Associate in Arts Research Toolkit

There are several options for integrating the materials in the toolkit into your course. The toolkit can be used in E110 courses or subject courses that have a research component. 

• Integrate videos throughout your Canvas site or assignment: You can embed individual videos where appropriate, integrating them with activities or information you have created. 
• Add the research process videos to your Canvas course with a quiz: In Canvas Commons, search for "Associate in Arts English 110 Research Skills Video Series" and import it in your courses where appropriate. Students' quiz results will appear in your Canvas grades. 
• Add the research process videos to your Canvas course without a quiz: Embed the Research Process Video Tutorials page from this toolkit in your Canvas course using these directions. 
• View and discuss videos in class: Show selected videos in class to supplement your research instruction.
• Direct students to specific videos: Ask students to view specific videos as needed to reinforce skills. 

Use or adapt any of the following questions about the research strategies videos for in-class discussion or writing prompts. 

Listening to the Scholarly Conversation Video

• Have students scan an example article or an article they have found. Where do you see the scholarly conversation represented in the text? What do you notice about the ways scholars discuss each other's work? What questions or areas of confusion do you have?
• Whose voices are not represented in the scholarly conversation? What implications does this have for your research?
• What similarities does the scholarly peer review process have to your experiences with writing or revision? What differences does it have? 

Searching Strategically in Library Databases Video

• Think of a recent Google search you did. How did you come up with the words you used to search? Did you refine or change your search to find new results? How are the strategies for keyword searching in library databases different from the ways you search with Google? What do you find confusing about the differences between searching with library databases and Google?
• When searching in library databases, why is it helpful to try a variety of searches with different combinations of keywords?
• How are expert terms in databases similar to hashtags on social media? How are they different? How can using expert terms be helpful for research?

Choosing Databases and Accessing Sources Video 

• Which majors would study your research topic (or a class example topic)? Why would they be interested? On the E110 Searching for Sources page, which databases might be useful for the topic?

Using DELCAT Discovery and Getting Help Video

• What strategies can you use to evaluate a book's potential relevance for your topic? How can this be helpful for your research? (Note: This question can also be applied to the previous video)
• What questions do you have about accessing books and book chapters as an Associate in Arts student?

This toolkit can be used in conjunction with course-specific or subject-specific resources. Contact Lauren Wallis to discuss options for library teaching support or get connected with the subject librarian for your discipline.