Effective Research Assignments

Guidelines for Instructors

Besides increasing students' understanding of a particular subject, the goal of a course assignment should be to teach them basic research skills in both methodology and information retrieval. The following guidelines are suggested to provide a positive experience for students as they develop their research skills.

  1. Consult with the librarian assigned to your academic department while developing the course syllabus. Consider the goals and objectives of the course. Is the result of a research assignment worth the level of effort required? "Scavenger Hunt" assignments for obscure bits of information do not develop efficient research skills.
  2. Assume minimal library knowledge on the part of your students. While Generation Y students may be fluent in surfing the Internet, they may be overwhelmed by the size of a university library. Non-traditional students may not have confidence in their computer skills. Technological advances are rapidly changing the way libraries store and provide access to information. Few students voluntarily develop research or library use skills. Your attitude about research will influence students' value judgments about using libraries and the resources the UNR Libraries make available via the Libraries' web site.
  3. Never assume a library has a particular book, journal, film, or other specific item. Be aware of the scope of coverage of databases relevant to your course assignments. While many electronic journals provide full-text online, this convenience may only be available for very recent years. Students still need to use print or microforms for some research topics. By planning ahead, the library has time to order materials for course assignments before the term begins. It is possible to have a Web page of full-text resources and links to relevant databases for a specific class, but the subject librarian needs sufficient advance notice to develop the Web site. Sample course pages.
  4. Decide whether formal research skills instruction is needed. Subject librarians are available to introduce students to specific resources for a class and to discuss research strategies. These sessions may be customized to fit the time constraints, subject area, and ability level of any class, from first year through graduate studies. You may use an interactive web form to submit a request for a research skills session or directly email the librarian assigned to your academic department.
  5. Organize assignments with a variety of resources in mind. Make use of the Course Reserves service. The online course reserves service enables students to access scanned materials 24/7, without requiring a trip to campus. You may submit Course Reserve requests online.