Subject Guides: Augustana Plan for the Integration of Information Literacy (APIIL): Research as Inquiry

Research as Inquiry

The resources below relate to the Research as Inquiry frame of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Learning outcomes include, but are not limited to:

Form an appropriate research topic or question in order to define the scope of a research need.
Identify gaps in information and knowledge and understand the importance of these gaps in order to refine a search strategy or research question.

Videos and Tutorials | Instruction and Activities | Assignments

Videos and Tutorials

Introductory

Picking Your Topic IS Research!
Explains that choosing and adjusting a topic is an integral part of the research process.
→ Time: 3 mins
It's All About the Questions
Explores how to develop and explore complex questions that require in-depth research.
→ Time: 4 mins
Developing a Research Question
Describes the importance of developing a research topic with an appropriate scope and provides strategies for choosing a topic.
→ Time: 4 mins
Topics vs. Research Questions
Describes the differences between research topics and research questions and explains how they can change during the course of a research project.
→ Time: 2 mins

Intermediate

Research is a Process
Explains strategies for performing effective research, including getting familiar with the field, identifying a gap, and articulating the significance of your research topic.
→ Time: 3 mins

Instruction and Activities

Introductory

Mapping Scholarly Conversation
Students develop their research topics through concept mapping and preliminary research.
→ Time: 50 mins
→ Computers: Required
Narrowing a Topic
Students work in groups to consider concepts related to a broad research topic and identify one aspect of the topic that would be reasonable for a research paper.
→ Time: 40 mins
→ Computers: Not required
Developing Your Research Topic
Students complete a worksheet that helps them to form an appropriate research topic for a course assignment.
→ Time: 60 mins
→ Computers: Required
Revising a Research Question
After learning about the qualities of a strong research question, students complete a worksheet to help refine their own research question and then peer review their questions.
→ Time: 40 mins
→ Computers: Required

Intermediate

Forming a Strong Research Question
Students compare their draft research questions with those of experienced researchers and determine ways to revise and improve their own questions.
→ Time: 40 mins
→ Computers: Not required
Flawed Questions
Students evaluate examples of poorly formed research questions and work in pairs or small groups to revise them.
→ Time: 50 mins
→ Computers: Not required
Behind the Headlines: Using Historical Events to Inspire Research
Students work in groups to read a provided news article, choose a research topic inspired by the article, and create a research plan.
→ Time: 45-60 mins
→ Computers: Optional
Pause for a Station Break: Applying Constructivist Theory to Strategic Exploration
Students visit four "learning stations" to explore search strategies for their research topics.
→ Time: 60 mins
→ Computers: Not required
A Bird's Eye View of the Research Process
Students create visual representations of their research processes, and then the class discusses and reflects on common aspects and themes.
→ Time: 30 mins
→ Computers: Not required

Advanced

Know What You Don't Know: Teaching Chemistry Students to Ask Better Research Questions
Students learn to conduct background research in order to learn more about their topics and generate manageable research questions.
→ Time: 75 mins
→ Computers: Required

Assignments

Introductory

Finding Background Information: Wikipedia and the Library
Students use Wikipedia to find scholarly articles and then use library resources to find academic background information. They revise their topics based on what they learn.
Using Student Curiosity to Generate Compelling Research Questions
Students choose a TED Talk and consider its topic in order to identify a research topic that they want to explore.