This study assesses and compares the quality of sources found by undergraduate students when doing research using both Google and a library (federated) search tool. Thirty undergraduates were asked to find four sources (one book, two articles, and one additional source of their choosing) related to a selected research topic. Students used both…

This study identifies the development of information search expertise of 12 beginning research students (six in education and six in engineering) who were provided with a set of systematic search training sessions over a period of one year. The study adopts a longitudinal approach in investigating whether there were different stages in the…

Describes the Research Assistance Program that was developed for African American undergraduates to improve their library research skills. Topics include cognitive style of African American students; and skill objectives, including formulating a research topic, effective search strategies, discernment and source equivalence, and information…

Teaching how to choose a research topic in a bibliographic instruction class should emphasize the underlying methods and principles of library research while making research tools as unobtrusive as possible. This approach teaches the basics of scientific inquiry and provides a structure in which to teach library skills. (EM)

Describes two search models for school libraries. Models include searches defined by the student but conducted by a trained searcher, and student-conducted searches which teach search skills. Decisions about which model (or combination) to use should be based on the available resources and the purposes for conducting the search. (AEF)

Designed to help undergraduate students find information and materials at George Washington University's Gelman Library, this guide teaches skills and concepts necessary to complete a research paper. Further, it is intended to equip students with skills that will help them in business, legal, medical, and other professions where finding…

In addition to outlining the 100 online services available to students, this guide provides basic information about electronic databases and instructions for conducting searches. After an introduction to the various types of searches possible and the costs of searches, the guide describes how to choose an appropriate database. The basics of…

Describes a method for teaching junior high school students doing library research a presearch process that helps them to relate research to prior knowledge of a topic and to develop questions about it. Criteria for judging students' presearches are included. (MES)

Although this guide was designed to support "Pennsylvania Online: A Curriculum Guide for School Library Media Centers" (1985), the State of Pennsylvania curriculum guide for online searching, many of its components are also suitable for use by school librarians when teaching the elements involved in searching for resources manually. Designed to…

Discusses overuse and abuse of the online search in academic libraries, citing cases where patrons are not well served by it. Suggestions include helping students define and refine research goals and use of print indexes and abstracts which display citations in context of related literature. (15 references) (EJS)

Intended to provide journalism students with an introduction to electronic information retrieval, this guide outlines a few of the 500 online services available to them on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus. The concept of the quality versus the quantity of citations retrieved is introduced and emphasized throughout. Services available at…

This guide is designed to acquaint students of the University of Missouri-Columbia with the facilities and resources of the Ellis Library, and is intended for students enrolled in Library Science 105: Library Skills. The guide is organized into sections dealing with search strategies and types of library materials. It opens with an orientation to…

Designed to acquaint students of the State University of New York at Stony Brook with the facilities and resources of their library, this self-paced workbook for developing basic research skills is designed for use by students enrolled in an introductory library course, LBR 150. The guide is organized into chapters dealing with types of library…

One in a series, this guide takes the college student through the steps involved in a thorough, systematic research of any topic in sociology. Beginning with the basics, the guide covers selecting a topic, locating an authoritative summary of the topic, taking clear notes, and narrowing the topic. Subsequent chapters cover the use of general…

Academic libraries have traditionally provided some kind of term paper assistance to patrons. Central Missouri State University's Ward Edwards Library designed a two-pronged approach to a term paper clinic (TPC), using traditional group instruction and one-on-one walk-in assistance. The primary goals of the TPC are to teach the student to: (1)…