching in library databases. Students will assess search results and learn how to synthesize and incorporate their results into drafts and final papers/projects.
Topic or Research Question Development (20-45 min.)
Students will brainstorm possible research topics using strategies like pre-research and mind-mapping, and practice turning broad topics into actionable research questions. They will be able to identify the components of a “good” or effective research question. Students will be able to take their research questions to develop search terms and identify relevant sources to search for information.
Identifying & Understanding Different Types of Sources (20-45 min.)
Students will identify and define various types of sources, including primary vs. secondary, academic, scholarly, and popular sources, determining the best type to use for different situations. They will learn where and how to locate these sources and practice identifying them through group discussions, lectures, and hands-on activities. The aim is to help students recognize their information needs and find, access, and organize relevant information effectively.
Keywords (10-45 min.)
Students will assess the necessity of formulating a good vocabulary of relevant and connected keywords and search terms as an essential component of academic research. Students will have an opportunity to build their own keyword and search term vocabularies to incorporate into their research.
Search Strategies (20-45 min.)
Students will get hands-on practice using various search strategies including Boolean operators, quotation marks, filters, and more to find information and sources on a topic. They will discuss different types of sources and be able to identify which databases are likely to have the information and sources they need for their research.
Evaluating Sources (20-50 min.)
Students will use critical thinking, and lateral and vertical reading techniques to evaluate sources and information for their accuracy, reliability, and suitability for their research. Students will examine the content of sources, with a focus on source creators, voices, biases and perspectives. This workshop can be tailored to focus on primary or secondary sources, if desired.
