LIB 100 Syllabus – updated 4/13/2011 1

ACCESSING INFORMATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY (LIB100) Goals:

1. Students will learn how to determine the nature and extent of information needed in order to identify a suitable research topic.

2. Students will become familiar with the strengths and limitations of different types of information resources and the media through which these resources are presented in order to access resources effectively.

3. Students will learn strategies for the critical evaluation of information in order to evaluate the reliability of a resource and determine the biases that are inherent in a resource.

4. Students will learn how to structure and implement their own research strategies in order to plan and execute an effective search.

5. Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of library services and resources in order to be lifelong learners.

6. Students will develop awareness of the legal, economic, political and social aspects of information resources in order to use information ethically.

Instructors: Your information here Recommended Textbooks You are not required to purchase either of these, but we highly recommend purchasing one or the other. Copies are available for in-library use in the Reference Department. You should use the one that corresponds to the citation style you select to use for your final project. These are available at the Bookstore.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). (2001). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Attendance: Attendance will be taken at each class session. Please let one of the instructors know in advance if you will be unable to attend a class session. Course Assignments and Grading Your Info Here Blackboard This course will make extensive use of Blackboard. We will post all assignments in Blackboard and your assignments and final project should be submitted electronically through Blackboard. The Blackboard gradebook will be used for students to track their status. ThinkPads Several class sessions will require you to bring your ThinkPads. Advance notice will be provided.

LIB 100 Syllabus – updated 4/13/2011 2

LIB 100 – Accessing Information -- Course Outline

Class 1

Introduction

Introductions

Syllabus

Final Project Information

Library tour Assignment: Annotated Bibliography Topic

Class 2

Getting to a Research Topic

Steps in the Research Process

Broadening and Narrowing Your Topic

Search Terms

In-class exercise: Broadening and Narrowing Paper topics

Class 3

Search Terms

Research Questions

Concepts

Controlled Vocabularies

Search Terms

In-Class Exercise: Concept Blocking for your topic DUE: Annotated Bibliography Topic

Class 4

Bring Your THINKPAD

Searching the Online Catalog

Search Terms vs. Subject Headings; Keywords, etc.

Truncation, Boolean Operators.

Using the online catalog to search: types of searches, limits, how to interpret your results.

LC Subject Headings

In-Class Exercise: Searching the Online Catalog – getting to subject headings

Class 5 Bring your ThinkPad

Evaluating and Citing Your Sources

Tips on evaluating resources

Style Guides (MLA and APA)

Why citations are important (Plagiarism)

In-Class exercise: Citation practice

Class 6

Bring your ThinkPad

Reference Resources

Types of resources found in Reference and

Finding Reference Books in the catalog.

Evaluation of reference resources.

In-Class Exercise: Searching for and finding reference sources

LIB 100 Syllabus – updated 4/13/2011 3

Class 7

Bring your ThinkPad

Books and Annotations

How books are classified (LC Call number and LC Subject Headings)

How to find books in the Online Catalog

How to find book in the ZSR Library

Evaluation of books for research

Writing Annotations

In-class Exercise: Getting started on Assignment #1 Assignment: Books assignment. (Assignment #1)

Class 8 Bring your ThinkPad

Databases #1 – Journals and Online Databases

Scholarly vs. non-scholarly articles

Academic publishing

ZSR’s Find a Journal page

Selecting appropriate databases for potential topics.

In Class Exercise: Picking databases for your topic

Due: Books Assignment. (Assignment #1)

Class 9

Bring your ThinkPad

Databases #2 – Searching Databases and Getting to Results

Complex searching in databases

Evaluating Articles

Scholarly vs. non-scholarly articles

Citing articles from a database

In-Class Exercise: Getting started on Assignment #2

Assignment: Journal Assignment (Assignment #2)

Class 10

Issues in Information

Current issues in information

Due: Journal Assignment (Assignment #2)

Class 11

Bring your ThinkPad

Web Resources #1 -- Searching the Internet

Search engines v. search directories v. meta search engines.

Invisible Web

Search strategies

Class 12

Bring your ThinkPad to class

Web Resources #2 -- Evaluating and Citing Web Sites

Evaluation of free Web resources

Citing Web Sites

In-Class Exercise: Getting started on Assignment #3

Assignment: Web Site Assignment (Assignment #3)

LIB 100 Syllabus – updated 4/13/2011 4

Class 13 Bring your ThinkPad to class

Cool Tools for Research

Research express

Journal Finder

Voyager Bookbag, saved searches, account management

Library Services: ILL, Personal Reference Sessions, Due: Web Site Assignment (Assignment #3)

Class 14

Final Project Review

Instructions for final project

Final project checklist Course Evaluations

ADD DATE

Final Project Due