Library Related Objectives for EH 102

What the students should know by the end of the semester:

1. The difference between library sources and Internet sources

• ·organization vs no control
• ·copyrighted vs non-copyrighted
• ·that many library sources come "over" the Internet. but aren't "from" the Internet.

2. Each discipline has a different way of speaking, writing and researching.

• one size research method does not fit all.
• the differences are reflected in different research methods, different indexes,
• each have different writing styles and different citation styles.
• the library has many specialized databases and sources

3. Audience and purpose determine the level and choice of information sources

• the need to and ability to evaluate the quality and appropriateness of information
• See Evaluating Internet Resources on "Research" page--adaptable to all sources not just Internet sources

4. Using dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, guides and bibliographies is smart and efficient!

5. That there is no "perfect way" to do research. But they need to develop a search strategy the most often suggested is:

• choose a topic
• do some searching to find a focus
• focus your topic and write a researchable question
• search from broad to specific information
• use subject encyclopedias first, other reference books for background, books, then articles, gov. docs, etc. fill in with statistical info
• ·keep a journal of search terms and databases used
• always record citation information as you go along

6. The difference between subject, author, title searching and keyword searching.

• techniques for doing a good keyword search on the catalog, a database and the Internet
• using boolean operators, nesting, truncation
• that research is a heuristic process just like writing. You learn and develop as you research and write and then research and write some more
• to read help screens

7. Not to settle for full-text convenience over library, but possibly inconvenient, information

8. The possibility of Interlibrary borrowing

9. The value of article and monographic bibliographies to find other sources

10.That information comes in all kinds of containers, not just print.

11. That sometimes they will have to go out of the library to find the information they need.

12. How to cite information resources according to a specific style, especially electronic ones.

13. Doing extended research is enjoyable and personally satisfying as well as educational.