DIY Toolkit: Modules for Teaching Research Concepts

The DIY Toolkit is a series of modules we have created for instructors who want to introduce library research lessons to their students themselves.  Look for more modules coming soon!

• Module One:  Finding Library Databases for Scholarly Articles
• Module Two:  Scholarly and Popular
• Module Three:  Plagiarism
• Module Four:  Evaluating Information on the Web
  
  

Module One:  Finding Library Databases for Scholarly Articles

• Slide Presentation -- Finding Scholarly Sources at the University of Michigan:  A short slide show to introduce the concept of scholarly information to your class.
• A screencast that demonstrates why using library databases is beneficial.
  

  Why Use Library Databases?
  Click to see video	Library databases will give you better sources quickly for a better paper. Running Time: 2:00 Credits:  Shapiro Undergraduate Library Created: October 6, 2010 URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwdhHM9C9Pk

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• A screencast that demonstrates using the library’s “browse” feature to select the best database for a research topic:
  

  Finding Library Databases
  Click to see video	Learn how to find databases using the Browse feature of the Library website. Running Time: 2:03 Credits: MLibrary Video Task Force Created: October 5, 2010 URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9vYvP5DroY

• Handout of quick tips on finding databases
• Exercises for student practice
• Quiz to assess student learning

Module Two:  Scholarly and Popular

Publishing a Scholarly Article
Click to see video	U of M librarian Beth Strickland talks about her research and the process of publishing an article in a scholarly journal. Running Time: 4:03 Credits:  Shapiro Undergraduate Library Created: September 24, 2010 URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXM53UV1WtI

• Handout -- Is This Article Scholarly? : a Word document highlighting the major criteria that students should consider when distinguishing between scholarly and popular press articles
• Slide Presentation -- Evaluating Resources:  Scholarly vs Popular : a short PowerPoint presentation with comparative images, side by side, comparing a scholarly journal and a popular magazine.
• Exercise:  A scholarly vs. popular exercise for student practice.
• Quiz:  A scholarly vs. popular exercise to assess student learning.

Module Three:  Plagiarism

• A slide presentation that helps students recognize plagiarism and provides a plagiarism checklist.

Using the Work of Others
	Slide Presentation -- Using the Work of Others: Getting Ideas Into Your Paper While Avoiding Plagiarism:  A PowerPoint presentation that describes why plagiarism matters, reviews different types of plagiarism, and describes when it is appropriate to summarize, paraphrase and use direct quotations.

• Exercise: A plagiarism exercise
• Exercise Instructor Version:  An answer key for the plagiarism exercise above.
• Website: MLibrary's Academic Integrity website is a robust site maintained by UM librarians including resources for instructors, students and UM Rules and Procedures.
• Quiz:  Virtual Academic Integrity Laboratory online tutorial and quiz.

Module Four:  Evaluating Information on the Web

• A slide presentation that provides students with a strategy for evaluating information on the web.

Evaluating Information on the Web
	Slide Presentation -- Evaluating Information on the Web: Getting the Most out of Your Resources:  A PowerPoint presentation that provides a strategy to identify appropriate web information for your projects.

• Handout:  5 W's for Evaluating Information.
• Exercise:  A critical thinking exercise evaluating information on the web and in Wikipedia.
• Exercise Instructor Version:  An answer key to the above student exercise.
  

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Please contact Doreen Bradley, Director of User Education Initiatives, or Amanda Peters, Instruction Coordinator for Shapiro Undergraduate Library, if you have comments, questions or ideas regarding the DIY Toolkit.