Research Skills and Information Literacy

What this unit covers

The resources here follow the research process from first question to finished reference list. Several mind maps set out the basics: Type of Info Sources separates published work, unpublished work, government publications, newspapers, journals, monographs and human sources. The Big6 walks through six questions, starting with what you want to know and ending with how you process and judge the information.

Where to start

Begin with the flashcard deck Information Literacy (Penn Foster), which asks about the purpose of an information literacy course and the types of resources used in research. Then open the notes on using search engines, databases and libraries to find reliable sources. They explain the difference between a browser and a search engine, which is a handy foundation.

Judging and citing sources

Next, move to evaluation. The Evaluating Sources mind map lists currency, point of view, authority, accuracy and relevancy. The Source's selection notes ask four questions to put to any source. For citing, try the flashcard deck Research: Citing Sources and Academic Honesty, which compares academic and personal websites.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read a mind map such as Evaluating Sources to see the whole topic.
2. Take a quiz, for example Search Strategies Quiz or Reading citations quiz.
3. Note what you missed and go back to the matching map or flashcards.
4. Try Information Literacy Quiz again after a day or two.

University students may also like the maps on bibliographic management, PubMed and Web of Science. School students will find the four stages of research for a junior division and other beginner notes.

Where this unit fits

This unit sits in the strand Study Skills, Sources and Literature, within Research methods and academic skills. It covers the finding, judging and citing that other research topics build on. Pick one resource today, then make your own flashcards from what you learn.