The information landscape is changing dramatically, including the way academic information is published or communicated. Subject librarians can highlight the range of information sources available and how to choose for academic study and research, for personal interest, for career development or in the workplace.
1.1 Practices
I… |
| 1.1.1…explore the information landscape to develop my knowledge and skills |
| 1.1.2…identify, select and use a wide range of key sources appropriate to the discipline, from the Library and beyond |
| 1.1.3….critically read the sources I find to determine suitability for my task |
1.2 Skills
I can… | |
| 1.2.1… recognise different types of information from a reading list, a list of search results or when in the library | One at a time, display an example reference and ask students to vote on the type of source it is, using clickers or online polling software. Quiz activity to identify reference types |
| 1.2.2… identify what types of information are needed to address the task at hand | Compare a practitioner or trade journal with a scholarly journal –ask students to look at them and discuss their relative merits for their academic work, then feedback their views to the rest of the class |
| 1.2.3… plan a strategy for addressing my information need | Planning your literature search exercise. Examples include Finding Appropriate Sources (postgraduate taught level) (pages 4-7) and Searching Beyond Your Reading List (undergraduate level) (pages 3-5) |
1.3 Awareness
I am aware of… | Example activities |
| 1.3.1…the need to use information to fill gaps in my knowledge | Which of the given sources are appropriate for different types and levels of research? Discussion of the characteristics of these sources Discussion of what knowledge of their subject / topic do students have already |
| 1.3.2…the different types and formats of information and data that vary in suitability for the task at hand | Use online polling to generate opinion and discussion as to the value of different material types (live or pre-set with deadline for completion) Identify and describe the characteristics of the main information formats within the subject Discuss the pros and cons of different sources (see pages 5-6) Identify your top 3 (or 5) current information sources and evaluate their fitness for purpose in line with academic expectations |
| 1.3.3…the fact that not all information is reliable | Compare articles from different websites, by searching laterally to check author credentials Ask students to read a selected source and discuss whether they feel the content is balanced |
| 1.3.4… the fact that not all information is openly available and that there may be conditions of access | Highlight the importance of accessing library subscribed resources via library web pages, to ensure students’ eligibility credentials are recognised Ask students to set up Libary Links in Google Scholar settings. Explain to students why they won’t get access to all results in Scholar |
| 1.3.5… the role of professionals, such as data managers and librarians, who can advise, assist and support |