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This information has been provided for librarians, instructors,
faculty and other educators interested in learning more about Searchpath.
If you have contributions or suggestions about using Searchpath,
please e-mail
us.
What
Is Searchpath?
Searchpath is
a resource for students, a self-instructional tutorial to teach
them basic library and research skills. It covers the research process
from initial topic selection to citation styles and the issue of
plagiarism. There is a link to Searchpath on the Libraries' home
page or you can click here to access it directly.
Its content is organized into seven modules:
| 1.
Starting smart |
is
an overview that introduces students to various types of sources. |
| 2.
Choosing a topic |
provides
tips on broadening and narrowing a topic and discusses search
concepts. |
| 3.
Using Voyager |
has live practice searches in our online catalog. |
| 4.
Finding newspapers |
discusses locating and using newspapers as a research aid. |
| 5.
Using the Web |
includes the comparative evaluation of Web sources. |
| 6. Finding Articles |
provides practice searching in the Infotrac database. |
| 7.
Citing sources |
includes the topics of citing, plagiarism, and copyright. |
Students can
complete the tutorial on their own time outside of class. Each of
its seven sections takes about 15 minutes and students can complete
one or more modules at a time
Who
Is It Designed For?
Searchpath is
designed for students in classes with a substantial writing component
or introductory-level research, especially for English 1020. However,
we hope instructors of other classes will find it useful and assign
it to their students.
How
Can Instructors Effectively Use Searchpath with Their Courses?
Please
have students complete Searchpath on their own time before they begin their
research or attend a library session. Many instructors
have chosen to give extra credit points to students who complete
Searchpath.
Does
Searchpath Replace Library Instruction?
No! We continue
to offer course-related library instruction and hope that you will
incorporate a library session into your syllabus. Timing is important!
Have your students complete Searchpath, then schedule library instruction
with us for a date after they've received an assignment.
Then they will learn about searching databases when they need these
skills to complete their research assignment. Research has shown
that:
- Students
learn best and retain most when they need the information.
- Library instruction
is more effective when the course instructor is present.
- Library instruction
is more effective when coordinated with a class assignment.
Walker Library
has two electronic classrooms, which librarians use for computer
demonstrations and hands-on training. These are heavily booked,
so please schedule early to reserve the date and time you need--preferably
call us at least 2 weeks ahead. Requests will be filled on a first-come
basis.
To arrange a
library instruction session contact:
Gwen Williams,
phone: 904-8530, e-mail: gwilliam@mtsu.edu.
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