Note: This project received feedback (and can now be resumed) on 12-Sep-14 06:29:46 PM EST.
Directions
This project will be completed over weeks three through five. Before beginning the actual work of the project you are required to complete the pre-knowledge survey in
Step 1. Then you will complete Step 2. You cannot move on to Step 3 until you have received feedback from the instructor on your research question. Steps 3 through 7
will be completed in weeks 4 and 5. This project may be saved in draft format, but you must click the submit button during week five when you have completed your
project in order to submit it to your instructor for a grade.
Step 1 – Pre-Knowledge Survey
Before reading anything, please take the pre-knowledge survey. To take the Pre-knowledge Survey, navigate to: My Tools –> Quizzes and Exams –> Pre-knowledge Survey.
This will give you a true picture of what you already know about library research.
Step 1 Rubric
How will Step 1 be graded?
• 2 points: Pre-knowledge Survey is completed.
• 0 points: Pre-knowledge Survey is not completed.
Step 2 – Your Research Question
Please submit your research question in the box below. You cannot progress to Step 3 of the research project until you have received feedback from your instructor on
this step. Remember, a good research question…
• is specific, narrow enough to be researchable, and relevant to the student’s discipline;
• is stated as a question and passes the “so what” test;
• is not too narrow to be able to find supporing resources
• is researchable (data exists to answer the question)
• is open-ended (cannot be answered by yes or no, a simple statement of facts or a number).
Note: You cannot make further changes to your original research question.
Step 2 Rubric
How will Step 2 be graded?
• 16-18 points: Question is specific, narrow enough to be researchable, and relevant to the student’s discipline.
• 9-15 points: Stated as a question, but is too broad; OR too narrow; OR question passes the “so what” test, but does not lend itself to scholarly research.
• 0-8 points: There is no question; OR question is stated as a topic; OR question is very broad; OR question is not truly researchable (it can be answered by a
simple statement of facts or a number).
Step 3 – Keywords and synonyms for broadening your search
Use the following table to draft your key concepts and related terms from your research question.
Three concepts is the general rule, but you may sometimes have four, or only two. Remember, the number of related terms for a concept can vary from none, to as many as
four or five. You do NOT need to fill in every block of the table.
Key Concepts
Related Term 1
Related Term 2
Related Term 3
Related Term 4
Step 3 Rubric
How will Step 3 be graded?
• 16-18 points: In addition to providing a relevant keyword for each concept, student provides synonyms or alternative terminology.
• 9-15 points: Provides at least one relevant keyword for each important concept in the research question, with some synonyms; OR keywords are related to the
general topic, but not the specific question; OR student provides relevant terms for some, but not all, of the important concepts.
• 0-8 points: Keywords do not “match” the question; OR student provides terms for only one concept; OR student provides only keywords, but no synonyms.
Step 4 – Library Databases
Provide a list of three library databases appropriate to your topic (hint: use the guides under Subject Guides on the library home page to select databases). While you
can find scholarly materials using Google Scholar, and it can be useful, please do not use it for this project.
NOTE: Do NOT list subject guides as database names!
Step 4 Rubric
How will Step 4 be graded?
• 16-18 points: Lists three (or more) appropriate databases for finding literature on the topic.
• 9-15 points: Lists two databases relevant to the topic; OR student lists three databases, but one is not relevant.
• 0-8 points: None of the databases submitted is appropriate to the topic; OR student submits only one database.
Step 5 – Search Statements
Example: (company OR organization) AND (retention OR turnover OR layoff*) AND (leadership OR manage*)
NOTE: List ONE search statement per box.
Step 5 Rubric
How will Step 5 be graded?
• 16-18 points: Sophisticated search strategy uses Boolean or proximity searching correctly, and offers synonyms and/or grouping.
• 9-15 points: Strategy contains at least two relevant concepts, and Boolean or proximity operators are used correctly.
• 0-8 points: The question has not been translated into an actual strategy; OR there is an incomplete strategy with one concept represented; OR the strategy
contains at least two relevant concepts, but does not correctly use operators or alternative terminology.
Step 6A – Scholarly resources: article and book
List one scholarly, full-text article found in a library subscription database and cited in APA style. List one book found in one of the library e-book databases. Cite
the article and the book in the boxes provided.
NOTE: Look for full text articles, and do not request articles from DocumentExpress for this class.
Checklist for article:
Article is published in a scholarly journal (use Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory to determine whether journal is scholarly)
Article is written by a scholar or expert and includes data, charts, graphs, etc and has a reference list
Article is relevant to my research question
Article was retrieved from a UMUC database
Citation is in proper APA 6th edition format
Please use the formatting toolbar in the box below to show italics, indentation, and spacing for your citation.
Checklist for book:
Book was retrieved from a UMUC database
Book is relevant to my research question
Citation is in proper APA 6th edition format
Book is scholarly (not an encyclopedia or dictionary and written by expert(s)) in the field
Please use the formatting toolbar in the box below to show italics, indentation, and spacing for your citation.
Step 6A Rubric
How will Step 6A be graded?
Format:
• 7-10 points: Citations are in APA format, with no more than one or two errors.
• 3-6 points: Citations are in APA format, with several errors.
• 0-2 points: Citations are not in proper APA format; OR contains many errors; OR no submission.
Article:
• 4-5 points: Article is scholarly and peer reviewed, and is relevant to the research question.
• 2-3 points: Article is not scholarly (trade or magazine); OR the article is scholarly, but is not relevant to the research question.
• 0-1 points: Article is from a newspaper, is an encyclopedia (or Wikipedia) entry, or is a similar type of document; OR no submission at all.
Book:
• 4-5 points: Book is scholarly, and is relevant to the research question.
• 2-3 points: Book is popular (not scholarly); OR the book is scholarly, but is not relevant to the research question.
• 0-1 points: Book is an encyclopedia; or a non-scholarly book OR no submission at all.
Step 6B – List the name of the library subscription database where you found the article and the name of the e-book database where you found the book.
Note: You may use a print book, ONLY if you cannot locate an e-book on your topic.
Step 6B Rubric
How will Step 6B be graded?
• 4 points: Article and book are both from relevant UMUC databases.
• 2-3 points: Article OR book is from relevant UMUC database; AND one is from relevant non-UMUC database or resource; OR only one UMUC database is listed AND it
is relevant.
• 0-1 points: Article AND book are both from outside resources; OR only one non-UMUC database is listed; OR no database name is listed for either.
Step 7 Subject Terms
List two subject (or descriptor) terms assigned to your article that can help to focus your search (hint: subject or descriptor terms are usually available in the
database record). Note that there are a couple of databases that do not have subject terms – in this case find two terms that you haven’t already used from the
abstract or somewhere in the record that you can search with.
Step 7 Rubric
How will Step 7 be graded?
• 2 points: Lists two subject terms that are relevant to the topic; OR if there are no subject terms in the database used, there are key terms from the abstract
or another field that can be used to search further.
• 1 point: Submits one subject term (or other key term) that is relevant to the topic.
• 0 points: Does not submit subject terms (or other key terms); OR submits subject terms that are not relevant to the topic.
To save a draft of your work on this project, use the Save Draft button below. The next time you return to the Research Project, the fields you have entered will be
retrieved and entered in the project form.
Note: Most fields require text entry. If a required field is left blank, your work will not be submitted. The empty fields will be marked with asterisks to make it
easier for you to supply the missing information and resubmit the form. If there is no information to provide in a specific field, simply type N/A.
When you have completed this project, you can submit your work to your instructor by using the Submit button below. Review your work before you do this; you will be
unable to edit it further after submitting it.
Click the Submit button only once. The server may take some time to process your answer.
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