This paper reports on a study of the development of information searching expertise by 12 postgraduate research students. Six of the students were studying education, and six were studying engineering. The paper focuses on the students' perception of the importance of searching skills and the growth of their knowledge with these skills as they…

Teaching how to choose a research topic in a bibliographic instruction class should emphasize the underlying methods and principles of library research while making research tools as unobtrusive as possible. This approach teaches the basics of scientific inquiry and provides a structure in which to teach library skills. (EM)

Discusses overuse and abuse of the online search in academic libraries, citing cases where patrons are not well served by it. Suggestions include helping students define and refine research goals and use of print indexes and abstracts which display citations in context of related literature. (15 references) (EJS)

This curriculum guide is intended to help educators design strategies to introduce the concept of online database searching to high school students. The goals of database searching are clearly defined so they may be matched with the goals already established in existing curriculum areas. The teaching process involves explaining how to use a…

Designed to assist educators in teaching information skills in a systematic way by integrating them into the kindergarten through grade 12 curriculum, this guide is intended to be shared by teachers and library media specialists. A reflection of recent study of the information searching and application process, the guide is not bound to any…

Describes a course in information research in which students use a package of representative information sources to identify seminal works in a given field of inquiry. The materials contained in the package and specific procedures followed by students are described, and some informal evaluation of the process is provided. (CLB)

In order to use new educational technologies effectively and to help students cope with the mass of information that has become available, librarians have begun to develop strategies and lessons to instruct students in searching. There has been, however, no detailed curriculum in the schools to ensure that students and teachers in grades K-12 are…

Discusses the need to teach undergraduate students the critical thinking processes necessary to formulating and researching a topic, rather than the technicalities of online catalogs. The development and design of an online catalog at Dickinson College, which forces students to make informed choices throughout the search process, is described.…

Critiques the InfoTrac system and its use in academic libraries in terms of journals covered by the index; indexing accuracy; ease of use and need for instruction; and effects on the research skills of students relying on the system. (CLB)

Describes a course aimed at developing library self-reliance in students that was offered through a predominantly Black outreach program at Evergreen State College. Highlights include the classroom environment and course content, which were constructed collaboratively by students and librarians, and guidelines for similar courses. (CLB)

This guide provides lessons for teaching primary research skills to elementary and middle school students. The lessons introduce basic research processes, emphasizing the use of primary sources and direct observation. A six-step process is described that applies to all grade levels. Examples are provided to help the teacher or media specialist…

This document is one of three in the "Skills for Life: Library Information Literacy" series designed to cover the entire kindergarten through 12 curriculum. The looseleaf notebook format allows the user to add information and pages and personalize the materials. This volume is devoted to high school grades 9 through 12. The 59 lesson plans for…

Intended for teachers and teacher-librarians, this guide provides instructional materials and commentary to help students grow in their ability to gather, process, and share information, and develop research skills applicable to any subject area and in real life situations. The guide is divided into seven chapters: (1) "Introduction and…