Tutorial: Why Information Literacy Matters
This tutorial to show you how information literacy is relevant to your day-to-day life. You will become familiar with your own information seeking habits, privilege, and skills used in your personal, academic, and professional lives.
Video: Life in the Information Age
Technology is changing the way we locate, analyze, and share information. Use this video to introduce students to the evolving information landscape and their roles as responsible information consumers and creators.
Tutorial: Developing a Research Focus
In this tutorial, you will be introduced to pre-research techniques to determine the scope and depth of their research focus.
Tutorial: Choosing a Topic
Background research is an essential component of the research process. In this tutorial, you will learn how to differentiate between background and in-depth research, and locate and use background research to refine your research focus.
Video: How to Narrow Your Topic
Do your students have trouble selecting a topic for a research assignment? This video will outline the process to help students hone in on a compelling research topic with appropriate scope using strategies like strategic searching. Students will also understand the importance of open mindedness and flexibility in the research process.
Tutorial: Background Research Tips
Determining a manageable research question can be challenging. This tutorial introduces strategies for aligning a research focus with assignment guidelines and research tools such as concept maps.
Video: Thesis Statements
Use this video to help you identify the purpose of your research efforts and construct evidence-based statements. Learn how to narrow in on a topic, conduct background research, and synthesize the existing body of evidence in order to craft a compelling argument.
Tutorial: Scholarship as Conversation
Develop a scholarly mindset. In this tutorial, you will learn how your projects help build the body of work in a given field. Additionally, you will become familiar with the process of attribution and critical evaluation.
Tutorial: Research for Persuasive Writing
This tutorial will introduce you to the purpose and characteristics of persuasive writing in order to locate and select the most appropriate types of evidence to support your assignments. You will also be able to evaluate both supporting and conflicting evidence in order to incorporate the appropriate types of evidence that will strengthen your position and present a nuanced view of your selected topic.
Video: Creating a Research Plan
Information overload can be a major roadblock in the research process. This video will help you conceptualize a research pathway and consider solutions to common research challenges.
Video: Framing a Problem
Having trouble formulating a research question for assignments? This video will help you begin framing a problem. Learn the importance of asking open-ended questions and how to approach research as a process.
Tutorial: Information has Value
An introduction to the ACRL Frame- Information Has Value. Realize your role as information creators and consumers and learn how issues like copyright and the digital divide affect your academic and personal lives.
Video: Data, Information, and Knowledge
This video defines and explains the differences and relationships between data, information, and knowledge, and how each might be used or encountered in research.
Tutorial: Source Types
An introduction to a variety of source types that you may encounter during your research. Use this tutorial to help you locate and evaluate relevant sources to meet your research needs.
Video: Primary and Secondary Research
This video illustrates the differences between primary (original) research (with a focus on methods used in sciences and social sciences) and secondary research, and the ethical considerations associated with each.
Video: Peer Review
This video will provide you with an understanding of what peer review means, how the process works, why it is an indicator of quality, and how to locate peer-reviewed sources during your research process.
Video: Types of Sources
This video provides a helpful overview of the wide variety of source types you may encounter during research. In addition to defining and describing different source types, it also addresses how to select the appropriate source for your information need, analyzing the capabilities and constraints of different source types, and how to determine source quality.
Video: Primary Sources
Learn the purpose and characteristics of primary sources in order to help you identify the most appropriate type of source for your research needs.
Video: Secondary Sources
Learn the purpose and characteristics of secondary sources in order to help you identify the most appropriate type of source for your research needs.
Video: Tertiary Sources
Learn the purpose and characteristics of tertiary sources in order to help you identify the most appropriate type of source for your research needs.
Tutorial: How to Read Scholarly Materials
Feel intimidated by scholarly materials? This tutorial will walk you through the types and components of scholarly materials as well as strategies for strategic reading.
Video: How to Read Scholarly Materials
Do you feel intimidated by scholarly materials? Use this video to get familiar with these valuable resources and learn tips for approaching, analyzing, and integrating scholarly materials into your projects.
Tutorial: Selecting Appropriate Digital Sources
This tutorial will help you identify your information need in order to locate and assess relevant resources. Using the techniques in this tutorial, you will also be able to distinguish among types of online sources in order to select those most appropriate for their information need.
Video: Choosing a Database
Use this video to receive guidance on how to select the best database(s) for your information need and assignment requirements.
Tutorial: Choosing and Using Keywords
This tutorial will walk you through the process of selecting, refining, and expanding their collection of search keywords in order to locate the most relevant information to your research topic.
Tutorial: Search Techniques, Part 1
Familiarize yourself with strategic searching. Learn the purpose and uses of natural language and Boolean operators to broaden and narrow the scope of your search.
Tutorial: Search Techniques, Part 2
Learn strategic search approaches to navigate scholarly databases. Use this tutorial to explore advanced search techniques for broadening and narrowing the scope of a search.
Video: Refining Search Results
Use this video to help you navigate the search process. Learn techniques to conduct effective background research using multiple keywords in order to narrow in on a research focus.
Video: What is Authority?
Learn about the concept of authority, how it relates to research, source selection, evaluation, and attribution.
Video: Introduction to Bias
This video introduces the idea of bias and prejudice and the importance of awareness of one’s own bias and the bias of others when evaluating sources and situations, and responding to arguments.
Video: Types of Bias
This video builds on the introduction to bias video by discussing specific types of bias such as social bias, confirmation bias, and communal reinforcement.
Quiz: Bias
This quiz corresponds with the video on bias.
Video: Evaluating Sources
Learn how to think critically about the information you encounter in print and online. Become familiar with strategies for evaluating sources based on these criteria: authority, accuracy, currency, relevance, and objectivity.
Tutorial: Evaluating Information
Learn how to evaluate a range of resources in order to select the most authoritative sources on your research topic.
Video Tutorial: Understanding Misinformation
This video will help you identify the characteristics and purpose of misinformation as well as its effect on your personal and academic lives.
Tutorial: Evaluating Digital Sources Using Lateral Reading
This tutorial will introduce you to the practice of lateral reading. Learn how to evaluate online materials by digging deeper into the origins and motives behind sites. You will also have the opportunity to practice lateral reading on your own through a guided activity.
Tutorial: News Reporting vs. Opinion Pieces in Journalism
This tutorial will help you differentiate between news journalism and opinion journalism in order to analyze the purpose, standards, and expectations related to reporting and editorializing.
Academic Integrity & Citations
Tutorial: Why Citations Matter
This tutorial provides an overview of why it is important to cite sources, and an explanation for why different citation formats and citation styles exist.
Tutorial: APA 7th Edition Citation Style
Learn how to identify the required elements of APA 7th edition citation style in order to properly format in-text and reference list citations in your assignments. The tutorial includes several “check your understanding” questions with drag and drop exercises where you can learn how to format citations of different source types properly.
Video: MLA 8th Edition Citation Style
This video provides an overview of the MLA 8th edition citation style, including an explanation of the “container” concept and an overview of using the citation style for popular source types such as books, websites, and journal articles.
Tutorial: MLA 8th Edition Citation Style
Use this tutorial to provide students with an overview of the MLA 8th Edition citation style, including both in-text citation format and works cited format. Tutorial provides an explanation and examples of different sources using the container concept introduced in MLA 8, and also includes several “check your understanding” questions with drag and drop exercises where students can format citations of different source types properly.
Video: Turabian Citation Style
Use this video to get an overview of Turabian citation style, including common source types such as books, journals, and websites.
Video: Harvard Citation Style
This video provides an overview of the Harvard referencing style, which is common at universities in the UK. It includes an introduction about the importance of citations and describes conventions for popular sources such as books, websites, and journals.
Video: Chicago Style 17th ed. Journals
This video is one of three videos on the Chicago Style of citations, focusing on journals (see the companion videos for information on book and website citations). It focuses on the note-bibliography style.
Video: Chicago Style 17th ed. Books and ebooks
This video is one of three videos on the Chicago Style of citations, focusing on book citations (see the companion videos for information on journal and website citations). It focuses on the note-bibliography style.
Video: Chicago Style 17th ed. Websites and Social Media
This video is one of three videos on the Chicago Style of citations, focusing on web resources (see the companion videos for information on book and journal citations). It focuses on the note-bibliography style.
Video: Academic Integrity
This video provides an introduction to the concept that information has value, and that acting with academic integrity and ethical behavior is essential to success as a student and as a participant in the scholarly conversation.
Video: Plagiarism
This video provides examples and explanations of specific types of plagiarism, such as cloning, aggregation, and self-plagiarism, as well as strategies to prevent plagiarizing and a reminder of the possible consequences of academic dishonesty.
Video: Copyright
Learn about intellectual property and copyright, including exceptions to copyright restrictions such as fair use, and guidance on the ethical use of others’ intellectual property.
This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on academic integrity and plagiarism.
Visual and Quantitative Literacy
Video: Searching for Images
To be an effective communicator using visual information, you first need to develop the skills necessary for locating images. Use this video to learn strategies for locating images and get familiar with image databases or subject-specific collections accessible through the library.
Video: Interpreting Images
Interpreting visual information is a critical skill you will use beyond your academic career. Learn to ask questions and consider the context when interpreting visuals.
Video: Why Does Visual Literacy Matter?
This video will introduce you to the role visual materials play in your daily lives and the skills you will need to communicate quickly and universally using images and media.
Video: Using Quantitative Data
This video will help you incorporate quantitative data in their research and evaluate available sources for currency, accuracy, authority, relevance, and objectivity
Video: Evaluating Statistics
Statistics are widely used to support arguments and positions. This video teaches you to think critically about how the statistics you encounter were created and used to convey information.
Video: Synthesis
This video focuses on strategies for writing a strong paper that brings together ideas from multiple sources, including identifying main ideas, and paraphrasing and summarizing techniques.
Tutorial: Synthesizing Information for Academic Writing
This tutorial defines and explores information synthesis, including strategies for bringing together ideas and facts from multiple different sources at various stages in the research process, including background research and note taking, annotated bibliographies, and outlines. It also reviews different examples of final products of synthesis, such as literature reviews, persuasive essays, and research papers.
Tutorial: Annotated Bibliography
Become familiar with annotated bibliographies and the role annotations play in research and scholarship. Use this tutorial to help identify the purpose, structure, and content of annotated bibliographies and create your own annotations.
Video: Writing Help
This video helps you craft clear and effective written assignments. You will review the value of sentence variety and the importance of proofreading your work.
Tutorial: Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Summarizing
This tutorial provides an overview of paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing depending on the goal of your writing, plus how to accurately represent your sources.
Tutorial: Digital Privacy
This tutorial will introduce you to the idea of digital privacy and your responsibilities as information users. Analyze how you engage with online tools and services and consider ways to protect your personal information, plus the limits of what individuals can do to protect their privacy.
Video: Academic Writing
Learn to think about your role as academic writers. This video will discuss the importance of background research and considering multiple perspectives when joining the scholarly conversation.
Video: Preparing for a Presentation
Learn how to identify presentation skills in everyday experiences, examine questions to ask before preparing presentation content, and review strategies for structuring an effective presentation.
Video: Understanding the Communication Need
Learn to analyze the purpose of communication methods. You will be introduced to the advantages and disadvantages of each in order to choose the best type for a given situation.
Video: Why Thinking Matters
Being aware of the critical thinking process will help you develop strong decision-making skills. This video encourages you to develop an awareness of your own critical thinking habits.
Video: Inquiry
Understand the value of using an inquiry-based mindset. Learn how to use inquiry to ask questions and solve problems thoughtfully and effectively.
Tutorial: Logical Reasoning
Logical reasoning is the process of observation, gathering evidence, and building an argument with the goal of reaching a conclusion. As a student, you can use logical reasoning to solve problems and develop ideas in your academic and personal life.
Video: Evidence Based Reasoning
An introduction to the importance of supporting research conclusions with evidence. Learn how to assess your research question in order to locate the appropriate supporting evidence.
Tutorial: Analyzing Information
This tutorial will introduce you to the analysis process by encouraging open-mindedness, critical thinking, and curiosity.
Culture and Citizenship Section
Video: Introduction to Cultural Issues
Understanding your own cultural identity is the first step for you to develop empathy for others from different backgrounds. This video encourages you to consider how your identity is affected by culture and world events.
Video: Global Citizenship
This video will introduce you to your role as a global citizen by encouraging you to think critically about your daily actions in a global context.
Video: Introduction to Civic Engagement
Part of being a responsible, informed citizen is engaging with the goals and challenges of the community. This video will help you begin reflecting on ways you have been (or could be) involved with civic issues in your community
Video: Introduction to Civic Action
Effective communication is a key part of successful civic action. This video introduces you to the fundamental role communication plays in the stages of planning, implementing, and discussing civic action.
