Library Instruction: Learning How to Find and Work With Information

• Would you like to schedule an instruction session for your class with one of our librarians? Just contact Beth Tumbleson or Sarah Frye. We are happy to tailor a session to meet your needs.

• Print or save (and then complete) the Exercises to Develop Essential Research Skills (PDF) here!

• Miami students may wish to learn basic research skills using the Information Fluency Research Tutorial for ENG 111 & 113 (log in to access the tutorial in Blackboard).

• Miami students, faculty, and staff may wish to view the Miami eScholar tutorial on academic integrity, which teaches incoming students about seeking, evaluating, and ethically using information (requires UniqueID and password to login).

• Course-specific resource lists have been created on Delicious.com unde the library's askghl account. For example, see NSG 105 or NSG 311.

• Use screencasts (brief video tutorials) for review or post them in a Blackboard classroom. They can help you learn or review database searching or other information fluency concepts/tasks.

• Here are some other resources that are helpful in teaching information fluency concepts:

  • Use the CRAAP Test to help them evaluate web sites -- that's Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) (thanks to MU Hamilton and CSU Chico).

  • Review The Seven Deadly Sins of Plagiarism in this PowerPoint presentation from the library at Dickinson College.

  • See these helpful tips on searching for information from OhioLINK (searching for articles and books, finding scholarly articles, etc.).

  • Research 101 - an interactive tutorial from the University of Washington which provides an introduction to research skills.

  • 7 Things You Should Know About... - "provides concise information on emerging learning technologies and related practices."

  • How to Evaluate the Information You Find - a two-page handout outlining some helpful criteria for evaluating information sources of all types (MS Word).

  • Best Search Tools Chart - a two-page chart with links to a variety of Internet search tools and notes on their characteristics and searching rules.

  • Developing a Research Topic: Brainstorming Chart - A brainstorming activity on how to narrow down topics (the next page has an interactive or printable version of the chart).