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Assigning Research

Here are some tips to improve students' research when assigning a paper/project requiring sources:

  • ask for a minimum number of sources
  • specify what types of sources they can/should use (journal, magazine, book, general website, library databases, etc.)
  • limit the age of the source if necessary based on the topic
  • limit the number of general websites to use as sources
  • explain how they should cite their sources (ATI courses use MLA)
  • encourage students to use the ATI Library as a resource for help
  • if you post the assignment in Carmen, include links to the library catalog, databases, etc.

How the library can help:

  • a librarian can come into your class and teach students about research skills, plagiarism, and citations
  • you can reserve the library computer lab (15 computers) for a research class period, and a librarian will be on hand to individually help your students
  • a librarian can create a library page in Carmen with direct links relevant to your class
  • as always, every student gets individual attention when they ask for help in the library

Be aware:

  • your assignment might be a student's first attempt at college research
  • do not use the phrase "print source" because many scholarly articles that were printed in a journal are also available online in a library database
  • all students are required to take tutorials during orientation class that teach them research skills
  • Wikipedia, facebook, blogs, etc. should never be used as a source, but they can lead to good sources
  • review the Research portion of the library website  for information about student research