Instructor: Sue Chen
Office: LRC 215
Telephone: (916) 650-2760
Email: chens@scc.losrios.edu
Office Hours: By Appointment

Students must attend the following mandatory orientation meeting:

 Tuesday, January 22, 2008, 2:00pm - 3:00pm,  LR 220

How This Course Works:

• This class is conducted entirely online.  However, there are a couple of homework assignments that require you to come to the SCC library to complete.
• Please note that this is not a self-paced course. Modules will be uploaded on a weekly basis with varying due dates. Students are expected to complete their assignments within the specific time frames.

Course Description: This is a 1 unit course. It is designed to help students acquire the information competency skills necessary to conduct academic or personal research. It provides a step-by-step guide to the research process that is applicable to term papers, course work, and life-long learning. It emphasizes developing effective search strategies, selecting information tools, locating and retrieving information sources, analyzing and critically evaluating information, organizing and using information.

Course Materials: Readings will consist of class materials and handouts posted on Blackboard and various journal articles. No textbook is required.

Course Policies:

• Online participation in the class is mandatory.
• Plagiarism, the act of using the ideas of writings of another as one's own, is a serious offence and gound for disenrollment.
• Class withdrawal paperwork and ensuring its completion before the deadline is the student's responsibility. If a student stops attending class but does not complete withdrawal paperwork, the student will receive an F.
• Late work will not be accepted.  If you have an emergency and  won't be able to turn in your work on time,  you need to contact me via email or phone prior to the due date to get my permission for turning in your work late.  
  

Personal Requirements:

• computer familiarization 
• access to a computer
• Internet access and a basic understanding of it (URL's, toolbar navigation, hyperlinks) 
• an Email account 
• access to a public or academic library 
   

Evaluation: The final grade will be based on the total points earned.

Homework - 90
Participation - 20
Quizzes - 60
Final - 30
Total Possible - 200

Grade Scale
181-200 A
161-180 B
141-160 C
121-140 D
120 and below F

Course Schedule:
(Note: This schedule is tentative and subject to change.)

Week One -- Introduction to course and library resources

Week Two -- Research Basics

Week Three -- Research strategies

Week Four -- · Online library catalogs

Week Five -- · Choosing resources, indexes and abstracts

Week Six -- Online periodical databases

Week Seven -- Using the Internet for research, evaluating sources

Week Eight --  Citing resources in a bibliography, ethical issues