This libguide will help students distinguoish between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. It includes examples and links to other libraries that provide clear instruction on the matter.

Because most research tasks are complex, they require more than one search strategy. Additionally, such tasks require students to organize and synthesize the results of those searchers into one cohesive document.  This handout intends to introduce students to that process.

This handout informs students about the life cycle of information, directing them where to look based on when the even under research happened.  Additionally, a sample research plan is presented.

This learning object is a visual rubric that students can use to evaluate materials they have found online including news, scholarly sources, and web content. It can be used as a handout or online image. A link to the Google Drawings version is also available if you'd like to remix this material with your own colors and branding or make edits. Choose File>Make a Copy to create your own editable version. This learning object is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. 

This reading provides a broad overview of the topic of "fake news" and discusses the inherent difficulty of "fixing" the problem.

This handout lists different ways that information may be incorrectly or unethically presented to audiences and offers suggestions for correctly using information.

Second of two library sessions provided to a introductory writing course. This is a scaffolded session focuses on visual literacy skills through the analysis of infographics and comics.

This hands-on activity was piloted as part of a teach-in on fake news at Purchase College, SUNY. To convey the idea that “fake news” exists on a continuum, we did a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey activity using a blank version of Vanessa Otero’s Media Bias chart. The chart is a useful tool for showing the nuances between nonfactual, biased, and inflammatory news sources. Participants are asked to research a news media organization and decide where to place it on the chart, then compare their choices to Otero's original infographic. Two groups can also compare their choices to each other. The ensuing discussion fits nicely with the ACRL Threshold Concept: “Authority is constructed and contextual” and can relate to "Research as Inquiry" or "Information as Value" as well, if economic factors related to the press and clickbait websites are discussed. The concept of a source being on a spectrum of “complex vs. clickbait” adds an additional layer of complexity for students who are used to focusing on binaries such as: liberal vs. conservative or “trustworthy vs. fake.” The details of how to implement this activity as well as copies of Otero's chart are attached. (P.S. An updated version of the chart was created in Fall 2017 adding more nuance along the "complexity" axis and removing some of the "PG-13" or "sassy" language. See attached PDFs).

The Inform Your Thinking video series introduces students to the frames of the ACRL Framework in an easy-to-understand manner by using conversational tone, approachable peer hosts, relatable comparisons, and eye-catching graphics. This video introduces students to the Searching as Strategic Exploration frame by pushing students to think about their information need and the scope of their search. Students will examine parameters for when and where to perform searches, as well as how they should formulate and refine their search terms.

The Inform Your Thinking video series introduces students to the frames of the ACRL Framework in an easy-to-understand manner by using conversational tone, approachable peer hosts, relatable comparisons, and eye-catching graphics. This video introduces students to the Information Creation as a Process frame by examining how the process for creating information impacts the way information is shared and packaged. Students will decide when to use each type of information depending on creation process, as well as recognize the need to verify their sources.