Information-Seeking and Evaluation Skills
The following skills are objectives for Castleton State College students:
- Identify and locate library services and collections.
- Formulate and conduct an information search that includes a variety of reference sources, such as encyclopedias, library catalogs, indexes, bibliographies, statistics sources, government publications, and resources available on the Internet.
- Evaluate information in terms of accuracy, authority, bias, and relevance.
- Employ efficient database searching techniques, such as use of Boolean operators, truncation, phrase searching, nesting, and field-specific searching.
- Identify the bibliographic elements essentials for properly citing an information source.
- Apply appropriate ethical guidelines to the use of information.
Below are specific skills students must master to demonstrate competency.
Module 1 — An Introduction to the Information World
The student will:
- Describe how information is organized in libraries
- Given a need for a particular type of information (i.e. overview, research report, news), identify an appropriate type of source (i.e. encyclopedia, scholarly journal, newspaper)
- Interpret a bibliographic citation
- Characterize the quality of information found on the Internet vs. in libraries
Module 2 — Searching an Electronic Database
The student will:
- Define the terms database, record, and field
- Define 2 types of information databases: catalog and index
- Determine the subject scope and years of coverage of a given database
- Compare and contrast a subject search and a keyword search
- Build a search strategy using AND, OR, NOT (Boolean operators)
- Define truncation, nesting, field-specific searching, and phrase searching
- Identify the main concepts of a research topic and generate a list of search terms
Module 3 — Finding Information Resources
The student will:
- Use Vermont State Colleges Library Catalog to locate materials held by the Library (including books, nonprint media, and government documents).
- Find relevant background information on a topic.
- Locate and effectively use the following types of information:
- Periodical articles
- News sources
- Biographical information
- Primary sources
- Critical reviews
- Government information
- Statistical information
Module 4 — Using Internet Sources
The student will:
- Locate a specific web site given a URL
- Conduct an Internet search on a given topic
- Compare and contrast a database search with an Internet search
Module 5 — Evaluating Sources of Information
The student will evaluate information using the following criteria:
- Authority of the author or producer
- Appropriateness of the date of publication
- Supporting documentation
- Purpose of the work
- Review process
Module 6 — Information Ethics: Citing Sources and Fair Use
The student will:
- Identify the bibliographic elements essential for properly citing an information source
- Define plagiarism
- Apply appropriate ethical guidelines to the use and citing of information
Module 7 — A Search Strategy for Research Papers and Speeches
The student will define and apply an efficient search strategy for a research paper or speech to include:
- Choosing a topic and identifying its main concepts
- Narrowing the focus of the topic
- Identifying reference books, indexes, and Internet sites appropriate for researching the topic
- Using a variety of sources
- Evaluating the sources found for appropriateness and quality