Writing 123 - Cora Agatucci
English Composition [Research-Based Academic Writing]

Search Strategies & Skills Inventory

See also Research Process Skills Directions  (Part II) 
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/wr123/assignments/process.htm

NAME:___________________________ 

II.  Search Strategies & Skills Inventory   
Research Process Skills, WR 123, Dr. C. Agatucci, Spring 2002

Reference librarians in the COCC Library and/or other libraries

COCC faculty or other persons knowledgeable in the field of your research topic

Subject Search Terms: Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes and/or other means to identify subject search terms that yield results

Searching with Boolean Commands

Online Catalogs at COCC, ORBIS, and other libraries and, if applicable, “old style” card catalogs at other libraries

Search Engines and searchable sites on the Internet

COCC and other electronic indexes and databases

Print Indexes to various kinds of periodicals

Reference Works, such as specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, directories, almanacs, yearbooks, and other items providing concentrated information on your research topic found in the COCC Reference Section and, if applicable, on the World Wide Web

Bibliographies, Abstracts, or suggested reading lists given in/by located sources that can lead to other good sources

Government Documents accessed via the COCC Library and/or the World Wide Web

Browsing the shelves (open stacks, reference section, periodical section) to locate sources on your research topic – guided by general section call letters/numbers from the Library of Congress classification system and, if applicable, the Dewey Decimal classification system—at COCC and other libraries;

Word of mouth and any other “serendipitous” (lucky) strokes which lead to sources;

ORBIS, Interlibrary Loan and/or visits to other libraries in or outside our district

Library media holdings (for videotapes, films, audiotapes, etc.) are also keyed into COCC Library’s Online Catalog;

Non-library sources located, and the search strategies used to find these sources.
Non-library sources might include TV programs, videotapes, books or journal articles (not found through a library search), lectures, interviews, questionnaires, site visits, surveys, and/or other types of field research for this project

LIB 127 – Informational Research Skills 
Course Competencies include these relevant learning objectives:

(Outcome Two)
Create an effective and comprehensive research strategy for an assignment or topic that employs appropriate information resources, including:

--print and online reference materials
--books
--periodicals
--government documents
--statistical sources
--Internet sources
--student directed empirical research (surveys, interviews, etc.)

(Outcome Three)
Conduct an effective and comprehensive research project that employs appropriate tools for locating information including:

--databases
--Internet directories and search engines
--online catalogs
--paper indexes

(Outcome Four)
Demonstrate proficiency in searching appropriate databases for a research topic.  Proficient database searching should include familiarity with:

--Boolean commands
--truncation
--proximity operators
--field searching
--controlled vocabulary

(Outcome Five)
Demonstrate proficiency at critically reading, analyzing, and evaluating information resources.

Outcomes developed and agreed upon by Library Faculty, Fall Term, 2000.
Questions, please contact cfinney@cocc.edu
See also: COCC Library Instruction Services:
 http://www.cocc.edu/library/faculty/index.html