Student bibliographies: charting research skills over time

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare two bibliography assignments completed after one-shot library instruction to determine which research skills first-year students retain over the course of a semester. Design/methodology/approach A rubric was developed for citation analysis of student-annotated bibliographies and final bibliographies. Each assignment was scored on a three-point scale, and four criteria were assessed: the quality of sources used, variety of sources used, quality of annotations (for first assignment only) and citation accuracy. Findings Students scored highest on the quality of sources used in both assignments, although there was a statistically significant decline in overall scores from the first assignment to the second. Students had the most difficulty with writing annotations, followed closely by citation accuracy. Students primarily cited journal articles in their annotated bibliographies and reference sources in their final bibliographies. Website use increased notably from one assignment to the other. Originality/value This research is unique in its analysis of two separate bibliography assignments completed by first-year students over the course of a semester. It is of interest to librarians teaching one-shot library instruction or any librarian interested in assessing the research skills of first-year students.

The citation behaviours and the academic performance of first-year Political Science students

“…This analysis explored the types of sources used (broken down into the following categories: books; journals and magazines; newspapers; electronic sources; other) and the index source of the articles used (which, in those days, included standalone CD ROMS), and provided a means of measuring changes to student information behaviour that could be easily replicated. Other studies of a similar type include Hinchcliffe et al ( 2003 ), Carlson ( 2006 ), Datig ( 2016 ) and Lantz et al ( 2016 ). Of the studies that are concerned with information literacy competence, the assumption throughout is that certain sources—because of attributes such as perceived reliability, academic rigour and author transparency—are regarded as being of higher quality than others, with peer reviewed articles from recognized journals, seen as the “gold standard”, at one end, and information from websites of dubious authenticity at the other (Lantz et al 2016 : 261).…”

“…Other studies of a similar type include Hinchcliffe et al ( 2003 ), Carlson ( 2006 ), Datig ( 2016 ) and Lantz et al ( 2016 ). Of the studies that are concerned with information literacy competence, the assumption throughout is that certain sources—because of attributes such as perceived reliability, academic rigour and author transparency—are regarded as being of higher quality than others, with peer reviewed articles from recognized journals, seen as the “gold standard”, at one end, and information from websites of dubious authenticity at the other (Lantz et al 2016 : 261). Though our work largely follows this convention, it is worth noting—as Lantz et al .…”

“…Nevertheless, for the purposes of this research, it was necessary to distinguish some types of information as being likely to be more or less appropriate for the task of completing a first-year Political Science essay. As such, we considered information contained within textbooks, monographs, book chapters, information from government and/or think tanks, and—despite the concerns of Lantz et al ( 2016 )—journal articles to be more likely to be appropriate for this particular task than the information found in websites, newspapers, and periodicals. References to the former group of sources are those we call, for shorthand, “quality citations”.…”

Navigating Roadblocks: First-Year Writing Challenges through the Lens of the ACRL Framework

“…After researchers gained approval from the Institutional Review Board to conduct the study, two librarians visited the classes at the beginning of the semester to explain the study, answer any questions, and allow students to opt-out. The larger study included citation analysis of student annotated bibliographies and final bibliographies (Lantz et al, 2016) and qualitative analysis of student research journals (Insua et al, 2018). Students completed research journals at four key points throughout the semester.…”

“…Analysis of student bibliographies and research journals uncovered several key findings. The quality of student sources decreased from annotated bibliographies completed toward the beginning of the semester (and closely following library instruction) to final bibliographies completed at the end of the semester, suggesting that timing of library instruction is critical (Lantz et al, 2016). Website use increased dramatically, suggesting that students had difficulties understanding academic articles, something they also reported in their research journals (Insua et al, 2018).…”