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Creating Effective Library Research Assignments

Librarians from the UB Arts & Sciences Libraries are happy to help you create useful and educational library research assignments for your students. The suggestions listed below are offered to help make library research a positive experience for your students.

  1. As you begin to design the assignment for your course, consult with a librarian to discuss the purpose of the assignment and to determine whether the Libraries have sufficient resources to support your students' research. Take a look at Sample Library Research Assignments for ideas.

  2. Keep the assignment simple. Be clear in the instructions. If students have difficulty understanding what they are supposed to do, they will have trouble doing it.

  3. Prepare your students for the assignment. Tell them what purpose it serves, how it relates to the course goals, and your expectations for them. Check for understanding.

  4. Create your assignment so that the students are able to choose from a variety of topics. This will help avoid the problem of all students needing exactly the same resources at the same time, which can create frustruation when resources are limited.

  5. For more complex assignments, consider breaking the assignment into steps and assigning a deadline for each step.

  6. Do not assume that your students have had prior experience using the UB Libraries. For example, for many freshmen this may be their first time using an academic library and many of them are unfamilar with the importance of the journal literature.

  7. For assignments which require the use of limited resources, place material on Course Reserve.

  8. Avoid giving a scavenger hunt assignment. Asking students to locate random facts or locations is one of the least effective assignments. It lacks a clear purpose, teaches little, and is frustrating to students.

  9. Try doing the assignment yourself to make sure the materials can be found.

  10. At the beginning of the semester, complete an Assignment Alert for each assignment to assist reference librarians in helping students.