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Success with College Research

HCPS Professional Learning Conference

November 24 & 25, 2014 Gina Calia-Lotz, Instructional Services Librarian

Harford Community College

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ASSOCATION OF COLLEGE & RESEARCH

LIBRARIES (ACRL):“Framework for Information Literacy for Higher

Education”

(A work in progress…)

Determine the extent of information needed

Access the needed information effectively and efficiently

Evaluate information and its sources critically

Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base

Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose

Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

“Old” ACRL “Standards for

Information Literacy”

“ Information literacy is a spectrum of abilities, practices, and

habits of mind that extends and deepens learning through

engagement with the information ecosystem. It includes:

understanding essential concepts about that ecosystem;

engaging in creative inquiry and critical reflection to develop

questions and to find, evaluate and manage information

through an iterative process;

creating new knowledge through ethical participation in

communities of learning, scholarship, and civic purpose;

and

adopting a strategic view of the interests, biases, and

assumptions present in the information ecosystem.”

ACRL’s expanded definition of

information literacy

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Snapshots of the

ACRL Framework for

Information Literacy

“The Six Frames”

Authority is Constructed & Contextual

various communities may

recognize different types of

authority

Novice learners may need to rely

on superficial indicators of

authority, such as type of

publication or author credentials,

where experts recognize schools

of thought or discipline-specific

paradigms.

Even authoritative should be

regarded with “informed

skepticism.”

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Information Creation as a Process

Unique capabilities and

constraints of each information

product determine how info can

and should be used.

information products are

valued differently in different

contexts, such as academia or

the workplace.

Researchers decide which

format and mode of

transmission to use when

disseminating their own info

creations.

Information Has Value

Information possesses several

dimensions of value, including as

a commodity, as a means of

education, as a means to

influence, and as a means of

negotiating and understanding

the world.

The flow of information through

systems of production and

dissemination is impacted by

legal, sociopolitical, and

economic interests

Research is iterative: complex

questions develop new lines of inquiry.

Experienced researchers see inquiry

as a process that focuses on problems

or questions.

The novice works to understand

foundational ideas/methods, and over

time develops ability to formulate more

advanced research questions, and

employ a greater repertoire of

investigative methods.

Methods of research vary by need and

circumstance.

Research as Inquiry

“Picking Your Topic IS Research”

Sustained discourse within a

community of scholars or thinkers.

Scholarly research resists simple

answers.

Scholarship is a discursive practice,

over extended periods of time.

The experienced researcher seeks

out many perspectives in a scholarly

conversation, not merely the one

with which the researcher already

agrees.

Scholarship is a Conversation

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Searching is Strategic

Knowing the universe of possible

tools, collections, and

repositories.

No single system works well for

all research needs.

Using appropriate search

vocabularies and protocols.

Refining and adjusting search

strategies during the process.

“Credible websites”

“Only academic sources”

“Develop a thesis.”

“Incorporate your sources,

don’t just quote.”

“Cite in MLA style”

“Cite in APA style”

“Cite using a standard format”

EVALUATION

{Slideshare link: