Faculty Development: Creating research assignments

These webpages have suggestions on creating research assignments.

Below are selected terms and definitions to help you decide whether that term/phrase matches what you want your students to use.  

Review process / Audience:

• Peer-reviewed journal*: Peer review is a process by which editors have experts in a field review books or articles submitted for publication by the experts’ peers. Peer review helps to ensure the quality of an information source. A peer-reviewed journal is also called a refereed journal or scholarly journal.

Our library has resources on identifying scholarly, poplar and trade sources here: http://pacollege.libguides.com/orientation/scholarly

Credibility / Audience:

• Academic/professional/credible/reliable sources: Define what that means to you and your subject area.

Our library has resources on evaluating sources here: https://pacollege.libguides.com/orientation/evaluate

Research types:

• Research+: Systematic investigation aimed at the discovery, interpretation, or revision of facts or accepted theories or to make practical applications with the help of such knowledge.
• Primary source*: An original record of events, such as a diary, a newspaper article, a public record, or scientific documentation.
• Secondary source*: Materials such as books and journal articles that analyze primary sources. Secondary sources usually provide evaluation or interpretation of data or evidence found in original research or documents such as historical manuscripts or memoirs.

Our library has resources on identifying primary and secondary sources here: http://pacollege.libguides.com/orientation/primary 

Definitions with an asterik are from the ACRL IS Multilingual glossary found here.

Definition with a plus sign is from the University of Virginia Health Sciences Glossary of Research terms found here.

Define what APA Style means in regards to your assignment, especially if students are completing something other than a traditional paper like a discussion board, video, presentation, etc.  

Some items to consider: 

• Voice - Only third person voice or is first person allowed?
• Title page - If no title page is required, where do the students put their names and other identifying information?
• Abstract
• Double spaced
• Font choice
• Margins
• Headings used within the work
• References - Are hanging indents required in non-paper formats?
• In-text citations
• etc.

Our library has resources on APA style here: http://pacollege.libguides.com/APA

Activity from the Library Instructional Council, Maricopa Community Colleges:

Sample instructions: https://libguides.maricopa.edu/ld.php?content_id=9811938

Rubric to evaluate: https://libguides.maricopa.edu/ld.php?content_id=9811936

Reach out to us to discuss your assignment and class needs.

Currently supporting all course levels

Amy Snyder

ansnyder@pacollege.edu