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Meaningful, Effective Library Research Assignments

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Ideas for Creative Assignments, Research Paper Alternatives, Reducing Plagiarism...etc...

Term Paper Alternatives...or...So you'd like your students to use the library but don't want to assign a research paper?
Miriam Joseph, librarian at St. Louis University, posted this tip sheet on the Bibliographic Instruction (BI-L) Listserv in 1986. UC-Berkeley Library obtained Joseph’s permission to reproduce it on its web site. Joseph provides simple ideas for discipline-specific assignments, which do not involve writing a major paper. These alternatives could enable students who may be overwhelmed by a large project to benefit from exposure to library research and resources. These are creative suggestions, which could easily be adapted to a cooperative-learning mode. They could also be "mini-assignments" that can be building blocks or benchmarks of a major paper. This document is a good example of how helpful librarians can be as partners to instructional faculty.

Reinforcing Information and Technology Literacy in General Education Courses (Holly Heller-Ross, Associate Librarian, Plattsburgh State University of New York)
Created as an online resource for a faculty development series on instructional technology at PSUNY, this page contains invaluable tools and tips that any librarians and classroom faculty members can use. Of special interest:
· Designing Information and Technology Reinforcing Assignments (particularly, "The Plattsburgh Tip Sheet: Reinforcing Information and Technology Literacy in General Education Courses")
· Assignment Strategies for Reducing Plagiarism

Alternative Assignments Requiring Library Research (Columbia Gorge Community College Library)
"It's not a research paper"!

Preventing Plagiarism: Some Strategies (Gretchen Pearson, Librarian, Le Moyne College)
Suggestions for structuring assignments to reduce plagiarism.

Want Better Research Papers? (Susan Herzog, Information Literacy Librarian, Eastern CT State U.)
"Collaborate with the Library for Student Success!" A treasure trove of ideas and resources for successful research, term paper alternatives, preventing plagiarism, and more.

Creative Library Assignments from Gustavus Adolphus College Faculty
Librarians at the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library have arranged a directory-by-subject of creative research assignments devised by their faculty.

Designing Assignments to Develop Information Literacy Skills (Jody Caldwell, Drew University Library
Overview of possible assignments "that deal explicitly with locating authoritative, reliable information sources."

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