Ohio State University Libraries: net.TUTOR: About the Site

Ohio State University Libraries: net.TUTOR: About the Site

net.TUTOR

TUTORIAL PROGRAM CONTENT

Tools

Getting Started on the Web: Learning Goals: Understand the basic browsing techniques needed to continue the course.; Key Concepts: Browser, URL, hyperlink, BACK and STOP functions, status message and indicator, common problems; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

About Web Browsers: Learning Goals: Understand how to use the browser for multiple purposes and how to manage web-based information resources.; Key Concepts: Preferences, security, cookies, bookmarks, helpers, plug-ins, printing, mailing, saving pages; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

E-mail Basics: Learning Goals: Understand the basic methods of sending mail and appropriate uses of email.; Key Concepts: E-mail addresses, sending and reading messages, attachments, managing mailboxes, netiquette; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Social Networks: Learning Goals: Understand how to subscribe to mailing lists, read newsgroups, web forums, use social bookmarking sites, wikis, blogs, networks like Facebook, find information in FAQs, archives, and specialized search engines.; Key Concepts: Mailing lists, discussion groups, social networks, bookmarking, wikis, blogs, FAQs, list archives; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Web Search Tools: Learning Goals: Understand how search tools are constructed, how to choose between types, and how to use browsing/searching tools effectively.; Key Concepts: Directory, index (search engine), meta-searcher, relevance ranking.; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Specialized Databases: Learning Goals: Learn how and why to use specialized databases to enhance and focus your Web searching.; Key Concepts: Records, fields, scope, thesaurus, controlled vocabulary, full-text, bibliographic, fee-based.; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Research Techniques

Smart Research Strategies: Learning Goals: Understand how to develop a research plan and to determine which kinds of resources will be useful for a particular project.; Key Concepts: Background, scholarly analysis, facts, multimedia, time frames, finding aids; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Searching 101: Learning Goals: Understand database search techniques that apply to a wide variety of electronic resources (online catalog, periodical indexes, Internet) and strategies for improving your retrieval.; Key Concepts: Boolean, proximity, fielded search, keyword, subject, limits, truncation.; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Searching the Library Catalog: Learning Goals: Practice basic techniques for searching the Web version of the OSU Libraries' catalog (also called OSCAR).; Key Concepts: Word search, subject, medical subject, cross reference, limiting, marking record, exporting record, OhioLINK, location, call number, status; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Finding Articles: Learning Goals: Discusses types of articles, characteristics of scholarly journal articles, searching for articles using periodical indexes (databases), locating them online and in the library, and techniques for judging the value of articles for research purposes.; Key Concepts: Types of periodicals, periodical indexes, locating articles, evaluating articles; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Evaluating Web Sites: Learning Goals: Learn specific techniques for assessing credibility and usefulness of web-based resources.; Key Concepts: Authority, credibility are key in an environment without filters; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Using Information: Learning Goals: Understand how intellectual property concepts apply to Internet resources and techniques for creating bibliographic references to Internet information sources.; Key Concepts: Copyright, fair use, Creative Commons, citation, bibliography, style manuals; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

Special Topics

Careers and Employment: Learning Goals: Learn about web sites and other sources for identifying interests, career and salary data, graduate schools and finding jobs.; Key Concepts: self assessment, salary survey, college ranking, internship, classified ad, company web site; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

History Research: Learning Goals: Learn about web and online library resources for finding primary and secondary historical sources and data.; Key Concepts: primary source, secondary source, census data, scholarly review, web guide, web index, online periodical index, OSCAR limiting, subject heading; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes

News Sources: Learning Goals: Learn where to look for news stories on the Net and using online library resources.; Key Concepts: Breaking news, broadcast news sources, national and local newspapers, newspaper archives, personalized news services, news databases.; Timeframe: 15-30 minutes