Early competencies focus on becoming familiar with general resources, developing skills in identifying and acquiring information, and making basic critical judgments to evaluate information. Later competencies focus on the application of skills to solve more complex problems, display knowledge of a discipline's literature, and contribute to the body of information.

By the end of the sophomore year:

1. "Know What's Out There": Characterize different types of works.

   1.1   Demonstrate an understanding of the basic differences between books, journals and websites in terms of content and timeliness.

   1.2   Demonstrate an understanding of the basic differences between works containing original information and derivative works in terms of content and timeliness.

   1.3   Differentiate between scholarly and non-scholarly works in terms of content and the purpose for which the work is used.

   1.4   Demonstrate an understanding of the basic differences between search tools such as library catalogs, databases, and Web browsers in terms of:

   • What types of works are searchable by the search tool.
   • General comparisons between search tools, such as size of the body of information being searched and sources of search tools' content.

2. "Apply the Knowledge": Understand how works of information are represented and used.

   2.1   Identify the components that make up a citation from the following sources:

   • A bibliography.
   • A library catalog record.
   • A record from a database.

   2.2   Create a citation by identifying and compiling the necessary information from:

   • A journal article.
   • A book.
   • A website.

   2.3   Use cited works in an authored document according to an accepted standard:

   • Cite works within the document.
   • Compile an accompanying bibliography and format the citations.

   2.4   Demonstrate a basic understanding of plagiarism.

   • Define plagiarism.
   • Identify basic examples of plagiarism within a work.
   • Explain why an author should cite others' works.

3. "Ask the Right Questions": Construct a basic information search strategy for a topic.

   3.1  Identify the main concept and secondary or supporting concepts that define the topic.

   3.2   Identify keywords that characterize the topic, including:

   • Synonyms or related keywords.
   • Keywords describing a concept from general to specific.

   3.3   Create a strategy to expand or to narrow the topic, including:

   • Using relationships between the main and supporting concepts to change the extent of the research.
   • Considering practical constraints, for example deadlines, parameters of a course assignment, or available resources.
   • Considering personal constraints, for example personal preference, level of information skills, or prior knowledge of the topic.

   3.4   Select search tools (library catalog, database, Web browser, etc.) that are appropriate for research on a topic in terms of:

   • Subject coverage.
   • Date coverage.
   • Coverage by type of work included, for example journal articles, books, patents, etc.

4. "Critically Investigate": Use general resources to identify and locate information.

   4.1   Use derivative works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias to clarify the concepts of a topic.

   4.2   Use a search tool (library catalog, database, Web browser, etc.) to identify information by keywords:

   • Using a simple or basic search.
   • Using features of an advanced search.

   4.3   Assess the results of a search to determine relevance and appropriateness.

   4.4   Refine the search, including by:

   • Using modifiers on keywords such as truncation, parentheses, etc.
   • Varying keyword selection for different results.
   • Limiting search results by date, format, language, etc.

   4.5   Use a search tool to identify a specific work by author and by title.

   4.6   Use library resources to locate a work, including:

   • Use a library catalog to locate physical formats such as books and journal articles, and electronic formats using Web links within the catalog.
   • Use a database to find and display the full text of a journal article.
   • Place an interlibrary loan for a work not available on-site.

   4.7   Identify library staff who can assist with an information need.

    

5. "Make Choices": Evaluate information.

   5.1   Evaluate whether a work is appropriate for your needs by:

   • Currency of the information presented.
   • Completeness and length of the work.
   • Level of coverage--beginner/expert, general/specific, etc.
   • Intended audience, bias, purpose.

   5.2   Evaluate how authoritative a work is by:

   • Considering information that appears in the work and reflects the author's credibility.
   • Whether the work is self-published or published through a credible reviewing agency such as a publisher, expert group, government agency, etc.

By the end of the senior year:

6. "Know the Literature": Characterize the information in your discipline.

   6.1   Identify core information sources in the subject area, including:

   • Books and reference works.
   • Serial publications such as journals and conference proceedings.
   • Indexes and databases.
   • Significant producers of information in the discipline--professional organizations, government agencies, etc.

   6.2   Demonstrate a working understanding of the difference between peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed publications.

   • Identify characteristics of a work indicating peer review.
   • Demonstrate an awareness of how peer review affects a work's use.

   6.3   Demonstrate an understanding of the information "life cycle" of the discipline, including:

   • The time necessary to publish and distribute information.
   • The obsolescence of information.

   6.4   Demonstrate an awareness of information's cost in terms of both creation and distribution in the discipline, including:

   • What it typically costs to publish in a journal.
   • Cost of commonly used journals and books.
   • Cost of core search tools.

7. "Communicate with Peers": Characterize how information is represented and used in a discipline.

   7.1   Use cited works in a discipline-specific authored document according to a common discipline standard, including:

   • Cite works, including examples of different types of works common to the discipline, within the document.
   • Compile an accompanying bibliography and format the citations.

   7.2   Construct a professional abstract for a paper, including:

   • Follow the discipline's protocols for content.
   • Incorporate appropriate keywords for significant concepts into the abstract.

   7.3   Demonstrate a basic understanding of copyright as it applies to use.

   • Understand the purpose of copyright for both the creator and the user of a work.
   • Know how copyright is acquired.
   • Identify the general criteria used to judge "fair use" under copyright guidelines.

8. "Do the Research": Construct an information search strategy for a complex in-depth research topic.

   8.1   Define the scope and time frame necessary to address the topic.

   8.2   Compile a list of keywords and keyword relationships using the discipline's terminology, including:

   • Use discipline-specific reference works (thesari, technical handbooks) and discipline-specific codes (CAS registry numbers, patent classification codes, alloy numbers, etc.).
   • Group or rank keywords to expand, contract or change the direction of the search.

   8.3   Identify core, secondary, and/or interdisciplinary search tools appropriate to the search.

   8.4   Maintain effective records to document the sources and results of your research.

    

9. "Get the Data": Use discipline-specific resources to identify and locate information.

   9.1   Use search tools' advanced and/or discipline-specific features to perform the search and refine the results.

   9.2   Use search tools to locate discipline-specific collections of works on-and off-site.

   9.3   Refine the search strategy during the search process by:

   • Continuously evaluating the effectiveness of the search process.
   • Pursuing new leads and updating the search strategy throughout the research process.

   9.4   Trace published information through the citations in a work:

   • Trace a concept back to its original documentation in the literature.
   • Trace citations to a concept forward in time using a search tool that provides cited references.
   • Understand the usefulness of tracing citations through the literature.

   9.5    Identify information specialists in the discipline at your Library and/or at other organizations.

    

10. "Make Scholarly Choices": Evaluate information within the context of the discipline.

    10.1  Evaluate a work using scholarly indicators such as a bibliography, quality of citations, author credentials, publisher, etc.

    10.2  Trace an author's publication record to determine the history and scope of research:

    • Within a discipline.
    • In interdisciplinary literature.

    10.3  Evaluate the significance of a work or a line of research within the discipline by tracing cited literature backward and forward in time.