Table of contents
Abstract
A report of findings from a content analysis of 191 course-related research assignment handouts distributed to undergraduates on 28 college campuses across the U.S., as part of Project Information Literacy. A majority of handouts in the sample emphasized standards about the mechanics of compiling college research papers, more so than guiding students to finding and using sources for research. Most frequently, handouts advised students to use their campus library shelves and/or online library sources when conducting research for assignments, though most handouts lacked specific details about which of the libraryʼs hundreds of databases to search. Few handouts advised students about using Internet sources, even though many of todayʼs students almost always integrate the Web into their research activities. Very few handouts recommended consulting a librarian about research assignments. Details about evaluating information, plagiarism, and instructor availability appeared in only a minority of the handouts analyzed. The findings suggest that handouts for academic research assignments provide students with more how-to procedures and conventions for preparing a final product for submission, than guidance about conducting research and finding and using information in the digital age.
Preferred citation format: Alison J. Head and Michael B. Eisenberg (July 13, 2010), Assigning Inquiry: How handouts for research assignments guide today’s college students. Project Information Literacy Research Institute, https://projectinfolit.org/publications/research-handouts-study/
Media coverage
- “Course assignments fail to train undergraduates for research in the digital age,” Education-Portal.com, August 6, 2010.
- “Research assignment handouts give students meager guidance,” Kelly Truong, Chronicle of Higher Education, July 27, 2010.
Related PIL resources
- “Rob Lue: Forging the new frontier of teaching and learning,” email interview by Alison Head and Michele Van Hoeck, Project Information Literacy, Smart Talk Interview, no. 28, November 16, 2017.
- “Faculty workshop on research assignment handouts,” Ann Roselle, Phoenix College, Maricopa Community College District, Updated December 7, 2015.
- “Sandra Jamieson and Rebecca Moore Howard: Unraveling the citation trail,” email interview by Alison Head, Project Information Literacy Smart Talk, no. 8, The Citation Project, August 15, 2011.
- “Andrea A. Lunsford: Writing and the profound revolution in access,” email interview by Alison Head, Project Information Literacy Smart Talk, no. 3, July 12, 2010.
The Research Handouts Report has a Creative Commons (CC) license of “CC BY-NCSA 4.0.” This license allows others to share, copy, adapt, and build upon the survey data non-commercially, as long as the source — Project Information Literacy — is credited and users license their new creations under the identical terms.