Teaching Research with the Library: Assignment Ideas

Encourage students to use the Writing Center and reference desk for citation help.

• Swap Meets – Have students share resources and insights from readings or projects. Fosters participation in the research community and reduces accidental plagiarism.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Has Value; Scholarship as Conversation

• Explain Why – Discuss how sources function in scholarly writing. Examine a source together to see how it supports claims and participates in the research conversation.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Has Value; Scholarship as Conversation

• Emphasize Process with Assignment Sequence – Start with a field report exploring current research questions, then a research proposal, preliminary bibliography, formal paper/poster/presentation, and finish with a reflective essay. Highlights research process and source use.
  Frame(s): Information Creation as a Process; Information Has Value; Scholarship as Conversation

• Hidden Gems – Analyze a little-studied primary source, develop questions, and write an introduction or analysis using secondary sources for context.
  Frame(s): Information Creation as Process; Research as Inquiry

• Tracing the Analysis – Compare primary material on a historical event with secondary sources. Evaluate differing interpretations and evidence.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Creation as Process; Research as Inquiry

• Primary Research in the College Archives – Conduct original research using the College & Lutheran Church Archives or special collections. Offers hands-on experience and historical context.
  Frame(s): Information Creation as Process; Research as Inquiry

• Annotate Primary Sources – Work with letters, diaries, or other texts to generate questions, research answers, and create annotated versions.
  Frame(s): Information Creation as Process; Research as Inquiry

• Political Cartoons as Text – Analyze political cartoons from Special Collections, contextualize them historically, and gather sources to explain meaning.
  Frame(s): Information Creation as Process; Research as Inquiry

Students play an active role in creating information. These prompts help them see themselves as participants in the information landscape.

• Me, Myselves, and I – Create a photo diary of a day as a student. Reflect on class, downtime, residential life, and compare what is shared in class versus social media. Leads to discussions on identity, audience, and rhetorical principles.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Creation as a Process; Information Has Value

• Collaborative Lecture – In groups, develop a lecture on a course topic. Gather, evaluate, and synthesize sources while organizing information for presentation.
  Frame(s): Research as Inquiry; Scholarship as Conversation; Searching as Strategic Exploration

• Timeline – Develop a snapshot of a significant year for the course. Report on politics, arts, science, or social issues. Learn to select and present meaningful information.
  Frame(s): Research as Inquiry; Scholarship as Conversation; Searching as Strategic Exploration

Students benefit from understanding that research is a scholarly conversation.

• Bibliographic Trace Assignment – Track citations from a source and use tools like Google Scholar to see how it has been cited. Helps students see sources as part of a dialogue.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Has Value; Scholarship as Conversation

• Analyze a Literature Review – Concept map or outline a literature review or examine how a text uses sources to support or challenge ideas.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Creation as a Process; Scholarship as Conversation

• Create a Literature Review – Find major scholarship on a topic, use discipline-specific databases, and map ideas to identify gaps.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Research as Inquiry; Scholarship as Conversation

• Meet with a Librarian – Encourage students to discuss research with librarians to locate appropriate sources.
  Frame(s): Searching as Strategic Exploration

• Generate Disciplinary Keywords – Identify specialized vocabulary from course materials to improve searches within the discipline.
  Frame(s): Searching as Strategic Exploration

• Trace Interdisciplinary Conversations – Examine how different disciplines treat the same topic and reflect on the impact of disciplinary lenses.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Creation as a Process; Scholarship as Conversation

• Identify Conversations – Survey current literature to find under debate or emerging topics, showing how new knowledge develops through questioning.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Scholarship as Conversation

Students benefit from analyzing and working with sources to understand scholarly conversations.

• Weeding Sources – Generate a list of sources, discuss quality and relevance, then select one to annotate.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Creation as a Process; Scholarship as Conversation

• Don't Find Sources, Find Out – Focus on “finding out” about a topic rather than just collecting sources. Explore who is talking, to whom, and how ideas circulate.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Scholarship as Conversation

• Anthology – Compile a reader on a theme, writing critical introductions for selections. Practice selecting and synthesizing sources.
  Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Creation as a Process; Scholarship as Conversation

• Exploring the Classics – Locate and critique reviews of a significant or controversial classic in the field.
  Frame(s): Information Has Value; Scholarship as Conversation

When assigning a major project, setting checkpoints helps students stay on track and develop research skills:

• Research/Revision Timeline – Build checkpoints into the semester with short, informal writing to clarify thinking.

• Map the Research Area First – Before choosing a topic, explore questions being asked and how. Provide key articles or authors, or create subject-area maps collaboratively.

• Identify Key Contributors – Help students see sources as people in conversation. Pay attention to disagreements.

• Trace Citations – Practice reading references and using tools like Google Scholar to follow citations forward and backward.

• Spot Gaps in Research – Teach students that novelty is allowed; distinguish between sources like Wikipedia and scholarly studies or experiments.

• Write Early and Often – Encourage students to refine their topic and research question throughout the semester.

• Informal Annotated Bibliography – Focus on summarizing each source in students’ own words rather than perfect citations.

• Track Sources and Ideas – Discuss methods for managing citations and notes. Introduce tools like Zotero for long-term projects.

• Connect with the Library – Librarians can provide instruction sessions, guides, classroom visits, collection support, or attend presentations.