Writing 10-05: Reading & Composition (Block, Fall 2024)

By the end of the session, you will be able to:

• Distinguish between scholarly and other types of sources
• Recognize characteristics of different types of sources in a database
• List characteristics of trustworthy sources
• Apply filters (including 'resource type' and others) to find relevant resources
• Choose a database related to a research topic
• Request the full text of an article using "Get it at UC" or Interlibrary Loan
• Know how to connect with a librarian for research help

Lesson Plan Outline:

1. Start with Step 1: Your Research Question

• A discussion of research as a process, starting with curiosity and a research question
• Recognize that different questions require different types of sources to answer them
• Derive some keywords from a research question to use later in searching

2. Return to Step 3: Find Info Sources

• Connect keywords together to make a search statement for use in databases
• Explore filters in UC Library Search related to scholarly and credible sources
• Find a database related to question
• Identify useful filters in the database to help locate scholarly and trustworthy sources
• Get the full text if needed ("Get it at UC" or "Interlibrary Loan" aka ILL)

3. Skip to Step 4: Read & Evaluate

• Learn strategies for reading scholarly articles
• Apply the 6 question word framework to evaluating sources for credibility
• List characteristics of trustworthy sources

4. Plan for further work

• Know how to contact a librarian for more help
• Revisit this course research guide, including steps 2 and 5, to learn more about the research process.

Research is an iterative process. Instead of straightforward and linear, it is repetitive and cyclical. As you move through the steps to learn, you should modify and revise your strategies. Don't be afraid to return to an earlier step to reset your process!

Long description of "Research is a Process" for web accessibility