Successful Strategies for Teaching Undergraduate Research

Marta Deyrup, Ph.D., MLS, is catalog coordinator at Seton Hall University Libraries and library liaison for Modern Languages, Classical Languages and the Russian and East European Studies Program.Beth Bloom, M.A., MLS, is the information literacy coordinator at Seton Hall University Libraries, as well as library liaison for nursing and allied health, art, music, museum studies, and women' studies.They have partnered on many presentations, articles, and a book chapter on information literacy and were responsible for establishing information fluency as a "core competency" for undergraduates at their university. Bloom and Deyrup were the recipients of a university grant to establish an information literacy program at Seton Hall and a grant from Google to explore how students do online research.

Editors Deyrup and Bloom (catalog coordinator and information literacy coordinator, respectively, Seton Hall Univ. Libs.) have assembled a rich group of contributors to provide a variety of perspectives on the subject of how to teach undergraduates some basic research strategies. There are pieces here by undergraduate faculty and by academic librarians, e.g., "Toward the 'Good' Research Assignment: An Academic Speaks," by Williamjames H. Hoffer in Seton Hall University's department of history, and "Toward the 'Good' Research Assignment: A Librarian Speaks," by Roberta Tipton, business and information literacy librarian at Rutgers University. Of particular interest are entries highlighting the dynamic ways in which technology is being incorporated into the student information-seeking process. For example, there are extensive descriptions of successful programs helping students become approved Wikipedia editors so as to gain research and online publishing experience. Chapters related to evaluation, developing effective relationships with faculty, and classroom activities round out the offerings. The notes section ending each entry will guide librarians who wish to explore each topic further. VERDICT A helpful work both for those new to research instruction and those looking to revitalize their approaches to engaging students.

• PrefacePart I: The State of Teaching TodayChapter 1.Undergraduates and Library Research: What's Changed, What Hasn’t, What Now? Mary GeorgeChapter 2.Research Questions and the Research Question: What Are We Teaching When We Teach Research? Heidi M. JacobsChapter 3.Understanding the Relationship between Good Research and Good Writing Barbara D’AngeloChapter 4.Toward the "Good" Research Assignment--A Librarian Speaks Roberta TiptonChapter 5.Toward the “Good” Research Assignment – An Academic Speaks WilliamJames HofferChapter 6.Teaching New Media as a Form of Writing: Explorations in Evolving Genres James ElmborgChapter 7.From Punitive Policing to Proactive Prevention: Approaches to Teaching Information Ethics in the College Classroom Maria AccardiChapter 8.Assessing the Information Research Process Stephanie BrasleyPart II: The Strategies in Action: Four Ideas that WorkChapter 9.Before Search: A Scaffolded Approach to Teaching Research Stephanie OtisChapter 10.Raids for Research Sara MillerChapter 11.College Students as Wikipedia Editors: New pathways to Information Literacy SharfChapter 12.Training the Trainer: Librarians as Faculty Coaches and Workshop Designers BloomAbout the Editors and ContributorsIndex