How much do you usually think about the search terms you use to find source material in databases and archives? This module asks you to consider how the methods and means you use to find sources affect what information you do and don’t see. By unpacking the assumptions made by you, the researcher, in your keyword searches, as well as assumptions made in how information is organized in databases, I hope you will more carefully consider the language you use in your queries as well as the affordances and constraints of different information discovery tools in the future.
Type of Material:
Tutorial
Recommended Uses:
This resource can be used as an in-class demonstration/lesson or as homework. It will work for individual or team assignments.
Technical Requirements:
Browser. Tested in Chrome, FireFox, and Microsoft Edge.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Users will be able to identify and use keywords for effective searching.
Target Student Population:
College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Graduate School, Professional
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Users will need to know how to navigate websites and have familiarity with language related to academic searches.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
Overall, the learning material is easy to use and read. The tutorial demonstrates a core concept (searching and keywords) and is grounded in the discipline. The content can be used as a standalone resource but will also work well when paired with other tutorials related to searching for sources.
Concerns:
The video may be considered long and confusing. Jargon is used and assumes that the students know what the presenter is discussing because of prior experience and instruction.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This tutorial reinforces concepts progressively, building on prior ideas in a clear and efficient way. Faculty or librarians should find it easy to integrate into their courses. The learning materials include an assignment option that can be easily adapted to fit a user’s specific context, making the tutorial a strong supplementary resource.
Concerns:
This tutorial is not for a basic researcher or student new to using library resources. Even for the student who is an expert researcher, the jargon used to explain is used by librarians and might not appeal to advanced researchers unless they have a library degree.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Overall, the materials are easy to access and use. The learning material has a clear and consistent layout. The links work. The video has a transcript and captions embedded in the video as well as a PDF of the captions available.
Concerns:
WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) showed contrast issues within the website.
The Accessibility Checker showed several issues (e.g., alternative text, tables, lists, headings) in the PDF available to download in the "DO" section.
This resource could be shared for anyone to learn more about searching. However, it would be useful to explicitly have a statement or license (like a Creative Commons license) on the page that states how users can adapt the resource for their own purposes.
Creative Commons:
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Searching for Members?
You entered an email address. Would you like to search for members? Click Yes to continue. If no, materials will be displayed first. You can refine your search with the options on the left of the results page.
