Instruction Session Topics

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The list below outlines our most popular workshop topics, how long a topic takes, and our key objectives for each topic. The workshops on Finding Sources, Evaluating Sources, and Using Sources are all tied to ACRL's Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

This is not an exhaustive list. If you would like to explore other resources or session topics to meet your course’s needs, consult on assignment design, or other support, contact Alyssa Archer, Head of Research Services, at 540-831-5688.

Every workshop our librarians teach is grounded in relational teaching and strengthening students' connections to one another and to the library. By building community, these workshops enhance student learning and foster a stronger sense of belonging within the caring community at Radford.

Finding Sources

Topic	Time Estimate	Points Covered	This session supports…	Concepts
Brainstorm research topics	15 minutes	Brainstorming ideas Using exploratory/background searching to narrow or broaden a topic to fit the scope of a research project	Projects requiring library research, in early stages of development	Searching is Strategic Exploration Research as Inquiry
Develop a search strategy	15-30 minutes	Identifying keywords and synonyms related to a topic. Choosing the “right” database(s)/search tools Using background/exploratory research databases to refine scope of inquiry	Students in the early stages of their research, after they have chosen a topic	Searching is Strategic Exploration Research as Inquiry
Search SuperSearch / Catalog	15 minutes	Finding books and videos on a topic Understanding how to locate physical items, links to online content Interlibrary loan links for content we do not own (add 15 minutes if you’d like students to find items on shelf)	Students who are required to use physical library materials, after they have chosen a topic	Searching is Strategic Exploration Research as Inquiry
Search a broad database or a specialized database (e.g. ERIC or CINAHL)	20-30 minutes	Exploring filters and other features to refine results Cultivating skills in identifying topic-appropriate resources Strategic reading of results to identify relevant sources	Students after they have chosen a topic and done some background research	Searching is Strategic Exploration Research as Inquiry
Track the literature	25 minutes	Reading and interpreting citations from an article Tracking the literature through mining references and articles citing a work Finding full text	Students after they have had enough research time to identify one key source they want to use for their topic	Scholarship is a Conversation Information Creation is a Process
Finding news	30-50 minutes	Understanding why paywalls exist for some media online Learning how to access paywalled news articles via the library’s subscriptions	Students who will be asked to find news articles for an assignment	Information Has Value Information Creation is a Process Searching is Strategic Exploration

Evaluating Sources

Topic	Time Estimate	Points Covered	This session supports…	Concepts
Evaluate and contextualize online sources	50 - 75 minutes	Analyzing the credibility of online sources & employing lateral reading to contextualize information	Students who will use the web for any part of their research	Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
What types of sources should I use?	50 - 75 minutes	Evaluating a source’s relevance based on how it might be used Analyzing different types of sources (e.g. scholarly, popular) to reflect on their benefits and drawbacks for matching specific information needs	Students who will use a range of databases & tools for their research	Authority Is Constructed and Contextual Information Creation is a Process
What is a scholarly article?	20 minutes	Identifying characteristics of scholarly articles Discussing the peer-review process	Students who are required to use a scholarly article, or need the ability to locate & use scholarly articles is essential	Information Creation is a Process Scholarship is a Conversation
Identify types of scholarly articles	20 minutes	Comparing and distinguishing between: research articles and literature reviews; primary vs. secondary	Students who have to use specific types of scholarly articles for an assignment, and are versed in identifying and using scholarly articles, generally	Information Creation is a Process Scholarship is a Conversation
How search tools shape what you see	50-75 minutes	Exploring how algorithmic and/or AI biases impact search results Developing skills to investigate and counteract these biases to improve research outcomes	At any stage of the research process; may be helpful as student develop their search strategy	Information Has Value Searching is Strategic Exploration

Using Sources

Topic	Time Estimate	Points Covered	This session supports…	Concepts
Avoiding plagiarism through ethical source use	15 minutes	Understanding why we cite Identifying when to cite Optional: Exploring when AI tools may be ethically used and how to cite them (add 15 min)	Any stage of the research process; may be helpful before students find sources	Information Has Value
Citing with APA or MLA or Chicago	15-30 minutes	Using the APA, Chicago, or MLA LibGuides Mechanics of references and in-text citations	Any stage of the research process; may be more helpful when students begin to find sources	Information Has Value
How to use sources	30 minutes	Exploring best practices for quoting and/or paraphrasing	Any stage of the research process; may be helpful before students find sources	Information Has Value
Synthesize multiple sources	30 minutes	Identifying themes among several sources relevant to a topic Identifying gaps	Students who have found multiple relevant sources to support a developed topic	Information Has Value Scholarship is a Conversation

Course-specific options

For ENGL 111 and 112, these are recommendations: please choose what fits best with the assignments you are using in your sections.
Topic	Time Required	Points Covered	Concepts
Univ 100	50 minutes	Introduction to Library Services & Spaces	Getting familiar with the library and reducing help-seeking anxiety
ENGL 111	50-75 minutes		Suggested topics for one class: Using sources: Avoiding plagiarism and citing (e.g. APA) Evaluating sources: Evaluate and contextualize online sources
ENGL 112	50-75 minutes		Suggested topics for one class: Using sources: Avoiding plagiarism and how to use sources Finding sources: Brainstorming research topics and search a broad database Evaluating sources: What types of sources should I use?

Concept Descriptions

The following are core ideas in information literacy, as outlined in the ACRL's Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, with wording adapted from Ohio University Libraries. The workshops listed above work toward developing a fuller understanding of these concepts.

Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

Who we trust as an expert depends on why we need the information & who’s doing the trusting.
Authority exists because a community gives it to someone. Beware: sometimes authority comes mostly from “privilege” that can drown out other voices.
Good thinkers consider information skeptically, but keep an open mind.

Information Creation is a Process

The way information is shared changes the way it is created, and vice versa.
Good information can come in any format. Every format has its benefits and drawbacks, including assumptions about quality and authority that may or may not be true.

Information Has Value

Information is worth money. It can be bought and sold.
It is valuable because seekers learn from it & use it to influence others.
Economic, legal, and social forces influence how it is created, used, packaged & traded.

Research as Inquiry

Research is seldom a straight line with an answer at the end. It is a spiral of deeper questions that arise as understanding grows.
The more a researcher works, the more skill and perspective they gain about the process itself.

Scholarship is a Conversation

Researchers talk to one another, even across the centuries, gathering new ideas into old questions. The interplay creates new things.
There may be many answers to a single question.
A researcher may have to earn the right / learn the rules to speak in a given conversation, depending on who / what is already “in the room.” It might not be fair.
When someone adds a new idea, they must say whose ideas they gathered to get that far.

Searching is Strategic Exploration

Searching is a skill set: search mechanics matter.
The mental flexibility to ask a question in many different ways of many different kinds of sources – and learn as you go – is also necessary.
Who you are affects how you search. Learn to stretch.
Searching can get convoluted; stay organized.

Concept descriptions

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Saines, S.; Broughton, K.; Intrator, M.; Schmillen, H.; & Wochna, L. (2017). How information works: ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in lay language. ACRL Framework for Information Literacy Sandbox. Retrieved from http://sandbox.acrl.org/library-collection/how-information-works-acrl-framework-information-literacy-lay-language

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