Effective Assignments Using Library and Internet Res

Effective Assignments Using Library and Internet Resources
    Good morning, everyone. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when developing assignments that require library or Internet research. Firstly, set objectives and make them clear to students.
    A statement of objectives helps students focus on the research-related skills they should learn as a result of the assignment. The following steps illustrate what might be appropriate for a term paper in the social sciences or humanities.
    Develop a suitable topic for research, using the library reference collection and other sources of background information. Select and use the most appropriate library catalogs, article databases and printed indexes, and Internet search tools to locate relevant and timely materials. Distinguish between popular and scholarly sources and detect signs of bias.
    Quote and cite sources in a way that gives proper credit and avoids plagiarism (抄袭，剽窃).
    Secondly, teach research strategies.
    Breaking down the assignment into research strategy steps will help them accomplish your stated objectives. With the above topic, we can continue as follows.
    Define your topic using an encyclopedia (百科全书) article or textbook chapter for background information. Develop a list of relevant keywords and phrases to use in searching. Use the library catalogs to find books on your topic.
    Use article databases and printed indexes to find more recent information in magazines and journals. Use Internet directories and search engines selectively to locate authoritative (权威的). high-quality websites. Research is a complex process that requires and teaches flexibility (灵活性；弹性) and adaptability (适应性). Students benefit from opportunities to reflect on their research strategies and think critically about what they are doing. Thirdly, provide resource lists.
    Resource lists give students a starting point, directing them to the most useful information sources for a particular assignment. Because so many reference sources are moving from printed to electronic formats, you may want to check the library’s listings of article databases and electronic resources to be sure you are including the latest versions. Many of our subject specialty (专业，专长) libraries and collections offer web pages listing important sources in their subject areas. Feel free to print and distribute these copies from them, or link to them if you have a course-related webpage.
    The final step is to consider alternative designs for the assignment.
    Students keep a "research log" documenting where they looked for information, analyzing what search techniques worked and what didn’t, and discussing how the material found affected their thinking on the topic.
    Starting with a significant event or publication in your discipline, students find out more about the people and issues involved. Students, working in groups, prepare a guide that introduces others to information sources in a subject field.
    Students analyze the content, tone, style and audience of three journals basic to your discipline.
    Students compare how a given topic is treated in several different reference sources, both print and electronic. Students compare results from a general Internet search engine, a selective web directory, and a database of scholarly journal articles.
    That’s all for today’s lecture. Thanks for your listening.