Academic Information Seeking

Time

The course is expected to take 10 hours to complete. The modules can also be taken individually.

Module 1: Total completion time without assignment: 2.5 hours

Module 2: Total completion time without assignment: 1 hour

Module 3: Total completion time without assignment: 1.5 hours

Language

This course material is only available in English.

About Academic Information Seeking

The series consists of 21 lectures that are organized into three modules. The lectures include small assignments and quizzes (to check comprehension).

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.

Learning goals

In Module 1, we focus on preparation.
We explain how to use a logbook to document your searches, provide ideas for generating search terms, introduce you to various types of literature, material and information resources, and to reference management.
In module 2, you will learn to search for and find information.
You will learn how to set up a search strategy and you will be introduced to various search methods and search techniques.
In module 3, you will learn how to evaluate, use and document your search results.
You will get tips on how to critically assess information, you will be introduced to concepts like copyright and plagiarism, and you will learn how to insert citations and bibliographies into your papers.