English 101 Information Literacy Competencies

Please note that English 101 is one of the foundational courses in NKU's information literacy sequential curriculum. The English 101 library component is intended to be an introduction to the research basics needed for a freshman-level paper or project. Different foundational research components are introduced in University 101, Public Speaking 101, and English 291 and are not duplicated in the library's English 101 curriculum. This approach addresses students' concerns that they not receive redundant instruction. See our handbook, which accompanies NKU's Writing Instruction Program faculty handbook, for complete information on the program.

The library component of English 101 emphasizes the following competencies:

  1. Explore general information sources to increase familiarity with topics; select and refine a topic
  2. Understand that some types of sources (books, magazines, newspapers, web sites, recordings) may be more useful than others for a given research need
  3. Successfully navigate within Steely Library (the physical and virtual facilities) and locate major collections
  4. Understand that information is organized and that there are standard systems for retrieving it
  5. Begin to understand the differences in scope among various types of access tools (online catalogs, indexes, bibliographies, search engines, etc.)
  6. Investigate the scope, content, and organization of the print and electronic information retrieval systems being used
  7. Identify key concepts and terms that describe the information needed
  8. Begin to understand the differences between controlled vocabulary and keyword searching
  9. Understand basic Boolean searching and practice using it in the search process
  10. Use database "help screens" to identify proper commands and correct syntax
  11. Interpret citations in order to identify the material they represent (book, chapter, article, web page, government document, etc.)
  12. Record all pertinent information for future reference
  13. Retrieve materials, using search systems to retrieve full-text information in electronic formats, classification schemes and the online catalog to locate sources within the library, and SourceFinder, document delivery or direct borrowing services for sources outside the institution