College & Research Libraries
September 2008, Volume 69, No. 5
Abstracts
The Proportion of NUC Pre-56 Titles Represented in the RLIN and OCLC Databases Compared: A Follow-up to the Beall/Kafadar Study
Christine DeZelar-Tiedman
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This article replicates a previous study that investigated the proportion of bibliographic records from the National Union Catalog Pre-1956 Imprints in the OCLC WorldCat database and expands it to search a similar-sized sample of records in the RLIN database as well. The author seeks to determine the impact that the merger of the RLIN and OCLC databases will have on the ability to locate catalog records for older materials, and whether there are still significant numbers of library materials for which there are no online bibliographic records. Entries for non-Roman language materials were not included in the study.
Assessing Learning, Critical Reflection, and Quality Educational Outcomes: The Critical Incident Questionnaire
Donald L. Gilstrap and Jason Dupree
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This research study incorporates Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) as a qualitative instrument to assess the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education in one library’s instructional curriculum. A sample (n=348) of English Composition II students was studied over the course of two semesters during a four-session instructional program. A methodological framework of critical reflection, incidents, and events was incorporated, as well as reflection on practice. Results of the study showed the CIQ was effective in supporting qualitative methods for assessment of critical reflection in general and the ACRL Standards specifically during the research and learning process.
Information Literacy from the Trenches: How Do Humanities and Social Science Majors Conduct Academic Research?
Alison J. Head
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This article examines the ways in which students majoring in humanities and social sciences conceptualize and operationalize course-related research. Findings are presented from an information-seeking behavior study with data collected from student discussion groups, a student survey, and a content analysis of professors’ research assignment handouts. Results indicate that students first use course readings and library resources for academic research and then rely on public Internet sites later in their research process. Students adopt a hybrid approach to course-related research. A majority of students in this study leveraged both human and computer-mediated resources to compensate for their lack of information literacy. In particular, students faced problems with determining information needs for assignments, selecting and critically evaluating resources, and gauging professors’ expectations for quality research.
Analysis of Citations in Undergraduate Papers
Stacey Knight-Davis and Jan S. Sung
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This paper presents the findings of a citation analysis of papers written by undergraduate students. The analysis included the types of materials cited, number of citations per paper, publication year, online availability, and refereed status of materials cited. Library ownership of materials was also analyzed. Number of citations in each paper increased over the first three papers, as did the number of refereed journals cited. There was also a positive correlation between the number of citations in the paper and the word count of the paper.
Selected Reference Works, 2007–08
Sarah Witte and Mary Cargill
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This article follows the pattern set by the semiannual series initiated by the late Constance M. Winchell more than fifty years ago and continued first by Eugene Sheehy and then by Eileen McIlvaine. Because the purpose of the list is to present a selection of recent scholarly and general works, it does not pretend to be either well balanced or comprehensive. A brief roundup of new editions of standard works is provided at the end of the articles. Code numbers (such as AC527) have been used to refer to titles in the Guide to Reference Books, 11th ed. (Chicago: ALA, 1996).