This course is designed for the student who would like to become an effective online researcher. Students will learn to select and effectively use appropriate research tools - such as search engines, online directories, meta-search engines, subscription databases, and online catalogs - for specific information needs. They will focus on expressing research questions in relevant search terms, and employing various search strategies. In addition, they will learn how to evaluate information for quality, authority, accuracy, and other criteria. Ethical issues about information will also be introduced. Familiarity with basic microcomputer operation is strongly advised.

Students will be able to:

• Discuss the characteristics and content of the Internet, as well as a number of Internet search tools, and explain how the Internet can be used to access and gather research information.
• Assess the scope of a given research question and develop an effective search strategy by selecting appropriate information formats, including multimedia formats, search tools, and search terms.
• Utilize advanced search techniques - such as Boolean searching, phrase searching, subject searching, and searching the invisible web - to demonstrate proficiency in gathering appropriate research information from the Internet.
• Use criteria established in class to differentiate between primary and secondary sources, as well as popular and scholarly sources, and explain the appropriate use of each within the context of a typical research project.
• Use criteria established in class to evaluate resources for quality, authority, and accuracy, and provide examples of web resources appropriate for academic research.
• Create a bibliography that includes sources in at least three different information formats--and utilize a style guide, such as the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, to format these citations.
• Discuss plagiarism, as well as Fair Use, as it pertains to copyright, and explain the proper procedures for referencing, quoting, or reproducing original work from the Internet.
• Identify social issues and/or problems brought about by the Internet, as well as recent Internet trends, and assess the broad social implications associated with increased use of the Internet based on course readings and discussions.

Throughout the course, you will be using Blackboard to get your work done. You should plan to check Blackboard several times a week. Occasionally I will try to contact you by email or phone.  You will need to e-mail me your contact information as part of the online orientation. Please let me know if your email address or phone number changes.

Once you have logged in to Blackboard, click on the 'Assignments' button to find your assignments for a particular week. You can also view the entire schedule by clicking on 'Course Documents.'

You will submit all of your assignments through the upload feature in your Blackboard account. To submit an assignment, click on the 'Assignments' button. Then click on the correct week, and you will find links to all of your assignments. After your complete an assignment, you will see a set of instructions for how to upload your work. You can expect a grade on Blackboard within a week of the due date (this is confidential). Note: you must work through your learning activities, assignments, and quizzes in the order they are presented. For more information, please watch the following video: How to Upload an Assignment.

Quizzes will be offered on Blackboard, and you will have a week to complete them. Once you have logged in to Blackboard, click on the 'Assignments' button. Then click on the correct week. You will find quizzes listed with your other assignments. Most of the time you will get immediate feedback after taking a quiz. Your score should be posted as soon as you submit it.

Quizzes may be repeated once if you aren't satisfied with your results (the final exam may not be repeated). Note: you must work through your learning activities, assignments, and quizzes in the order they are presented.

You will be responsible for a weekly assignment on the discussion forum. To view this assignment, click on the 'Assignments' button. Then click on the correct week.

Post general questions and comments on the Blackboard discussion forum. If you ask me a question, you should get an response by the next business day. You can always e-mail me or a fellow student if your question is urgent or personal. If you do e-mail me, please put LIR 110 in the subject heading, as I get a lot of spam and will be less likely to delete your message accidentally. You may also make an appointment to meet with me in person. See the instructor website for contact information.

An incomplete grade is given only when there is an emergency near the end of the 8-week session.

This book is on reserve in the library. If you don't wish to buy a copy, you may check it out for three hours at a time.

None.

It is the student's responsibility to officially add, drop, or withdraw from any class prior to the deadlines stated in the class schedule. This is true even if the student has never attended class. Failure to drop an unattended course will result in a grade of 'F' on your transcript.

Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) early on in the semester so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible. See http://www.cuyamaca.edu/DSPS/ for contact information.

Written work should be original. Information taken from outside sources should be quoted and documented in notes and a bibliography. Stealing content from books, magazines, websites, students, and other sources is unethical - also known as plagiarism. Students guilty of academic dishonesty will receive a zero for the offending assignment. Plagiarism can also be grounds for suspension or expulsion.

So what are some examples of plagiarism and/or cheating?

• Copying any portion of another person's work without crediting that person.
• Paraphrasing the ideas of another without crediting that person.
• Using a paper from a website that posts or sells examples of research papers, such as justfreepapers.com.
• Using a graphic or a photo posted on the internet without following "Fair Use" guidelines.
• Arranging to have someone else to do your work for you.  For example, a family member speaks better English, so you ask him to take one of your tests.
• Using another student's work.  For example, last semester your best friend took this course, and she created a bibliography for the bibliography assignment. She has offered to let you adapt it so that you won't have to do as much work.