Academic Catalogs

LIBR A100: Library Research and Information Competency

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 10/06/2021
Top Code 169900 - Other Library Science
Units 3 Total Units 
Hours 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours 0
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S)
Associate Arts Local General Education (GE)
  • OC Life Skills - Theory - AA (OE1)

Course Description

This course is designed to introduce students to college level research and the effective use of traditional and online library resources and other online research tools. Classwork emphasizes applied experience with research planning, search strategies, critical evaluation of research sources, ethical uses of information, and documentation of sources following standard citation styles. Recommended for students who plan to transfer to a four year university to prepare them for academic research in upper division classes. Enrollment Limitation: LIBR A100H; students who complete LIBR A100 may not enroll in or receive credit for LIBH A100H. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Identify and access credible library and information resources using a variety of search strategies.
  2. Evaluate the credibility of information by utilizing lateral reading techniques.
  3. Correctly cite information in standard citation styles.
  4. Apply research and critical thinking skills to organize, synthesize, and evaluate information.

Course Objectives

  • 1. Narrow a broad topic down into a clear and focused research question.
  • 2. Distinguish between types of research resources and understand their strengths and weaknesses.
  • 3. Write search statements using basic Boolean to meet an information need.
  • 4. Distinguish between types of information and their appropriateness to meet an information need.
  • 5. Develop a research plan that fills an information need.
  • 6. Search library databases and other sources for academic level information.
  • 7. Locate and select appropriate books, periodicals, newspapers, multimedia, and journals in an academic library.
  • 8. Understand key issues related to the various types of information resources.
  • 9. Understand the role and norms of information in academic settings, including the concept of scholarly communication.
  • 10. Apply search techniques to successfully navigate online resources.
  • 11. Use advanced search techniques to search the open web.
  • 12. Evaluate sources for perspective, authority, and purpose.
  • 13. Evaluate sources using lateral searching techniques.
  • 14. Compose citations for multiple sources of information according to MLA or APA citation style.
  • 15. Understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

Lecture Content

Introduction to the course Objectives Choosing a Research Topic The Information Landscape Algorithms and the Filter Bubbles Effect on What you See on the Internet Disinformation, Misinformation, and Propaganda Fact and Opinion “The Customer is the Product”: Information is Not Free Sources of Information Types of Sources Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources Information Creation as a Process Appropriateness for Academic Research Mastering Research Basics Research as Inquiry Identifying an Information Need Creating a Research Question Creating an Effective Research Plan Research Strategies Developing Keywords Boolean Searching Developing Effective Search Statements  Using Library Databases Choosing the Right Database Search Techniques and Filtering Searching using Boolean Citing in Library Databases Evaluating Information Sources Understanding Perspective and Purpose Evaluating Authorial Authority The SIFT Method Lateral Searching to Evaluate Sources Fact-Checking Information Online Plagiarism and Citation Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Value of Information and Ethical Use Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting MLA or APA Citation Style Formatting Locating Books Using  Books in Academic Research Popular and Scholarly Works Searching the Discovery System eBook Collections Understanding the LC Classification System Evaluating Books Finding Magazine and Newspaper Articles

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)
  • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
  • DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

Videos, lecture, instructor feedback, discussion, applied practice

Reading Assignments

Reading Assignments 36 hours (1-2 hr/wk) Students will read from various sources, such as the course textbooks and lecture notes. They will also read articles and other information sources that they will be asked to evaluate or fact check.

Writing Assignments

Writing Assignments 24 hours (1-2 hr/wk) Students will write evaluations of various sources. Throughout the semester, they will also write a research diary that will culminate in the creation of an annotated bibliography. They will also participate in written class discussions.

Out-of-class Assignments

Out-of-class Assignments 48 hours (2-3 hrs/wk) Students will complete various practical assignments that directly apply knowledge from course content. Sample assignments include creating search statements using Boolean operators, evaluating articles for authority and perspective, using lateral reading techniques to evaluate the credibility of library and online resources, and creating an annotated bibliography for the capstone project. In addition to these assignments, students will take formative assessments such as quizzes and engage in class discussions.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Students will be required to critically evaluate information in an academic context and apply concepts from the course material to practical situations. They will be asked to think critically about the state of the current information landscape, as well as their place within it. This will be demonstrated in the completion of various written assignments and the capstone project.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Students will be asked to complete written and practical assignments that apply course content. Examples include creating and revising search statements, choosing academically appropriate sources, and successful utilization of library resources.

Eligible Disciplines

Library science: Masters degree in library science, or library and information science, OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Bobish, Greg, Trudi Jacobson. The Information Literacy Users Guide, latest ed. Geneseo, NY: Open SUNY Textbooks, 2014 2. Required Caulfield, Michael. Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers, latest ed. Pressbooks, 2017 3. Required Lowry, Cheryl. Choosing Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research, latest ed. Ohio State University, 2016 Rationale: The information in this OER text is still current and a newer edition has not been published. 4. Required Badke, William. Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog, 7th ed. iUniverse, 2021 5. Required Butler, Walter, Sargent, Aloha, Smith, Kelsey. Introduction to College Research, ed. Pressbooks, 2021

Other Resources

1. Library handouts, videos, and articles. 2. One or more of the above texts are available as OER. When possible, OER texts should be considered by the instructor of record to promote equity and access of necessary course materials.