It has been some time since you were a novice researcher, and it might be difficult to remember what it was like to be new to the literature and to the tools used to access it. Leckie (1996) sheds light on the "expert researcher" model and explains why assignments based on the expert researcher model can cause problems for students who are still novice researchers.Key characteristics of the expert researcher model are (1) a long process of acculturation to the field, (2) knowledge of the discipline and supporting fields, and (3) well-developed personal information seeking strategies. Unfortunately, this model does not work well for novice researchers. Many students, especially undergraduates and those who are new to their field of study, do not have a good grasp yet on the body of knowledge of their disciplines. While they may be familiar with textbooks and some influential journals, they probably have not gained enough knowledge of the subject matter to handle what we might consider basic assignments.
Novice researchers can find the uncertainty that is a normal part of research to be unbearable - they don't know how to focus their topic to a manageable idea, and they don't have the time or patience to do the wide background reading they need to do to be able to focus their topic.
Novice researchers tend not to understand the structure of the scholarly literature and neither do they understand how to find and use appropriate material. Can students tell the difference between a research article, a review article, and an opinion article? The question seems rhetorical to experts -- this is an easy task; of course, students can do it -- but in fact, the students may not be able to do it.
Novice researchers vary in terms of their abilities to think critically about the information they find in their searches. A student with less developed critical thinking skills may be frustrated with contradictory information, ultimately ignoring the information that contradicts the information he thinks is right.
These issues can contribute to a student feeling anxious about what is expected of him for the assignment and, if the student performs poorly on an assignment, increased anxiety about his ability to succeed. Increasing levels of anxiety may negatively influence future assignments.
As with any assignment, assignments requiring the use of information resources need to be carefully designed. Make sure the assignment is geared a little higher than the skill levels of the students. You want the assignment to be challenging, so that the students' skills improve, but not so difficult that the students are unable to demonstrate what you are asking them to demonstrate.Try to keep tabs on how students are doing with their assignments. For semester-long projects, you could design the assignment to be turned in in stages, or require that a research journal be submitted regularly for review. Focused minute papers throughout the semester can also be used.
As necessary, refer students to see a librarian for help with finding relevant information resources. They can stop by any of our libraries and talk to a reference librarian; they can also call, email, or send us an IM. Appointments can also be made with a librarian; they usually last 30-45 minutes and address the student's questions and issues. (Appointments are not just for students; you can also set up an appointment with a librarian for yourself.)
Leckie, G. J. (1996). Desperately seeking citations: Uncovering faculty assumptions about the undergraduate research process. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 22 (3): 201-8. Available online from the OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center
