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Academic Information Seeking

Approx. 6 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course will teach you how to effectively search for academic information and how to evaluate sources for credibility and relevance.

Key Learning Points

Learn how to craft effective research questions and search strategies.
Understand how to evaluate sources for credibility and relevance.
Discover valuable research tools and resources.
Develop critical thinking skills for academic research.

Learning Outcomes

Craft effective research questions and search strategies.
Evaluate sources for credibility and relevance.
Develop critical thinking skills for academic research.

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic computer skills
Access to an academic database

Course Difficulty Level

Beginner

Course Format

Self-paced
Online
Video-based

Similar Courses

Research Methods: Finding and Evaluating Sources
Academic Writing and Research

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

Barbara Fister
Alison Head

Related Books

Description

This course will introduce you to the basic elements of academic information seeking - we will explore the search process from defining a strategy to evaluating and documenting your search results.

Attending the course will make you a proficient information seeker. You will learn how to carry out comprehensive literature searches based on your own research assignment. You will be guided through the various information seeking steps from selecting relevant search strategies and techniques to evaluating your search results, documenting your search process and citing your sources. Attending the course will enable you to: • Identify your information need • Evaluate databases and other information resources • Set up search strategies and use various search techniques • Formulate search strings based on your own research assignment • Identify relevant material types • Undertake critical evaluation of your sources • Search more efficiently on the internet • Avoid plagiarism • Cite correctly • Work with reference management • Document your search process The course is intended for undergraduate students but the lessons will be useful to anyone who is interested in becoming better at finding scientific information. There are no formal requirements for the course. The series consists of 21 lectures that are organized into three modules. The lectures include small assignments and quizzes (to check comprehension). The lectures will each touch upon a topic that is essential to the information seeking process. To get the most out of the lecture series, we recommend that you access the lectures while you are working on an academic paper. We also recommend that you watch the lectures in the order in which we have structured them. We recommend that you create and fill out a log book while attending the lectures. We have created a log book template that you can use during the course. The lecture series has been developed in collaboration between information specialists at University of Copenhagen and Technical University of Denmark

Outline

Preparing your search process
1.1 Introduction to the Course - Maria Ravnkilde Christensen
1.2 Logging your Searches - Rune Kurdahl
1.3 Generating Search Terms - Peter Hald
1.4 Identifying Different Types of Material and Literature - Torben Jørgensen
1.5 Identifying Information Sources - Torben Jørgensen
1.6 Taking Advantage of Reference Management Tools - Thomas Skov Jensen
1.7 Creating a Mendeley Account - Pernille Seier
1.8 Adding documents and References to Mendeley - Pernille Seier
Identify the learning targets in your curriculum
Suggested Readings
Dictionary
Download Work document and Log book
Fill out the Work document
Identify databases
Create a Mendeley account
Get full-text access to electronic resources via your academic library
Set up a folder
End of Module 1 Quiz

Performing your searches
2.1 Setting up a Search Strategy - Thomas Skov Jensen
2.2 Doing a Random Search - Maria Ravnkilde Christensen
2.3 Making a Cited Reference Search - Peter Hald
2.4 Using Search Techniques - Birgitte Munk Kjærgaard
2.5 Performing a Building Blocks Search - Rune Kurdahl
2.6 Accessing the Full Text - Thomas Skov Jensen
Define literature types
Performing a cited reference search
Perform a building blocks search
End of Module 2 Quiz

Evaluating your search results
3.1 Critically Analyzing Information Sources - Birgitte Munk Kjærsgaard
3.2 Respecting Copyright - Peter Hald
3.3 Organising and Sharing in Mendeley - Pernille Seier
3.4 Write and Cite in Mendeley - Pernille Seier
3.5 Avoiding Plagiarism - Thomas Skov Jensen
3.6 Documenting your Search - Rune Kurdahl
3.7 Wrapping Up - Thomas Skov Jensen
Respecting the copyright of others
Mendeley - Write ’n’ cite
Stop Plagiarism quiz
Create an overview of your literature
Special thanks
End of Module 3 Quiz

Summary of User Reviews

Find the information you need for academic research with this comprehensive course on academic information seeking. Students highly recommend this course for its extensive coverage of research methods and resources.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Extensive coverage of research methods and resources

Pros from User Reviews

Well-structured course content
In-depth explanation of research methods
Provides practical tips for academic research
Engaging and knowledgeable instructors
Useful assignments and quizzes

Cons from User Reviews

Some sections may be too basic for advanced researchers
Limited discussion forums
Lack of interaction with instructors
Not all resources are freely accessible
No certificate of completion for audit learners

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