INFORMATION
LITERACY RESEARCH PROJECT
Goals
The main goal of the Information Literacy Project is to
reinforce and expand upon the main objectives of the COL Information Literacy
Unit and Exercise. Students will increase their familiarity with selected
resources introduced in that unit and will follow the steps delineated in the
Library Exercise to find information on a given topic.
Objectives
After completing the Research Project, students should be
able:
·
To use the "Contents" and information in
the online encyclopedia to help define and narrow a topic
·
Use a research question as the focus for
investigation
·
To locate information which might help to
answer/support the research question in library online resources (encyclopedia,
CQ Researcher, periodicals database, Internet)
·
To use the Library’s Online Catalog (OPAC) to locate
a book which might answer the research question
o
To use the Call Number to find the book in the
library
·
To evaluate the selected online resources and book in
terms of how they answer/support the research question
·
To identify citation information such as author,
title, and publisher.
Hamann/Bencivengo/2007
Passaic County
Community College
COL
INFORMATION
LITERACY RESEARCH PROJECT
Part 1 of 6 (This is only an example. Sample student responses are in boldface.)
Some people also argue that direct election might encourage
third and fourth parties, and thus increase voter choice and voter turnout
TOPIC:(Select from list) Electoral College
SOURCE: WorldBook
Online
1.
Search Term(s): Electoral College
a.
Number of “hits” (results):
105
b. Which
one of the results do you think will contain the most information about your
topic? Electoral
College
(Link to
that source.)
2.
(Use
the “Table of Contents” and information in the online encyclopedia to help you
define, narrow, and ask a question about the topic.)
·
Ask a
question about the narrowed topic:
What are some reasons that the Electoral College should
be reformed?
3.
List one or two facts from this resource that will help you answer your
question?
a.
.”… the college has allowed candidates to become president
even when their opponents received more popular votes.”
b.
.” …the Electoral College vote has become largely a ceremonial
procedure.”
4.
Would this be a good resource for
your topic? No
5. Explain
why or why not.
Although there is good background information about the Electoral College, the reasons for reforming it are not clearly described.
6. Citation
Information:
a.
Name of the author of the article: Paul Gronke
b. Title
of the article: “Electoral College”
c. Title
of the publication: World Book Online Reference Center
d.
Publisher: Worldbook, Inc
e.
Copyright date: 2008
f.
Electronic address (if online): http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar176080.
g.
Date of access:
h.
Place of access:
Passaic County
Community College
COL
INFORMATION LITERACY RESEARCH PROJECT
Part 1 of
6
I. TOPIC :(Select from
list on page 1) ____________________________
Use this SOURCE: WORLD BOOK Online Reference
Center (Click on “
1.
Type SEARCH TERM (underlined topic)
into “Search” box
a. Which search term(s) did you use?:
b. Number of
“hits” (documents found): ____________
c.
Which one of the results do you think will contain the most
information about your topic?
___________________ (Link to that source.)
- Select
a question about your topic: (Use the SAME QUESTION in
- Find
and list one or two
FACTS from this resource that will help you to answer your
question.
a.
b.
- Would
this be a good resource for your topic?
- Explain
why or why not.
- Citation
Information:
a. Name of
the author of the article:
b. Title of the article:
c. Title of the publication:
d. Publisher:
e. Copyright date:
f. Electronic address:
g Date of access (date that you used
this resource):
h.
Place of access:
COL
INFORMATION LITERACY RESEARCH
PROJECT
Part 2 of
6
I. What is your QUESTION about the topic (same question as in Part 1)?:
SOURCE: CQ Researcher
- Search
Term(s): ________________________
a.
Number of “hits” (results): ____________
Select one of the results that
you think will answer your question.
Link to that source.
b. Title of article
selected:_______________________
- Find and list one or two FACTS
from this resource that will help you to answer your question.
a.
b.
4.. Would this be a good resource
for your topic?
5..
Explain why or why not.
6..Citation
Information:
a. Name of the author of the
article:
b. Title of the article:
c. Title of the publication:
d. Publisher:
e. Copyright date:
f. Electronic address:
g. Date of access:
h. Place of access:
COL
INFORMATION LITERACY RESEARCH
PROJECT
Part 3 of
6
1. What is
your QUESTION about the topic (same
question as in Part 1 & 2)?
SOURCE: Library Catalog (Limit your search to the
2.. Search
Term(s): ________________________
a.
Number of “hits” (results): _____
Select one of the books that you think will answer
your question. Click on “DETAILS” for
the full record of the book (including
the
3.. Citation
Information:
a. Name of the author of the book:
b. Title of the book:
c. Publisher:
d. Copyright date:
e.
PCCC call number (listed in bottom left
corner of “Item Information”):
Find the book and skim through
the table of contents and index to find the section that is relevant to your
question. Make a photocopy of the title page of your book and hand it in with
your assignment.
4. Find and
list one or two FACTS from this book that will help you to answer your
question.
a.
b.
5. Would this be a good book for your topic?
6. Explain why or why not.
COL
INFORMATION LITERACY RESEARCH
PROJECT
Part
4 of 6
I. What is
your QUESTION about the topic? (Same question as in Parts 1-3)
SOURCE: EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier
1. Search Term(s):
_____________________________
a. Number of “hits” (results): ____________
(Select one of the articles in
“results” that you think will answer your question. Link to that article.)
2. Find and list
one or two FACTS from this article that will help you to answer your question.
3. Would this be a good article for your topic?
4. Explain
why or why not.
5. Citation
Information:
a. Title of article:
b. Author:
c. Title of periodical (newspaper):
d. Date:
f. Page(s):
g. Name of online database:
h..Date you accessed this article:
i. Place you accessed this article:
COL
INFORMATION LITERACY RESEARCH
PROJECT
Part 5 of
6
I. What is
your QUESTION about the topic? (Same as
in Parts 1-4)
SOURCE: Internet
2. Search Engine Used: _________________________
Search
Term(s): _________________________
a. Number
of “hits” (results): ____________
Select
one of the results that you think will answer your question. Link to that source.
3. What
is the electronic ADDRESS (URL) of the website you selected?
4. Find and
list one or two FACTS from this website that will help you to answer
your question.
5. Would this be a good website for your topic?
6. Explain
why or why not.
7. Citation
Information:
a. Title of the website:
b.
Name of the author (if available):
c. Date of creation or latest update
(if available):
d. Name of any institution or
organization sponsoring or associated with the web site:
e. Date you accessed this website:
f. Place you
accessed this website:
COL
INFORMATION LITERACY RESEARCH
PROJECT
Part
6 of 6
Topic/Question:
What difficulties did you
encounter in completing this exercise?
How do you think this
Information Literacy Project will help you to research a future topic?
NAME: SECTION: DATE:
Information
Literacy Research Project: Evaluation Rubric
TOPIC/CRITERIA SCORE
- Selected
topic from approved list, narrowed topic, and formatted a question
GOOD (10 pts): Clearly formatted a legitimate research question based on topic
FAIR (5 pts): Attempted to formulate legitimate research question
POOR / DIDN'T DO (0 pts)
- Used
same topic and question throughout project
YES (5 pts) NO (0 pts)
- Provided
photocopy of title page of a book from the
YES (5 pts) NO (0 pts)