Most undergraduates have a vague idea as to what academic research is and how to do it. When we ask students to define what they think the term "research" means, we have found that most students believe research to be a rudimentary rehash of publications. It helps students to have the term "research" defined for them (again and again!) in the context of a specific discipline (What is research? screencast) and/or assignment. Having goals for research defined and established ahead of time (expectations about research beyond just the style guide format) also makes the evaluation process more transparent.
Here is a set of general standards for students to meet to demonstrate critical thinking and information literacy, the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. The Research Evaluation Rubric below uses the three levels of Beginning - Competent - Excellent for a set of skills that would be ideal for all Temple students to have acquired by graduation.
Use the "10 Ways" to help students achieve these standards.
