Here are some suggestions for instructors that will help make your library research assignment a successful learning experience for your students.
Most students have limited research experience.
A surprising number of students have never used the library for anything except studying, and many High Schools in Rhode Island and around the US no longer have a full-time librarian at their institutions. Most students will need your guidance and/or a librarian’s guidance to complete basic research assignments. There is also no class at PC that all students take that requires library instruction. As a result, some students get several library instruction sessions, and some students get none. As of 2018, 84% of PC students received library instruction during some point in their college career.
Check to see whether the library has the resources your students will need.
It is frustrating for students to discover that they have to arrange to go to another library to get the source that you want them to use, especially since we have so many resources at PC! To check if the Library has a specific resource, please consult the library homepage tabbed search box, or ask a librarian using the Ask a Librarian box.
Explain the assignment clearly—preferably in writing.
Specify what students are to do, define terms, and give complete citations with call numbers for specific works. This will also help the librarians understand what you want if the students come to the Research Support desk with questions about the assignment.
Teach research techniques.
Provide a written outline of steps involved in the research assignment and a list of suggested sources. You may also wish to invite a Research & Education Librarian to meet with your students during your regular class time to teach research techniques and to discuss appropriate sources for the assignment. For information about library instruction, please see the Course Related Sessions page on this website. To request a session, please fill out this form: https://providence.libwizard.com/f/Research_Instruction
Encourage students to ask for help.
Libraries are complex institutions, each one a bit different from the next. It is expected that students will need assistance, and library staff are trained to provide that assistance. Librarians are available evenings and weekends via drop-in, chat, email and appointment.
Avoid arbitrary restrictions on sources students can use.
For example, telling students to consult newspapers—but not to use the Internet—might discourage a student from using the full-text online newspapers to which the library subscribes; or, telling students to find periodical articles—but not to use computers—would prohibit the use of some of the most important periodical indexes, most of which are only available online. If you are concerned about your students’ ability to evaluate the quality of information found on the Internet (a legitimate concern!), please consider scheduling an instruction session with a librarian.
Consult with a librarian before making the assignment.
A librarian can advise you of the availability of library resources, suggest appropriate library resources, point out potential problems with the assignment, and in some cases order appropriate materials. If you anticipate a number of your students coming to the Library and asking questions, as a courtesy, please leave a copy of your assignment at the Research Support Desk in advance or with a Research & Education Librarian so that we will be familiar with it by the time your students come in.
Complete the assignment yourself before you assign it to your students.
There’s nothing like a run-through to discover what problems your students might encounter while working on your assignment. Does the library still have the resource that you had students use last year? Sometimes subscriptions are canceled, titles change, old sources are replaced by new ones or links to resources change. Can you find the needed materials on the shelf or on the library’s website? While libraries rely on logical systems to arrange their resources, every library is unique. Sometimes a specific item is more difficult to find in one library than in another. Do your students need any additional “clues” about where and how to access the sources they will need? By completing your own assignment, step-by-step, you will discover anything that needs to be clarified or changed.
This page was adapted from a similar page created by librarians at University of Rhode Island