This document provides an overview of a research and information literacy course taught by Professor Jennifer Ransom. The course introduces students to various types of information sources and formats, the research process, and developing information literacy skills. It outlines the course objectives, format, assignments, policies and final project requirements. Students will learn to effectively search for and evaluate information, develop research strategies, cite sources, and complete a portfolio demonstrating their skills.

1. RESEARCH
AND INFORMATION
LITERACY
ENG 216A
Professor Jennifer Ransom
Gill Library CNR
jransom@cnr.edu
Monday 6pm – 7:30pm
Co-op City

2. Session 1: Introduction
• Go to the Library Homepage
• Select Quick Links – RIL
http://library.cnr.edu/home/library
• This will take you to the RIL
Faculty Directory
• Find me there and click on the link
to my RIL Web page.
http://libraryguides.cnr.edu/RILSA

3. Class Introductions
• About Me
• Tell us about yourself
• Your Name?
• SNR Area of Interest?
• Graduation date?
• Future Goals?
• Special Interests?

4. In-Class Assignment
Write a two paragraph essay answering:
1) What do you hope to learn in this
course?
2) What are your interests and concerns
about doing research?

5. Why Information Literacy?
• -Increasing need for information
• School, Work, Home, Health, and Lifelong Learning
• Rapidly Changing Technology to create, access, manipulate, distribute
• Technology continues to grow: Internet and the World Wide Web, Social
Networks, blogs, wikis,
• A Vast Amount of Information = Increasing Amount of information =
Information Overload???
• Formats: Journals, Books, e-books,
• Types of Information : Popular, Scholarly, Trade…
• Types of Research: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
• Reliability: Not all information is reliable, authoritative , or even correct!
Information can be biased, misinformed,
• How do you know what is an opinion vs fact?
• How do you find what you need?
• How do you insure that the information you find is reliable?

6. An information literate
individual is able to:
• -Determine the extent of information needed
• -Access the needed information effectively and
efficiently
• -Evaluate information and its sources critically
• -Incorporate selected information into one’s
knowledge base
• -Use information effectively to accomplish a specific
purpose
• -Understand the economic, legal, and social issues
surrounding the use of information, and access and
use information ethically and legally.
Statement excerpted from the American Library Association
http://tinyurl.com/6r7vqf2

7. •Knowledge is power.
•Information is liberating.
• Kofi Annan
• …Know how to find it, verify it, and use it properly...

8. Format of this Course: RIL Eng 216A
-RIL coordinates with LTCA and SNR Core Courses
• 2 projects: Literature and Social Sciences
• Select a topic,
• create a thesis statement,
• develop a reference question,
•
identify and select appropriate resources,
evaluate and
• cite your findings,
•
create a bibliography in MLA and APA.
• -Bringing the Library to the classroom
• -Virtual Services supplement onsite Library experience
• -Discussion/Labwork/Homework/Portfolio

9. Types and Formats of Information
Primary Sources
• Primary sources are firsthand materials
• They can be in the form of words, images, or artifacts created by
an individual or group of individuals on a particular topic, or
related to a particular event.
• This includes original information before anyone has
analyzed, criticized, commented, restructured, managed or
repackaged it in any way.
• This is direct, immediate, personal evidence of someone’s ideas or
experience.

10. Examples of Primary Sources
• ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
• Diaries, Journals, Memoirs, Autobiography Speeches, manuscripts,
• letters, interviews, News film footage, Official Records
• CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art,
• ARTIFACTS: Pottery, Sculpture, Artwork, furniture, clothing, buildings
• Events: Meetings, Conference presentations, proceedings of historical events
• Examples of primary sources include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
-Birth Certificate
-Diary of Anne Frank
-U.S. constitution
-A painting by Picasso
-An audio tape of an oral history project
-A journal article reporting NEW research or findings

11. Secondary Sources
Secondary Sources Interpret, Comment, Criticize, Analyze,
Summarize Primary Sources
They interpret primary information
-Are often written after an event or publication
-Written by individuals with no direct involvement
-Who may be specialists, experts
-Provide critical, historical, psychological.
Examples: scholarly books and text books, journals, magazines,
literary or social criticism, analyses and interpretations

12. Tertiary Sources
• Tertiary sources
compile, index, abstract, manipulate, aggregate, organize and
make available other sources.
• -abstracts,
• -bibliographies,
• -handbooks,
• -encyclopedias,
• -indexes,
• -chronologies, etc.
• Tertiary sources can contain references to primary or secondary
sources.

13. Formats of Information
• -Print books, magazines, journals, documents, manuscripts, corresponden
ce
• -Digital - Electronic resources available through a computer such as
• -e-books, e-magazines, e-journals, web-based, e-mail, blogs
-Interpersonal – Conversations, interviews, phone calls
-Media – Audio visual materials, film, television, DVD, CD, tape recordings…
-Multimedia – Materials that use multiple formats such as a Powerpoint
presentation with links and visuals, or an interactive game or web-site.

14. Types of Research
•
Popular
Published mostly for recreational and entertainment
purposes, popular publications target a general audience
• and contain informal discussions of topics, opinions, and news
• Example: People Magazine or General Advice Books

15. News Publications
• Like Popular publications News resources
• -May be general or topic based
• Intended for particular or general audience
• - Usually contain current information
• - Often written by several authors, editors, columnists, free-lance writers

16. Sensational Publications
• -Related to popular and News publication types
• Often in newspaper or magazine formats
• - Often Provocative, Inflammatory
• - Simple Writing
• - Can be Flamboyant, Lurid, Loud,
• - Feed on Morbid Curiosity, Gossip

17. Scholarly Publications
• -May be primary or secondary
-Have been evaluated by scholarly peer and experts in a particular
field of study.
• -Intended for scholars, academics, or educated public
• -Provide “in-depth”
study, analysis, investigation, description, evaluation of the topic
• -Disseminate research and challenge ideas
• -Promote academic and professional discussion
• Often have references and bibliographies
• Also referred to as academic
• 0r peer-reviewed publications.
• Examples:

18. Trade Publications
• - Intended for members of a particular vocation
• Business, Organization, or Industry
• -Focus exclusively on articles, information, and advertisements related to that business,
organization or Industry
• Advertisements usually focus on topics related to the trade

19. • http://lib.colostate.edu/howto/poplr.html

20. Reviewing the Syllabus
• Syllabus
• Detailed Session pages
• All available at my RIL Web site:

21. Grading Criteria, Format, Expectations
Grading Criteria
• In-class and homework assignments: 30%
• Class and Lab participation: 20%
• Research portfolio and presentation: 50%
Grading will be based on attached rubrics provided in Workbook
Class Format:
• Discussion
• Hands-on Labwork
• Readings
• Homework
• Portfolio
Expectations:
•
Attendance is taken at each session
•
Prompt arrival - A lot to cover in a little time.
•
Absences Please email me if you are unable to attend a class
•
All papers must be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch
margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, in 4-black ink.
•
Academic Integrity - Code of Conduct

22. Policies: Plagiairism
• Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, using copyrighted
published information without in-text citation; paraphrasing
deliberately without citing; incorrectly listing references or
works cited pages; purchasing papers online or from other
individuals; passing off the writing and/or research concepts of
others as your own; and paying a ghostwriter for doing a
student's paper. Plagiarism also includes neglecting to adhere to
all MLA or APA format rules governing plagiarism. The
commission of any form of plagiarism will be reviewed by
faculty and staff and can result in serious disciplinary action
which may lead to dismissal. Refer to the Student Code of
Conduct.
SNR Student Handbook page 74
http://www.cnr.edu/Media_Library/SNR_Catalog_2010.pdf

23. Course Description
• In this course, students will develop the research skills
necessary for both completing college assignments and
sustaining life-long learning.
• Working hands-on through Gill Library and completing inclass and weekly assignments, students will cultivate the
information literacy skills essential for success in a college
setting.
• The goals of this course are to assist students in acquiring
confidence and proficiency in seeking, evaluating, and
managing the wealth of information currently available in
print, media and online.
• The Research and Information Literacy course is designed to
work in conjunction with Language, Thought and Critical
Analysis and Core Seminars such as Urban Community and
Human Body to assist students in the successful completion
of their research assignments.

24. Course Objectives
• -Construct a reference question.
• -Develop an appropriate research strategy, select
appropriate resources and evaluate their validity.
• -Utilize appropriate search tools and search methods
(such as Boolean Logic, thesauri, keyword vs. subject
searching and truncation, etc.)
• -Access needed information effectively and efficiently.
• -Cite resources appropriately using APA and MLA.
• -Understand plagiarism and its consequences.

25. Course objectives continued:
• -Navigate Gill Library Web site
http://www.cnr.edu/home/library
-Use Library systems and services such as:
• interlibrary loan,
• electronic reserves,
• specialized subject guides,
• request forms,
• off-campus access,
• virtual services,
• citation managers,
• workshops and tutorial options,
• and other research assistance tools and advanced
database tools.

26. More about the Syllabus
• Required Texts:
Lester, J., & Lester J Jr., (2012). Writing research papers: A
complete guide. (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
(Ambassador.com)
• Reserve Readings and Exercises:
• Some readings will be on reserve.
• Rubrics
• A rubric is a guide, often in the form of a checklist that lists
specific criteria for grading or scoring academic papers, projects,
or tests, or projects.
• The rubric used for this class will be provided to you.

27. Final Project: Portfolio and Presentation
• The Presentation
• 8-10 minutes
• Describing a successful research process
• The Portfolio
• Is the final product of the class
• Contains two parts
• Compilation of homework throughout the semester
• Two brief bibliographies: MLA and APA
Checklists for the contents of the final project are in the
syllabus. A grading rubric will be provided.
• 50 percent of your grade

28. LET’S GET STARTED!....
LAB:
•
•
•
•
Library Web site
ERes
ILLiad
Virtual Services

29. Review of The Gill Library Website
• Getting to the Website
• Go to http://www.cnr.edu
• -Academics – Library - Library Web Site
• Or Intranet.cnr.edu
• - Quick Links
• Basic Sections:
•
•
•
•
•
•
General
Resources
Services
Help
Search Boxes
News
• Virtual Services
• Virtual Helpdesk
• Ask a Librarian
• Ask Us 24/7 Chat

30. Let’s take a look at ILLiad
ILLiad is the Library’s automated Interlibrary Loan system
• Go to the Library homepage: www.cnr.edu/home/library
• Go to the Services Section
• Click on Interlibrary Loan

31. Set up an ILLiad Account
• Click on the ILLiad link.
• Create an ILLiad account as directed.

32. Reserve Materials Using ERes
ERes is the Library’s Electronic Reserves System
• Go to the Library Home page
• Select ERes under Resources section
• Search under Ransom

33. Find your class LIBRILJR – Click on it

34. Virtual Reference Services
Ask Us 24/7 Chat
Email a Librarian