Life @ Otis

Information Literacy Tutorials

All students must learn basic college-level research skills during their first semester at Otis. The self-paced tutorials below are recommended. Choose a learning style that works for you.

Librarians are always available to answer questions, offer additional instruction, and provide reference assistance. Just ask.

Skills you need to master.	Pick an OPTION. Then complete ALL the tutorials in that column.
	Option 1: Simple Guides to Read	Option 2: Movies or Interactive Tutorials

What is Info Lit? ►	Information Competency at Otis Introduction to Information Literacy from the Association of College & Research Libraries	Otis YouTube Video: What is Information Literacy?

Know the Otis Library ►	About the Library About Call Numbers	Quick Library Tour ( 5 min. YouTube video)

Beginning Research, Choosing a Topic, Search Terms, and Narrowing the Topic ►	Example of How to Begin Researching a Topic How to Clarify Your Topic	Doing Research: An Introduction to the Concepts of Online Searching from University of Illinois Map Your Topic from Queensland University of Technology Research Paper Calculator from Tufts University

Finding Articles in Online Subscription Databases ►	Finding Articles in Periodicals About Periodical Indexes About Databases About Keyword Searching	Databases! from USF Tampa Library YouTube video about "Library Guy" who shows up in the nick of time to tell you the secrets of the internet, namely Databases.

Choosing Appropriate Databases for Specific Research Needs ►	How to Clarify Your Topic Guide to Using Art FT PDF from Wilson Web	"Seeking Information" Tutorial (5 min. Flash animation) from University of Colorado Choosing a Database short Flash tutorial from from University of Colorado

Identifying Types of Information ►	Types of Information	Otis YouTube video: Identify Your Sources What Makes a Journal Scholarly interactive tutorial with quizzes from Rutgers University

Evaluating Sources ►	Criteria for Evaluating Information	Evaluating Information In-depth interactive tutorial with quizzes from University of Newcastle Credible Sources Count! 10 minute animated interactive tutorial from Acadia University

Using Search Engines and Searching the Web ►	About Web Search Engines	Searching Effectively Using Truncation interactive tutorial from Colorado State University Searching With Success 10 minutes animated interactive tutorial from Acadia University. How to Search the Web cute 5 minute animated movie from Colorado State University

Using Boolean Logic ►	Boolean Logic (advanced searching)	Boolean Operators Video 3 minute YouTube Video explaining the concept Using AND, OR, and NOT interactive tutorial from Colorado State

Analyzing Mass Media ►	Mass Media Facts & Strategies	The Information Cycle 10 minute movie tutorial from Penn State

Using Information Ethically ►	Copyright / Intellectual Property Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It	You Quote It, You Note It! Bruin Success with Less Stress Copyright and Creative Commons Flash Movies