A General Research Guide

Core Concept

Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.

Outcomes

• Understand that scholarship is a conversation in which meaning is created and debated by information creators and consumers over time
• Understand that an issue may be represented by multiple perspectives and approaches
• Recognize that information may be perceived differently based on the format in which it is presented

At KU:

This concept relates to the following elements of SLO #5 

• Access appropriate information using effective, well-designed search strategies 
• Define different types of authority and determine credibility through an understanding of authority, validity, accuracy, timeliness, and bias  

Videos that support this Concept:

Scholarship is a Conversation

How is scholarly understanding shaped by the contributions and publications of multiple people? How do students engage with and participate in larger scholarly discussions?

Length: 2 minutes

Created by Daniel Chesney.  This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Activity

Core Concept

Research is iterative and depends on asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry within or between disciplines. Research as Inquiry is very closely related to Searching as Strategic Exploration.

Outcomes

• Recognize that research is an interactive process that requires persistence, adaptability, and flexibility
• Formulate research questions of an appropriate scope for assignment or purpose

At KU:

This concept relates to the following elements of SLO #5 

• Access appropriate information using effective, well-designed search strategies 
• Address gaps or weaknesses in gathered information and synthesize ideas gathered from multiple sources 

Videos that support this Concept:

Picking Your Topic Is Research

Why can't I find any sources for my topic?  Is it okay to adjust my research topic/question as I search? Is adjusting my research topic/question a normal part of the research process?

Length: 3 minutes

Created by NC State University Libraries. This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

How do I use this?  Link directly to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Q0B3Gjlu-1o  

Activity

Core Concept

Searching for information is often nonlinear, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops. It requires using various search strategies, depending on the sources, scope, and context of the information need. Searching as Strategic Exploration is very closely related to Research as Inquiry.

Outcomes

• Develop an effective search strategy by identifying key concepts or terms
• Distinguish among information search tools (Article and citation databases, Google Scholar, and others)
• Employ strategies to broaden/narrow search results (Boolean operators, search filters, etc.)
• Access a source by using different retrieval methods (e.g., call numbers, printing, interlibrary loan, etc.)

At KU:

This concept relates to the following elements of SLO #5 

• Access appropriate information using effective, well-designed search strategies 

Videos that support this Concept:

Picking Your Topic IS Research

How do I select better keywords for my research topic? What should I do if I can't find articles about my specific topic?

Length: 3 minutes

Created by NC State University Libraries. This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

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Online Research: Tips for Effective Search Strategies

Using Boolean operators (AND, Or, and NOT), quotation marks, and truncation to improve your searching

Length: 3 minutes

Created by Sarah Clark. This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

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Searching Databases with Keywords

An explanation of using keywords in database searching

Length: 3 minutes

Created by Lehmanlibrary. 

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Roadmap to Research: a research process checklist

This video offers a six-step checklist to follow when you’re researching.

Length: 3 minutes and 19 seconds

- Video concept & script/transcript by Georgian College Library & Academic Success, licensed under CC BY-NC.​

Activity

Core Concept

Information sources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility. Sources should be evaluated based on the information need, the context in which the information was created, and how the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.

Outcomes

• Critically examine information from various sources in order to evaluate accuracy, authority, currency, and point of view
• Identify usefulness and relevancy of information sources for an assignment or purpose
• Recognize a scholarly, peer-reviewed article and identify its key components

At KU:

This concept relates to the following elements of SLO #5 

• Define different types of authority and determine credibility through an understanding of authority, validity, accuracy, timeliness, and bias 

Videos that support this Concept:

What Are Credible Websites?

Length: 4 minutes

Created by Hartness Library This video is licensed under a Creative Commons (Attribution-NonCommercial-Sha­reAlike 3.0 Unported License)

Credibility is Contextual

Length: 3 minutes

Created by University of Washington Libraries 

The Miseducation of Dylan Roof

Length: 6 minutes 
"How did Dylann Roof go from being someone who was not raised in a racist home to someone so steeped in white supremacist propaganda that he murdered nine African Americans during a Bible study? The answer lies, at least in part, in the way that fragile minds can be shaped by the algorithm that powers Google Search."

Created by Southern Poverty Law Center

Activities:

Evaluate Your Sources:

When you are choosing your sources, remember to administer the CRAAP Test:

¨ Currency: Timeliness of the information

¨ Relevance: Importance to your needs

¨ Authority: Author’s credentials

¨ Accuracy: Reliability/Trustfulness/Correctness

¨ Purpose: Reason it was created (teach/sell/entertain/persuade)

Learn about Propaganda: Have students read through the How Propaganda Works webpages 

Core Concept

Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.

Outcomes

• Distinguish among types of sources (e.g., books, journal articles, primary/secondary, scholarly/popular, etc.)
• Describe the scholarly peer review process and how it impacts scholarly research
• Use sources to support an argument or claim with evidence
• Understand that sources may be perceived and valued differently based on their format as well as creation and dissemination processes

At KU:

This concept relates to the following elements of SLO #5 

• Define different types of authority and determine credibility through an understanding of authority, validity, accuracy, timeliness, and bias 

• Address gaps or weaknesses in gathered information and synthesize ideas gathered from multiple sources 

• Draw reasonable conclusions based on an analysis and interpretation of information to achieve a specific purpose with clarity and depth 

Videos that support this Concept:

What Are Credible Websites?

Length: 4 minutes

Created by Hartness Library This video is licensed under a Creative Commons (Attribution-NonCommercial-Sha­reAlike 3.0 Unported License)

Credibility is Contextual

Length: 3 minutes

Created by University of Washington Libraries 

Peer Review in Three Minutes

Length: 3 minutes

Created by North Carolina State University Libraries.  This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Research is an Iterative Process

Length: 1 minute

Created by Claire Nickerson. 

Core Concept

Information possess 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. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production, dissemination, and access.

Outcomes

• Recognize when ideas need to be attributed to others and what is "common knowledge"
• Identify citation elements and document sources accurately
• Integrate the ideas of others through quoting and paraphrasing
• Understand College policy on academic integrity and the Honor Code

At KU:

This concept relates to the following elements of SLO #5 

• Use appropriate attributions and citations 
• Demonstrate an understanding of ethical and legal restrictions on the use of information (ex: copyright, fair use, open access, and the public domain) 

Videos that support this Concept:

Citation: A (Very) Brief Introduction by NCSU

Length: 2 minutes

Created by Libncsu.  This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

What is Citing

Length: 3 Minutes

Created by sccclibrary

SNL Plagiarism

Length: 6 Minutes

Created by Saturday Night Live

Activity

Consider walking through this workshop as a class exercise. It will give you the option to discuss as you go. Paraphrasing and summarizing are especially tough concepts for students.