Finding

Students often struggle most with finding relevant sources on their topic because they are entering entire sentences into a database or are using terms that don’t match how authors would describe their topic. The purpose of this activity is to give students experience brainstorming keywords for a particular topic. It also helps to demonstrate that the initial terms they come up with to describe their topic may not necessarily be the terms authors will use to write about the topic.

Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) can help students to create a better-targeted search. This activity helps students understand what each Boolean operator does in a visual way.

How to use Opposing Viewpoints, which provides opinion essays on current issues, news and magazine articles, court case overviews, and more.

How do articles get peer reviewed? What role does peer review play in scholarly research and publication? This video will explain.

A brief survey (roughly three or four multiple choice questions) assesses level of knowledge and skills relevant to a subject or course. Based on survey results, the instructor can determine an appropriate starting point for a lesson and build upon students’ prior knowledge.