Creating a research project assignment which teaches information literacy skills is a work of ART;

you need a good research project in order to teach the research process. 

• Are the students asked to answer real questions?
• Does the assignment offer choices?  Are the topics of choice relevant to students' lives?
• Does the project encourage students to . . . Think critically?  Solve problems?  Be creative?
• Can the final product be shared with a real audience in the school, community, or world? 

How are the students guided to . . .

• Develop and refine a question or hypothesis for their project?
• Locate, gather, and evaluate information from a variety of reliable resources?
• Record, summarize, and cite the information which they find and use?
• Reflect upon what they are learning in order to make a conclusion?
• Develop communication skills, whether in a written, oral, or other format?
• Evaluate what they are doing throughout the project as well as at the end?

How does the assignment . . .

• Encourage students to reflect upon, revisit, revise, and improve their projects?
• Encourage students to use the school media center or another type of library?
• Encourage and facilitate the responsible use of technology?
• Help students develop a collaborative research community?
• Help students avoid plagiarism and create original work?

Do the assignment's instructions . . .

• State goals for what the students should learn about the research process?
• Describe and set expectations regarding the elements of a quality research process? 
• Emphasize the research process by having parts of the process due at intervals?

Does the teacher . . .

• Give examples of (or model) what quality research looks like? 
• Give tools to help students through each step of the research process? 
• Give ample time for students to complete (and possibly repeat) all parts of the process?
• Ask students to reflect upon the research process as well as the subject matter?
• Evaluate and/or grade how the students understand and conduct the research process? 

The ideas and questions in this guide were construed and compiled from the following sources:

Assignment Ideas that Develop Information Literacy Skills by Pace University Library at http://www.pace.edu/library/pages/instruct/infoliteffectiveassignments.doc

Beyond Google: How Do Students Conduct Academic Research by Alison Head at www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue12_8/head/index.html

Designing Research Projects Students (and Teachers) Love by Doug Johnson at http://www.doug-johnson.com/

Notes to Instructors on Writing Good Research Assignments by Colorado State University Libraries at http://lib.colostate.edu/howto/instr2.html

Plagiarism-Proofing Assignments by Doug Johnson at http://www.doug-johnson.com/

Research Project Calculator provided by Minitex and MnLink at http://rpc.elm4you.org/

Created by Metronet, 2007