About Infoskills

Learning outcomes

 

Module 1 - Planning for research

• List strategies for getting started with assignments
• Identify key components of an assignment question
• Describe assignment planning techniques, such as brainstorming and mind mapping
• Identify some assignment planning techniques
• Construct effective search strategies
• Identify potential sources of information
• Select appropriate sources of information.

Module 2 - Finding Information

• Describe the access tools available to you for finding information
• Use Library catalogues to find resources
• Select Library databases to find journal articles
• Identify effective search techniques
• Describe the characteristics of Internet search engines
• Discuss the nature of information found on the Internet
• Review and manage your search results.

   

Module 3 - Evaluating Information

• Identify why it is important to evaluate information
• Identify criteria used for the evaluation of sources of information
• Apply evaluative criteria to information found across a range of publication types.

Module 4 - Writing and Plagiarism

• Explain the values underpinning academic integrity
• Define plagiarism and academic misconduct
• Identify University of Newcastle policies on Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct
• Describe the use of plagiarism detection and prevention software
• Explain the consequences for students of plagiarism and academic misconduct at the University of Newcastle
• Identify strategies for good academic practice in your writing, eg. notetaking, acknowledging your sources
• Describe techniques for managing and compiling reference lists and bibliographies.

Module 5 - Using information ethically

• Identify some of the issues associated with intellectual property
• Use information appropriately without breaching copyright
• Identify issues with Indigenous cultural and intellectual property
• Discuss censorship and freedom of speech issues
• Use information technology appropriately
• Use inclusive language in your communications at University.

Redevelopment

This tutorial is the result of the 2004 redevelopment of the then current InfoSkills tutorial. The goal of the redevelopment project was firstly, to embed academic integrity and ethics concepts within the tutorial in line with the recommendations of the Management Action Plan, a response to the St. James Ethics Centre Report. And secondly, to further develop additional content as identified by content mapping against the Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework (2004).

The final tutorial is one that incorporates both information literacy and academic integrity.

Collaboration

The redevelopment is a collaboration between the Library, Network for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, and the Learning Skills Unit of the University of Newcastle.

Project Team

Vicki Picasso (Project Manager)
Debbie Booth
Kai Chen
Roger Baxter
Helen Lloyd
Ann Stokes
Michael Carr
Celia Munro
Carla Pilarski
Charmian Eckersley

Please contact us if you have any queries about this project or tutorial.