Schedule a research instruction session
Shenandoah University librarians are happy to help your students develop their research skills. See the chart below for suggested information literacy topics with activities and approximate times required for each. Fill out the online form to request instruction.
Instruction Options
| Topic | Time Required | Activities / Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Search the SU Library catalog using title, author | 15 min. |
Find SU books, scores, videos, journals, recordings; Identify source types; Identify links to online content; Identify interlibrary loan (ILL) links and purpose for using ILL.
|
|
| 2. Search the SU Library catalog using keywords | 15 min. |
Search for sources on a topic in the library catalog; Determine concepts, then keywords for a topic; Determine synonyms for keywords; Use boolean operators.
|
|
| 3. Search 1-2 specialized databases | 15-30 min. |
Search for articles on a topic in 1-2 specialized databases; Determine concepts, then keywords for a topic; Determine keyword variants; Use boolean operators.
|
|
| 4. Brainstorm research topics | 15 min. |
Brainstorm ideas using concept mapping and other tools; Narrow or broaden topics.
|
|
| 5. Track the literature | 25 min. |
Interpret citations (book, article, etc.) in an original article’s reference list; Locate the full text from a citation in the reference list; Locate earlier sources that have cited the original article.
|
|
| 6. Evaluate source credibility and authority | 25 min. |
Identify characteristics of credibility and authority; Analyze the credibility and authority of sample sources.
|
|
| 7. Distinguish between primary and secondary sources | 15 min. |
Identify characteristics of primary and secondary sources; Analyze sample sources as primary or secondary.
|
|
| 8. Identify peer-reviewed and scholarly sources | 20 min. |
Identify characteristics of peer-reviewed and scholarly sources; Analyze sample sources as peer-reviewed / scholarly.
|
|
| 9. Recognize and avoid plagiarism | 30 min. |
Identify basic principles of copyright and intellectual property; Identify why and when sources must be cited; Analyze examples for plagiarism characteristics.
|
|
|
|
|||
| Instruction Request Form | |||