Library & Information Research: Humanities
English 292 / University 292 | Spring 1999 | K. Brodsky

 

Assignments

The evaluation for this course will be based on a combination of weekly assignments, attendance/class participation, and a final project

Weekly Assignments

Weekly assignments will guide students through a range of resources available in the Humanities, while familiarizing them with the tools and process of library research. The weekly assignments will provide a basis for the term project which will include an annotated bibliography on a Humanities topic of each students choosing. The term project will demonstrate the student's ability to identify, retrieve, analyze, and evaluate information.

There are a total of 11 graded weekly assignments. Each assignment is worth up to 5 points. You will have the option of dropping the assignment with the lowest grade or not doing one of the assignments. Each assignment is due by the end of the next class period.

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Oral Presentation

Final Project

The Project Statement, Annotated Bibliography, and Search Strategy Statement should be word processed.

Project Statement:

The Project Statement is the introductory paragraph for the paper you would write if you were using the information you found to actually write a term paper (as opposed to the annotated bibliography you will hand in for this class). This project statement should be as clearly defined as possible. It should include a thesis statement. You should address why you choose the topic, why it is important to study, are you trying to prove or disprove something or are you trying to gain a greater understanding of your topic, what parameters did you set for yourself, etc. In other words, answer the who, what, where, when, and why for your topic. This is your opportunity to express your passion for your topic and share what you have learned this far in your research.

Annotated Bibliography:

The annotated bibliography should contain at least 20 citations in MLA citation format. The citations should be from a variety of sources and appropriate to your topic. The annotations should consist of well-written, complete sentences. They should include an analysis, evaluation, state why you choose to include it (that is, why it is relevant to your topic), and which tool you used to find it. At least one of your citations MUST be a review of a book you are including in Annotated Bibliography.

Search Strategy Statement:

The Search Strategy for the Final Project is a summary of your Search Notebook (see below) in a clearly written, narrative format. You should include a general description of the process you followed, the success and failure of terms, search strings, Boolean operators, etc. Indicate what types of tools (reference books, catalogs, special collections, indexes, etc.) were most helpful and which were disappointing. In essence you are describing, using the appropriate search language, what worked, what didn't, and why.

List of Tools/Sources: At the end of the Search Strategy Statement (in MLA format where appropriate) list all the search tools and sources you used whether or not you included them in your bibliography. This list will include all reference works, catalogs, books, indexes, databases, etc. you consulted, including those in which you found no pertinent information.

Search Notebook:

The Search Notebook pulls together the notes you made when gathering your information for your project. It is the physical evidence of your research methodology or search strategy. You might also think of it as your search history. It is to be handed in, in whatever format you choose to use, a spiral notebook, at the edge of your class notes, on loose-leaf paper, cocktail napkins, etc.

Evaluation:

The final project is worth 40% of your grade. The final project grade is based on a variety of elements that will demonstrate your ability to conduct effective and thorough library research as well as convey your understanding of the research process. The project will be judged on the following criteria. Each criteria is of equal importance.
  1. A list of all research tools used, including the major tools/resources in the appropriate discipline, in a variety of formats including print, electronic, and microform, as appropriate.
  2. A variety of types of information such as books, scholarly periodicals, popular periodicals, fulltext databases, Web pages, encyclopedias, recordings, etc.
  3. A minimum of 20 citations, at least one must be a book review of another source you are including.
  4. Citations included must be appropriate to the topic with any exceptions clearly stated in the annotation.
  5. All citations must be complete and correctly cited using MLA format.
  6. All citations must have clearly written, original annotations that include analysis and evaluation of the source as well as why it was included and where it was found.
  7. Clearly written project statement which includes a thesis statement.
  8. Clearly written search strategy statement that directly conveys an understanding of the search process.
  9. Completed on time
  10. Oral Presentation

     

 

 

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