Research Made Accessible by Dunaway, Michelle;

Long description:

Research Made Accessible highlights the role that information literacy educators have in teaching scientific literacy skills at the postsecondary level, providing clear methods for doing so. In addition, the book attempts to start a conversation within the field of library and information science about the need for scientific literacy, both for students and for an informed citizenry.

Despite the existence of numerous books that provide practical guidance to library and information professionals seeking to understand and engage in academic research, there is evidence to suggest that research may continue to be a topic where librarians struggle. One possible explanation for this is the lack of books and information sources that provide novice-level guidance for the reading and evaluation of research published in academic journals. This book seeks to fill that gap with the information librarians need to build bridges to their users.

• Presents academic librarians with the conceptual parts that situate scientific literacy as part of information literacy
• Provides practitioners with exercises that use examples and explanations to illustrate the process of evaluating research articles
• Helps librarians fill gaps with tactics that will build bridges to their users

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1)

Part I: Evidence supporting the need for specific focus on scientific literacy (or, more specifically, "research literacy")

Introduction: Definining data literacy and scientific literacy.

Part II: Putting it into practice

What are peer reviewed articles made of?

1. Understanding Methods

1. Types of general approaches:

1. Qualitative
2. Quantitative
3. Mixed methods approaches

Chapter 2)

1. Specific research methods: For each, provide example, provide definition and overview, discuss benefits and limitations, discuss indicators that will be present in quality articles, and provide citations of published studies that can serve as accessible examples.

1. Quantitative methods

1. Experiments
2. Surveys
3. Meta-analyses
2. Qualitative methods

1. Observation
2. Interviews
3. Analysis of documents
3. Identifying publications that, although present in some peer reviewed journals, do not describe actual research

1. Anecdotal accounts
2. Theoretical papers
3. Commentary on social issues without clearly defining a problem, discussing a method for investigating the problem, or producing evidence of the phenomena in question

Chapter 4)

1. Evaluating Research: Strategies.

Chaper 5)

1. Evaluating Research: Practice

Chapter 6)

1. (Tentative) Mapping Research Evaluation Skills to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education: Evaluating and engaging with research published in academic journals is a potentially very fruitful path towards facilitating students' achievement of the threshold concepts that form the core of the recently adopted Framework (http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework). However, the use of the Framework is likely limited to academic libraries located in the United States; therefore, it is unclear whether a section focusing on the Framework would be appropriate in this publication.