Faculty Library Guide

To support faculty and students, the SSC Library offers modules, videos, and other resources to support students in developing information literacy skills.

Below, you will find resources organized by frame

Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility.

• Evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used.
• Contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.
• Constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority.

In Practice

• First: Define different types of authority, such as subject expertise, societal position, or special experience.
• Then: Use research tools and indicators of authority to determine the credibility of sources, understanding the elements that might temper this credibility.
• Finally: Recognize that information may be perceived differently based on the format in which it is packaged.

Sample Learning Objectives

• Evaluate information sources for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose.
• Differentiate between credible and non-credible sources of information.

Resources for Teaching

Produced using varied methods to convey a message and shared via different mediums.

• The differences in information production reflect varied processes of research, writing, revising and disseminating.

• Look beyond format when selecting resources to use.Look at the underlying processes of creation as well as the final product to critically evaluate the usefulness of the information.

In Practice

• First: Assess the fit between an information product’s creation process and a particular information need.
• Then: Monitor the value placed upon different types of information products in varying contexts.
• Finally: Understand that source choices impact the purpose of the research product and the message it conveys.

Sample Learning Objectives

• Explain the Information Cycle Timeline.
• Recognize the creation process and the limitations of information, examining each story for timeliness and context.
• Select resources that are authorative and timely for subject area.
• Articulate the importance of information source in the research process.

Resources for Teaching

As a commodity, as a means of education, and as a means to influence.

• Understand publishing practices, access to information, the commodification of personal information, intellectual property laws, and evolving creation processes.
• Understand your rights and responsibilities when participating in a community of scholarship.
• Leveraged by individuals and organizations to effect change and for civic, economic, social, or personal gains.

In Practice

• First: Give credit to the original ideas of others through proper attribution and citation.
• Then: Understand that intellectual property is a legal and social construct that varies by culture.
• Finally: Articulate the purpose and distinguishing characteristics of copyright, fair use, open access, and the public domain.

Sample Learning Objectives

• Identify the publication information necessary to cite the contributing work of others in your own information production.
• Give credit to the original ideas of others through proper attribution and citation to avoid plagiarism and copyright infringement.
• Recognize plagiarism and the consequences of plagiarizing

Resources for Teaching

Research is iterative and depends on complex questions.

• Inquiry as a process that focuses on problems or questions.
• Debate and dialogue work to deepen the conversations around knowledge.
• Acquire strategic perspectives on inquiry and a greater repertoire of investigative methods.

In Practice: 

• First: Determine an appropriate scope of investigation.
• Then: Deal with complex research by breaking complex questions into simple ones, limiting the scope of investigations.
• Finally: Use various research methods, based on need, circumstances, and type of inquiry

Sample Learning Objectives

• Recognize the purpose of selecting a research topic is to learn new information, solve problems, answer questions, and/or generate new ideas.     
• Explore and organize concepts related to a research topic.
• Formulate a research question of an appropriate scope for the assignment.
• Select a topic appropriate to the assignment.

Resources for Teaching

Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse.

• Ideas are formulated, debated, and weighed against one another over extended periods of time.
• Some topics have established answers through this process, a query may not have a single uncontested answer.
• New forms of scholarly and research conversations provide more avenues in which a wide variety of individuals may have a voice in the conversation.

In Practice: 

• First: Cite the contributing work of others in your own information production.
• Then: Contribute to scholarly conversation at an appropriate level.
• Finally: Critically evaluate contributions made by others in participatory information environments.

Sample Learning Objective

• Describe why and how to use and build upon the scholarship of others while giving appropriate credit to the creators

• Use at least three sources to support your thesis statement.

Resources for Teaching

Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.

• Searching identifies both possible relevant sources, as well as the means to access those sources.
• Information searching is a contextualized, complex experience that affects, and is affected by, the cognitive, affective, and social dimensions of the searcher.
• Search more broadly and deeply to determine the most appropriate information within the project's scope.

In Practice

• First: Determine the initial scope of the task required to meet your information needs.
• Then: Identify interested parties who might produce information about a topic.
• Finally: Design and refine needs and search strategies based on search results.

Sample Learning Objectives

• Generate keywords and synonyms based on a research question.
• Identify the basic features of library databases.
• Use the library databases’ advanced search features and choose appropriate search terms to locate articles on your topic. (LIS 2004)
• Develop keywords to effectively search for a topic of your choice.
• Navigate and use library catalog to locate various types of materials.

Resources for Teaching