Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for LIB 127 Winter 2025


Course Number:
LIB 127
Course Title:
Information Research in a Field of Study or Profession
Credit Hours:
2
Lecture Hours:
20
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Explores a discipline or job-related field by learning what professionals and scholars read, write and talk about. Covers where research and information is published and how to access relevant information efficiently. Examines the jargon used in a field of study or profession and how evidence is used in decision making. Prerequisites: WR 115, RD 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement test scores. Audit available.

Addendum to Course Description

Use this class to develop skills in finding and evaluating information in a specific area of study, and experience using an academic library.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

  1. Investigate topics and issues by examining discipline-based research.

  2. Describe how information is created and communicated in a field of study or profession.

  3. Apply an understanding of how evidence is used in a field of study or profession to evaluate information and make effective decisions or solve a problem.

  4. Access specialized information using tools such as research databases and the web.

Course Activities and Design

Course activities may include, for example:

  • Exploring current topics covered by the journals, books and websites of a discipline or profession.

  • Comparing information across a variety of information sources.

  • Summarizing an article or book chapter for peers.

  • Writing blog posts or creating a short video.

  • Interviewing experts about what they read to keep up in a field of research or profession.

  • Evaluating a research database for scope, content and quality.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

Assessments may include, for example:

  • Research exercises

  • Annotated bibliographies

  • Interviews

  • Literature reviews

  • Portfolio including reflection

  • Service Learning & reflection

  • Research journals

  • Individual and small group responses to assigned texts

  • Discussion posts

  • Conference(s) with instructor

  • Quizzes

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Skills

  • Critical thinking and evaluation

  • Search and retrieval skills

  • Inquiry and persistence in following a query

  • Effective reading and written communication

Concepts, Themes, Issues

  • Discipline-specific contexts for communication

  • Popular vs. scholarly communication and publishing

  • Authority and reliability of information

  • Legal and ethical uses of information

  • Life cycle of information and the construction of knowledge