Information Literacy Assignment
About the Assignment
Using the same topic chosen for the Researched Argument Essay, students will identify key words and phrases to locate credible sources and frame a thesis statement. Students will answer the questions below and complete a mini annotated bibliography. This project is designed to aid the student in finding credible sources to use for the final essay.
The student will:
- Develop a thesis statement and identify key words/phrases to search library databases and internet search engines
- Locate, access, evaluate, and integrate information sources into the content created for the final essay
- Understand ethical scholarship and proper APA citation.
Instructions:
Using the same topic that you have chosen for the Researched Argument Essay, you will hone your information literacy skills by the following methods: creating a thesis statement, preparing research strategies; locating at least two scholarly (peer reviewed) sources and two internet sources using library databases and internet search engines.
You will keep track of the list of key words and phrases you have used to “flesh out” the topic and what results each key word or phrase search yielded.
You will use the ENG310 Information Literacy Research Guide (note: some of the materials on this page may still say “ENG 365,” which was the previous name for the course) as a source to complete this project. Follow the link to access the guide: http://libguides.wilmu.edu/ENG310
Search Preparation:
Please review the ENG310 Research Guide – Research Preparation prior to completing this section. You can access the section on Research Preparation by following the link below: http://libguides.wilmu.edu/ENG310
- In the box below, please enter your thesis statement or research question. How did you narrow down your topic so that you could write a concise thesis or research question? (5pts.)
- After preparing your thesis statement, take some time to jot down key words and phrases that you can use to search for information on your topic. Using a thesaurus may help you generate terms. (5pts)
- more terms. (pts)
Evaluating Sources
Please review the ENG310 Research Guide – Evaluating Sources prior to completing this section. You can access Evaluating Sources by following the link below: http://libguides.wilmu.edu/ENG310
Answer the following questions:
- What is the difference between a scholarly (peer reviewed) source and a popular source? (10 pts)
- How are scholarly sources different (or similar) to internet sources (5pts)
Searching Library Databases
Please refer to the ENG310 Research Guide – Searching Library Databases to complete this section. Follow the link below to access the guide: http://libguides.wilmu.edu/ENG310
- What is a Library Database? (5pts)
- What are some of the databases students can access and use through the Wilmington University Library? Please note: Ebsco is not the name of a database – Academic Search Premier is the name of a database. (5pts)
Searching the Internet
Please review the ENG310 Research Guide – Evaluating Sources (website evaluation) in order to complete the following questions. The link to the guide is here: http://libguides.wilmu.edu/ENG310
- Why is it important to evaluate information retrieved from the internet? How do you determine what makes a site credible (what criteria do you use when evaluating webpages)? (10 pts)
- What kinds of websites are typically the most reliable to use for academic research? (5pts)
Annotated Bibliography
- Searching Library Databases (20 points – 10 pts for each article)
In this section, using some of the key words or phrases you listed above, gather at least two scholarly (peer reviewed) sources using the WilmU Library Databases. For information on how to search library databases and a list of databases to use for this assignment, please see the ENG 310 Research Guide (searching Library Databases): http://libguides.wilmu.edu/ENG310
Once you have found a few items, choose two articles, and create a mini annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliography should include the following for each article:
- Properly cited Reference List entry using APA format
- Follow the reference citation with a review of the article.
Your review should be one paragraph in length and should include information such as the following: What strategies did you use to find the source? What database did you use? What key words or phrases were most effective or least effective? How many results did your search return? How do you know this is a scholarly article? How is the article useful (or not useful) to your topic? What are its limitations?
Please enter your responses below:
- Searching the Internet (20 points – 10pts for each article)
In this section, using some of the key words or phrases you listed above, gather at least two sources from the internet using a search engine such as Google or Bing. For information on how to search for information on the internet, please see the ENG 310 Research Guide (searching Library Databases): http://libguides.wilmu.edu/ENG310
Once you have found a few items, choose two website, and create a mini annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliography should include the following for each article:
- Properly cited Reference List entry using APA format
- Follow the reference citation with a review of the article.
For information on how to cite websites, please review the following source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/
Your review should be one paragraph in length and should include information such as the following: What strategies did you use to find the source? What search engine did you use? What key words or phrases were most effective or least effective? How did you determine if the source was credible or not? How is the information useful (or not useful) to your topic? What are its limitations?
Please enter your responses below:
Summary
- Describe the most useful and least place(s) you used to find information. How did you make that conclusion? (5pts)
- Has completing this research project changed how you view and conduct research? Explain. (5pts)
