I’m in the process of curating resources for assignment 2, The library research guide. Having previously made pathfinders I thought this assignment would be straightforward. However, I have come to realise that there is so much to think about when curating resources for the research guide.

More than a Google search

Research guides are so much more than doing a broad Google search and trawling through the pages to find something that I think is suitable, then copying and pasting the URL. The curation of these resources relies on the TL understanding not only the topic area, but the students who will be accessing the research guide. The research guide also needs to embed research literacy skills, so students get the research guide is more than a collection of resources; it explains how to use the resources to get the most value out of them. Appropriate annotations of the resources allows students to navigate the resources and use them more effectively. In this way, the research guide supports students in navigating a range of quality resources and avoiding the infoglut of a poorly executed Google search.

Accessibility and readability

I hadn’t previously considered the readability or accessibility of resources but now realise that this is so important. If students are presented with a resource that is not suitable for their needs, then it is of little use. There are several readability checkers available online including Experte and Sitechecker.

The readability score (scale of 0-100). The following table shows the ranges

(Image from https://www.experte.com/readability-checker)

The access of the resources is also important. Different students have different needs when it comes to access and these must be considered in the creation of a research guide. The research guide that I am currently creating is focusing on the Year 8 history topic: Japan under the Shoguns. While researching suitable sites I discovered that there are sites available that have a read aloud function for many of the articles. This function is available on worldhistory.org and School Britannica. It is also available on many eBooks. This function allows students of lower reading abilities to access resources that they may otherwise not access.

Information literacy

To ensure the research guide is more than curated resources it is important to embed information literacy skills. Links to effective note-taking skills, note-taking templates and information about effective research skills are paramount. It’s one thing for students to access the resources, it’s another to support them in effective notetaking and research. The inclusion of instructional videos and clear templates support students to navigate and get the most out of the research guide.

Be sure to

Final hot tips for a great research guide

• Know your students
• Know the curriculum
• Use the readability checkers
  • Check the readability of each web resources
  • Check the readability of the research guide
• Embed information literacy skills
  • Notetaking templates
  • Notetaking skill information
  • Boolean operators
• Easy navigation of the research guide
  • Visually appealing but not distracting
  • Working links
  • Appropriate annotations
  • Modelling of correct referencing