This paper presents the results of a Delphi study conducted over a two-month period in 2011. The purpose of the study was to identify reference sources that should be covered in basic reference courses taught in LIS programs in the United States. The Delphi method was selected for its appropriateness in soliciting expert opinions and assessing the…

In this study, researchers evaluate a homework exercise assigned before a standalone information literacy session. Students in a Master of Education program completed a worksheet using the ERIC database thesaurus. The researchers conducted pre- and posttests within a single library session to assess student learning, using a control group for…

To date, only a small number of articles have been written about the information literacy needs of social work students. This is a topic that needs to be addressed more among librarians because of the emergence of the evidence-based practice paradigm within the social work profession. Now more than ever, social work students need to know…

This document reports the results of a study undertaken to determine if teaching a 2-week unit on library usage to 7th graders would increase their use of the library. From three non-ability grouped 7th grade classes, two classes of 26 students each were randomly selected for the study. One class was randomly assigned as the experimental group and…

Describes a project which made Wilsonline and the Wilsearch software available to high school students for term paper research. Findings are discussed, including student ability to formulate search strategies, usefulness of retrieved citations, and most frequently requested databases. The value of Wilsearch is compared with that of local library…

Term paper bibliographies were independently examined and rated by a librarian and a writing instructor. Students receiving bibliographic instruction in classes that taught a cognitive strategy for using library resources did a better job of accessing and using library resources than those whose instruction emphasized specific tools and resources.…

Describes a study of the different effects of online bibliographic searching and manual bibliographic searching on research quality and productivity among a group of graduate students assigned the task of compiling bibliographies. The study methodology is outlined, and 12 references and tables summarizing student responses to a questionnaire are…

A study was conducted of the efficacy of two methods of teaching music bibliography to 80 undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Akron in Ohio. One group of subjects received only lectures in bibliographic instruction; the other group had the benefit of lectures and worksheet exercises, which involved location of publications and…

Presents a model for teaching interdisciplinary research skills that can be applied to any two or more humanities or social science disciplines. Highlights include the definition and organization of the discipline, organization or printed reference tools, user definition of information needs, classification systems and subject headings, and online…

Fourteen undergraduate students who had successfully completed research projects were surveyed on their research processes, including focusing their topic, finding and using evidence, and writing. Their responses revealed significant differences between the way they actually do research and standard search strategies, and the implications of these…

In an effort to verify that the library research skills that comprise the library media instructional program at the Columbus (Ohio) School for Girls are those that college librarians would regard as essential, a questionnaire was mailed in February 1987 to the undergraduate libraries of 142 colleges and universities most often attended by…

This paper reports on a study conducted to determine if PowerPoint presentation is the most effective medium to explain two reference books: "The Storyteller's Sourcebook" and "A Guide to Folktales in the English Language." A secondary purpose was to see if the students who saw the PowerPoint presentation received higher…

In this pilot study, a group of 41 "gifted and talented" juniors in high school English and social sciences classes used the menu-driven Wilsearch software to gather leads to information sources in order to complete their first major term paper. The study demonstrates that: (1) students had little difficulty in using the menu-driven…

This study provides a model for assessing the library instructional needs of students in a selected scientific discipline, developing a program to meet those needs, and evaluating the results. Library research study units, which were integrated into an undergraduate course in the wildlife division, were presented in four 1-hour class sessions.…

Describes results of several studies which led to integration of end-user searching using BRS/After Dark in the bibliographic instruction program at Earlham College (Indiana). These studies compared results and patterns of online searches by students and librarians, as well as online and manual searches by students. Student opinions were also…