Presents a simple four-step method bibliographic instruction librarians can use to teach students how to design an effective search strategy. Using the image of a clock face, students learn how to make explicit connections among the search statement, types of library materials, and access tools in formulating a research plan. (22 references)…

This thesis reports on the designer's plans and experiences in carrying out the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a project, the purpose of which was to develop a training program that would enable foreign students at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) to use the Computer Output Microform Catalog (COMCAT) and to…

A freshman humanities course in reading and research was used by three English instructors to investigate the appropriateness of having students use an online database as a research tool. The results show that the acquisition of basic online database search skills is not qualitatively different from that of more traditional research skills.…

Describes a research seminar required of graduate students at Queens College which focuses on educational research, statistical analysis, and library search skills. Topics covered include the use of bibliographies and review of research, periodical indexes and abstracts, and online databases. (CLB)

Educational planners and policymakers are rarely able to base their decision-making on sound information and research, according to this book. Because the situation is even more difficult in developing countries, educational policy often is based on research conducted in others parts of the world. This book provides a practical framework that can…

This document provides a layperson's introductory guide to researching primary legal materials, as well as using secondary research tools, in the Sarita Kenedy East Law Library at St. Mary's University (Texas). The guide includes the following sections: (1) Guide to Legal Abbreviations; (2) How To Find a Law Journal Article; (3) Legal Dictionaries…

Describes a "scavenger hunt" approach to teaching research and critical thinking skills to high school and college students. Students are provided with lists of challenging questions, supporting materials (cartoons, quotations, odd facts and humorous excerpts), and clues for developing a research strategy. Examples of questions, clues…

The first article discusses CD-ROM pricing and provides a list of databases and magazines available on CD-ROM. The second provides guidelines for purchasing a CD-ROM workstation. The third describes the use of ERIC on CD-ROM as a research tool for high school students. The fourth describes the benefits of using online searching to teach research…

Describes the software package developed as a result of a project aimed at developing an effective model of computer assisted instruction to encourage the development of research and critical thinking skills among students. The package includes modules for class assignments, encyclopedic background information, a citations database, and access to…

Designed as an instructional guide to help students develop library skills for sociological research, this workbook which accompanies an introductory college level sociology course is divided into ten chapters. Chapter one covers the author-title catalog; the Library of Congress classification system; card catalog filing rules; the subject…

Attitude and opinion research requires considerable planning, careful design of survey procedures and sampling techniques, and practical ways of collecting, analyzing, and reporting results. The following suggestions are based on the extensive public opinion research conducted by the University of Alabama. (1) Decide what specific problem is to be…

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)

Advice on gathering information about foundations for college fund raising is offered. Information sources should be evaluated based on cost, quality, reliability, completeness, and ease of use. Noncommercial and commercial sources can both be useful. (MSE)

Information literacy is an set of acquired skills and strategies which encompass the abilities to recognize a need for information, to retrieve the required information, and to evaluate and utilize it effectively. Teaching students how to structure, acquire, analyze, and synthesize information must start much earlier than at the post-secondary…

Elementary students are introduced to a wide variety of reference materials. Separate sections contain activities for using an atlas, "The Book of Lists," dictionaries, encyclopedias, "Familiar Quotations," games, "The Guiness Book of World Records," magazines, multi-references, newspapers, the "T.V. Guide,"…