LibGuides: Library Instruction Resources: Instruction Menu

Instruction Menu

Not sure what we can teach, or how long a topic will take? The list below show our most popular topics by level - first year, lower division, upper division and graduate level. The points covered columns help explains our key objectives for the topics.

The times listed below are an estimate based on a combination of instruction and hands on practice and may vary. In collaboration with a librarian, it is possible to maximize class time by flipping the instruction component using videos or exercises completed prior to the library instruction session.

This is not an exhaustive list; if you would like other resources or topics addressed, we'd be happy to discuss with you.

Instruction by Levels

Topic	Time Required	Points Covered
Understand the research process	20 minutes	Identifying the parts of the research process Understanding research as a process of inquiry and critical thinking
Read a scholarly article	20 minutes	Identifying characteristics of scholarly articles Discussing the peer review process
Search the catalog	15 minutes	Finding books and videos on a topic Using call numbers to locate items, identifying links to online content and using interlibrary loan links for content we do not own

Topic	Time Required	Points Covered
Brainstorm research topics	20 minutes	Brainstorming ideas with the help of concept mapping and/or topic development databases Narrowing or broadening topic to fit the scope of the assignment
Create a search strategy	20 minutes	Identifying keywords and developing search terms Choosing a search tool Using Boolean operators
Identify source types	25 minutes	Comparing and distinguishing between: scholarly and popular articles; primary vs. secondary; research articles and literature reviews, etc.
Evaluate source credibility	45 minutes	Identifying characteristics of credibility of websites
Search databases for articles	20 minutes	Search for articles in interdisciplinary databases (i.e. Academic Search Complete) Finding full-text & interlibrary loan articles Databases tools: email, abstract, subject terms, thesaurus, cite, save, etc.
Manage citations	20 minutes	Finding citation information in source Locating style guides appropriate for the discipline
Research practice with a librarian	Varies	Students research while a librarian in available to answer questions

Topic	Time Required	Points Covered
Formulate research questions	20 minutes	Breaking a topic down to potential research questions
Create a search strategy	20 minutes	Developing a search strategy appropriate to the investigative methods in the discipline Selecting discipline-specific keywords and search terms Choosing an appropriate search tool
Identify subject-specific source types	15 minutes	Identifying subject-specific source types, professional organizations and publishers relevant to discipline
Search a subject-specific database	30 minutes	Searching for topics in subject-specific databases Using advanced search techniques and subject-specific search techniques
Track the literature	20 minutes	Reading and interpreting citations from an article Tracking the literature through mining references and articles citing a work
Find primary sources	30 minutes	Searching primary source databases Locating online collections of primary sources
Research practice with a librarian	Varies	Students research while a librarian is available to answer questions

Topic	Time Required	Points Covered
Select a thesis/research topic	20 minutes	Finding gaps in the literature (i.e. searching dissertations and other existing research)
Create a search strategy	20 minutes	Developing a search strategy appropriate to the investigative methods in the discipline Selecting discipline-specific keywords and search terms Choosing appropriate search tools and understanding differences between them
Search a specialized database	30 minutes	Searching for topics in discipline-specific or specialized databases Using advanced search techniques and subject-specific search techniques
Track the literature	20 minutes	Tracking the literature through mining references and articles citing a work (i.e. Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science)
Special topics	Varies	Finding data Citation management tools Finding psychological tests and measurements Finding grants and other funding sources