Activity 4 Raise your Information Literacy

Information Literacy is the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information.
Association of College and Research Libraries ACRL!

Information Literacy: Skills we must all Constantly Upgrade
Are you literate" #hat may seem like a strange $uestion to ask someone %ho has one or t%o college
degrees and may be %ell on the %ay to career success. &ut the literacy that %e're referring to here, and the
literacy that %ill be essential to you during your graduate education, is information literacy. (ith the continuing
acceleration of the kno%ledge e)*losion, information literacy is becoming more im*ortant %ith each *assing
day. +urfing the internet can often lead to dro%ning in endless %aves of information. (ading through this
information can be confusing, and also time consuming. ,ou need some very s*ecific skills to manage all of
this if you are to succeed on your academic -ourney. It does not matter ho% good %e are finding information at
this moment, %e have to kee* refining these skills or %e %ill sli* behind.
Te !"ceptional #ortcentral University Li$rary
.orthcentral /niversity offers its students a first rate online library, staffed by hel*ful librarians, and
filled %ith the scholarly information you'll need for your education. #hose that kno% about such things have
re*eatedly commented that the e)cellent $uality of our library is far out of *ro*ortion %ith the size of our
/niversity. It is an astonishingly good online library. 0ortunately it also contains a large number of tutorials and
guides that %ill hel* you find %hat you need. In this activity %e %ill hel* you become more! literate and *oint to
the skills that that %ill unlock the *recise information you need for each assignment.
%eginning to !nance your &nline Li$rary Searc Skills
(hile it may take some *ractice to get used to doing online library searches, you'll find that the results
you get far sur*ass anything you could get from -ust searching the internet or going to a brick and mortar
library. ,ou can set your search o*tions to find full te)t articles not -ust abstracts or summaries!, to limit your
search to a certain time frame, and %ith many databases you can even develo* a file of articles in the library
that you can refer to even once your search is over.
+o, carefully take the tutorials, follo% the directions for searching, and think *ositive1 ,ou may not
master all the fine elements of searching right no%, but you'll be off to a good start. Learning to do a library
search may be some%hat confusing at first, so don't *lan on learning it all on one day. +*read out your
*ractice over a fe% days, and you'll find that day by day you're more comfortable %ith searching. If you have
any trouble, or need assistance, you can contact our librarians at library2ncu.edu, be sure to *ut 0oundations
Course +tudent in the sub-ect line to get some s*ecial attention1
3h, and as an added bonus, %hile you're doing your search you'll also be e)*loring your o%n areas of
interest and maybe finding some research areas that you'll %ant to *ursue during your graduate education.
'inding !ducation (ata$ases
(hen you enter the Library home *age look for 4atabase Inde) under 5uickLinks see belo%!.
3n the ne)t *age that o*ens u* you %ill find an abbreviate list of databases, but you %ant to locate the
full list. Click on the link to 4atabases Inde) *age. +ee belo%.

,ou %ill then see a colorful chart %ith many data bases listed in al*habetical order. #here are many
data bases available to you as a registered .orthcentral student that %ould be $uite e)*ensive if you %ere a
*rivate user.
It is essential that you learn ho% to use 6brary %hich is a data base of full te)t electronic books.
#his data base %ill be invaluable to you as your -ourney continues and gives you access to thousands of
dollars %ith of e7books. ,ou can access it through the library. 0rom the library home *age click 0ind an 67
&ook located under 5uick Links see diagram belo%!.
3n the *age that *o*s u* click 6brary. &efore beginning to use 6brary you %ill find it very hel*ful
to vie% the orientation and training video available 888 here 999.
Completing te Cart
0or this activity you are asked to com*lete a chart that %ill summarize %hat you learn about using data
bases. :any students are not sure %hat to *ut in this chart so I have created a sam*le you can follo% after my
sign off at the bottom of this letter. .ot only does it illustrate ho% to *roceed, but you can erase the contents
and use the *ro*erly formatted table to com*lete your %ork. ;lease not try to create a chart in Landsca*e
mode< it %ill make it difficult for you to format the rest of your assignment. =ee* the chart in ;ortrait mode as is
the case for the sam*le belo%. 3bviously you %ill have to cram your A;A citations into the chart and %ill not be
able to create *ro*er hanging indents, but that %ill not be an issue. >o%ever, you should try to *ro*erly format
your references in terms of content, ca*italization, and the use of italics and the inclusion of doi numbers %hen
they are available.
Tree Types of References
#he instructions for this activity say the follo%ing.
0or this activity you %ill do a library search for resources in your area of *rofessional or research
interest. Locate three *eer7revie%ed -ournal articles, one book cha*ter, and one scholarly
resource %ebsite or other resource!. #hen, *re*are a brief *a*er on your library search and your
results.
:any students %onder %hat is meant by a scholarly resource. #here are a %ide range of *ossibilities.
It could be a %ebsite devoted to your *rofessional *ractice. A good e)am*le of a scholarly resource for those
of us involved in online education is the +loan Consortium %ebsite that you can see by clicking here. An
e)am*le for those involved in grade school education is the 6ducto*ia site. ,ou can use either of these if you
%ish or find something that is more relevant to your career *ath.
,ou %ill be e)*ected to create *ro*erly formatted references for -ournal articles, a book cha*ter and a
scholarly resource usually a %ebsite!. &elo% is guidance on ho% to develo* each ty*e of reference.
?. Journal Article referencing can be revie%ed beginning on *age ?@A of the A;A :anual. Also, you
can click here and advance the slide sho% using arro%s at the bottom of the screen.
B. Book Chapter referencing can be revie%ed beginning on *age BCB of the A;A :anual. Also, you
can click here and scroll do%n half a *age for guidance.
D. Electronic sources such as %ebsites are more challenging to reference because they come is
so many different forms. :ost likely your scholarly source %ill be electronic in nature but not necessarily
so. #he definitive guide for sho%ing ho% to *ro*erly format electronic sources is the A;A manual
beginning on *age ?AE. Also, you can see ho% to *ro*erly format various ty*es of electronic sources by
clicking here. Click here for a more e)tensive e)*loration of this issue. Click here for an ongoing
discussion of formatting electronic sources s*onsored by the A;A.
))) Completing te 'inal *art of te Activity +++
:any students lose marks because they do not follo% instructions for the final *art of the activity. After
you finish the chart you are to conclude your assignment %ith some general remarks< ho%ever, do not let the
term general fool you. As a graduate student you are e)*ected to *rovide an in7de*th analysis. #here are
three *oints to cover in this final section and the third *oint consists of three $uestions. &e sure to cover all of
these as *er the activity instructions *asted belo%.
#hen, conclude your assignment %ith some general remarks that comment onF
>o% useful %as each database for you"
(hat im*ortant -ournals, key scholars, or ne% ideas did you discover from your search"
>o% might a library search s*ark ne% ideas" As you searched did you find ne% ideas or ne%
directions for your search" 4id the direction your search take you sur*rise you"
LengthF Com*leted chart and ? *age reflection *a*er
,our *a*er should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and conce*ts that are *resented in the
course and *rovide ne% thoughts and insights relating directly to this to*ic. ,our res*onse should reflect
scholarly %riting and current A;A standards. &e sure to adhere to .orthcentral /niversityGs Academic Integrity
;olicy.
Creating a ,eading Structure for te 'inal *art of te Activity
;lease follo% the guidance offered belo%, it %ill im*rove your grade1 In order to make sure all to*ics
are covered, you %ould be %ise to create headings for your final reflection. I recommend you consider using
the follo%ing. ,our %ork %ill be evaluated in relation to each of these to*ics so having a subheading for each is
a really, really good idea.
Usefulness of !ac (ata$ase
It %ould be a good idea to create a level t%o subheading for each database you discuss. &elo% I have
*rovided sam*les of %hat these level t%o headings could look like but you %ould *rovide a subheading for
each database that you chose to search.!
!RIC
!%SC& ,ost
!$rary
Important #ew Sources- Scolars or Ideas (iscovered during te Searc
Te .alue of Searces for Inspiring #ew Ideas and Surprises
,ou should always begin each assignment by creating a heading structure. 0ailing to do so %ill nearly
al%ays cost you marks. >eadings hel* you stay organized, insure nothing is left out, and makes your %ork
more readable. #he definitive guide for formatting A;A headings is found on *age HB of the A;A manual. Also,
you can click here for an authoritative online e)*lanation of A;A heading formatting *rovided by the A;A. 3r,
you can rely on the formatting found in the generic assignment tem*late you %orked on in unit D. 0or most
assignments you %ill only use heading levels ? and B and occasionally level D. .ote that levels D, I and J all
have a *eriod at the end and the content follo%ing the heading begins on the same line as the heading. ,ou
can see an e)am*le of a level D heading in the sam*le *a*er on *age IJ of the A;A manual. .otice ho% the
heading ends %ith a *eriod and the material follo%ing the heading begins on the same line as the heading.
/orking Aead on te Course
It %ould be %ise to %ork ahead on activity JF #hinking Critically, ho%ever< .orthcentral /niversity has a
firm *olicy that re$uires you to %ait until one assignment is graded and returned before submitting the ne)t
one. As soon as your *reviously submitted assignment returned, check the feedback and do some final editing
if any of the *revious feedback a**lies to their ne)t assignment. #hen submit it early if *ossible. #hat %ay you
avoid any late *enalties
I ho*e this im*ortant learning activity goes %ell for you. +ee sam*le chart belo%
Article Citation 4atabase =ey%ords +earch Limiters +kills in this 4atabase
Ir%in, ;. BCCA!.
Com*etencies and em*loyer
6RIC #ransfer of
Learning,
+ho% only records
%ith free full te)t
I discovered %here the
search limiter o*tions
engagement. Asia Pacific
Education Review, 9?!, HD7
H@.
Adult,
(ork*lace
directly from 6RIC,
+ho% only records
indicating *eer
revie%, from BCCE
to BC?B,
*ublication ty*e 7
Kournal Articles
are located in 6RIC. I
also learned ho% to
do%nload *df files for
future reference.
#aylor, :. C., Ayala, L. 6.M
;insent7Kohnson, C. BCC@!.
/nderstanding learning
transfer in em*loyment
*re*aration *rogrammes for
adults %ith lo% skills. Journal
of Vocational Education
!raining" #$?!, ?7?D.
6&+C3
>ost
#ransfer of
Learning,
Adult,
(ork*lace
0ull #e)t,
+cholarly ;eer
Revie%ed!
Kournals,
;ublication date
from BCCE to BC?B
I discovered %here the
search limiter o*tions
are located. I also
learned ho% to
do%nload *df files for
future reference. I
discovered that 6RIC
and 6&+C3 >ost are
configured a little
differently but
essentially *rovide the
same o*tions.
3GConnor, &. .. M Cordova,
R. BC?C!. LearningF #he
e)*eriences of adults %ho
%ork full7time %hile attending
graduate school *art7time.
Journal of Education for
Business" %&H! DJ@7DHA.
43IF
?C.?CACNCAADBDBC@CDII@H?
A
6&+C3
>ost
#ransfer of
Learning,
Adult,
(ork*lace
0ull #e)t,
+cholarly ;eer
Revie%ed!
Kournals,
;ublication date
from BCCE to BC?B
I discovered %here the
search limiter o*tions
are located. I also
learned ho% to
do%nload *df files for
future reference. I
discovered that 6RIC
and 6&+C3 >ost are
configured a little
differently but
essentially *rovide the
same o*tions.
:anning ;.R. M 4e&akey L.
BC??!. Lifelong medical
educationF ;ast, *resent,
future. In (entz, :. 4. M
4ennis, =., Continuing
medical education' (ooking
)ack" planning ahead* **.
?J7?E!. 4artmouth, ..F
/niversity ;ress of .e%
6ngland,
ebrary #ransfer of
Learning,
Adult,
(ork*lace
6ducation, /nited
+tates
I learned ho% to do
searches in ebrary, ho%
to use the ebrary
reader, ho% to navigate
through an e7book.
#he #ransfer of Learning
:atri) BCCB!. Retrieved Kuly
E, BC?B from
htt*FNN%%%.intrahealth.orgNtolN
#his is my
+cholarly
source. It
does not
come
from a
4ata
&ase.
,ou might
not use
key%ords to
locate your
scholarly
source,
most likely
you are
already
a%are of it.
none I learned that a
scholarly source of this
nature can contain
valuable information but
I %ould need to validate
it %ith other sources
before resting
significant %eight on it.
:arla =elsey
6ducation 0oundations 0aculty
6mailF mkelsey2ncu.edu
+ky*eF marlakelsey
;honeF IAC7ABB7CEIDA a.m. to A *.m. Arizona time O click here to check!
+Education is not the filling of a pail" )ut the lighting of a fire*, (illiam &utler ,eats