Communication and Information Competency in Small Bytes

by John A. Cagle and Ross LaBaugh

Menu 
Introduction  
Need 
State problem 
Information requirements 
Locate & retrieve information 
Evaluate information 
Organize and Synthesize 
Communication options 
Writing  
Technological Tools 
Using research in writing 
Speaking 
Judging process  
Works Cited

Navigation Model of Information Competency

Purpose and Decision to Start

Rhetorical Need
Motivation
Planning and management of tasks over time

Problem Question

Generate Information Needs and Questions

General orientation to subject
Specific topics: events, chronology, people, issues, etc.
Identify key concepts and words

Personal

Documents

Library

Internet

 

Prior knowledge Brainstorming Clustering Outlining


Personal contacts
Interviews


Observation Notetaking

Letters
Reports
Maps
Organizational files and records
Brochures
Newsletters

Books

ALIS at Fresno State

Periodicals

Indexes and Abstracts

InfoTrac

Reference Books

Bibliographies
Encyclopedias
Biographical indexes

Government
Documents
On-line
Databases

Search tools
AltaVista
Webcrawler
Yahoo

Hot Topics

Useful websites
Libraries Museums Government Commercial Business Scholarly Professional Personal

Access Research Sources

Find and read materials
Use footnotes & bibliographies for additional leads
Revise and refine research question in light of new information

Notes and Records

Keep track of sources: build bibliography as you go

Take notes:
"Direct quotations"
Paraphrases
Important facts, statistics
Your comments in reaction to material

Organize as you go

Critically Analyze and Evaluate Information

Criteria for evaluating evidence

Pertinence to task and audience

Organize and Synthesize Information

Synthesizing a thesis

Selecting and apportioning developmental materials

Ciceronian organization principles:
exordium, narratio, partitio, confirmatio, confutatio, and conclusio

Communicating results of research to others

Essays and Research Papers

draft, revising, rewriting, and proofreading

Scholarly citation styles and formats:
MLA, APA, Chicago, Chemistry, Biology

Tech: Using Word

Reports

Speaking

Oral reports: Using PowerPoint

Written reports: Using Word in association with PowerPoint

Webpages & hyperlink essays

Links to HTML instructional sites

Instructions for creating webpages at Fresno State

Judging the communication product and the process

Evaluation of academic work: grading

Continuing role of information competencies in getting university education

 

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Communication and Information Competency in Small Bytes
Menu  Introduction   Need  State problem  Information requirements  Locate & retrieve information  Evaluate information  Organize and Synthesize  Communication options  Writing   Technological Tools  Using research in writing  Speaking  Judging process   Works Cited

ã 1998 by John A. Cagle, Professor of Communication, California State University, Fresno.

This information competency website was designed by John A. Cagle (Department of Communication) and Ross LaBaugh (Instructional Coordinator, Henry Madden Library) as part of a grant from the California State University.  It continues to be under construction.