ULIB 696A - Library Research
Jill Newby
Course Description - This online course is open to graduate students and researchers in all departments and
disciplines. The course will provide a foundation for graduate level library research that will be approached from a
multidisciplinary perspective. It will include development of higher level information research skills, such as using cited reference searching, conducting comprehensive literature reviews using a bibliographic management system. In addition, students will learn about social networking forums and applications for scholarly communities, information access policies and copyright basics.
Learning Objectives - Demonstrate knowledge of the disciplinary information structure and use of information sources in their discipline and related interdisciplinary areas. Effectively manage citations using a bibliographic management program. Describe the elements of a comprehensive review of the literature. Apply ethical and legal standards in their use of information.
My Final Reflection for this Course
In reflecting over this course, I feel I am better at searching, locating and managing information for my research. I am more comfortable with the mechanisms for scholarly communication. I now have resources for where to find information on legal and ethical issues related to copyright, fair use and open access. this is still a journey for me.
In this class I learned more about how to search and access information sources related to my research topic. My biggest take away from this course would be the effective management of my articles and citation in RefWorks. I still struggle a bit, but as I use this tool more, I am sure I will become more comfortable with it. Maybe I will explore other resources like EndNote as I get closer to my dissertation.
The Research Portfolio exercise is wonderful. You might want to note to students that they continue to add to this site and make it a “living” document. This is what I plan on doing with Google Sites. This is a great way to start grad students on their way to organizing their course of study and research.