Weber State University
Dr. Wade Kotter
 Wednesday, 10:00-10:50 am
LI 138

Schedule	Instructor	Description	Objectives
Requirements	Grading	Expectations	Reserve

Schedule:

Date	Topic, Activities	Exercises & Quizes
8/27	Introduction and Orientation
9/3	The Research Process
9/10	Basic Search Techniques and the Online Catlaog	Exercise 1 Due
9/17	Internet Resources in the Social Sciences
9/24	Evaluating Internet Information
10/1	Reference Resources in the Social Sciences	Exercise 2 Due
10/8	Evaluating Reference Resources	Quiz 1
10/15	Article Databases in the Social Sciences
10/22	Advanced Search Techniques	Exercise 3 Due
10/29	Evaluating Articles
11/5	Documenting Your Research
11/12	Documenting Your Research (cont.)	Quiz 2
11/19	Creating Annotations	Exercise 4 Due
11/26	Information Ethics: Copyright & Plagiarism
12/3	Review and Student Evaluations	Annotated Bibliography Due

Instructor:

Dr. Wade Kotter
Social Sciences Librarian

Office:            LI 141
Phone:           626-7458
Email:            wkotter@weber.edu
Office Hours:  By appointment

Description:

Intended for students interested in the social sciences, this one-credit hour course will assist you in developing information literacy and basic research skills to support life-long learning. You will develop skills in identifying, locating, retrieving, documenting and critically evaluating both electronic and print resources that are appropriate for undergraduate research, with an emphasis on the social sciences. Completing this course fulfills Part D of the WSU Computer & Information Literacy requirement. Prerequisite: At lease one Social Science General Education Course.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, each student will be able to:

• Identify and articulate their information needs in the social sciences
• Develop an effective research strategy to fulfill their information needs
• Identify, locate and evaluate information resources appropriate for research in the social sciences
• Use an appropriate style manual to accurately document the results of their research
• Explain the importance of such concepts as copyright and plagiarism

Course Requirements:

• Attendance: Success in this class requires regular attendance. Roll will be taken during the first part of each class session. Any student missing more than three class periods without an acceptable excuse will have her/his final grade reduced by one letter (for example, A- to B-, or C+ to D+). The instructor's decision on the acceptability of an excuse is final.
• Exercises (40 points each; 160 total): Four exercises, each of them requiring hands-on application of skills introduced in class, will be assigned during the semester. Students should ask for assistance from the instructor and/or a reference librarian whenever they need assistance. Students are required to hand in each exercise in class on the date indicated on the course schedule. Four points will be subtracted from your score for each school day that the assignment is late. There will be no exceptions to this policy .
• Quizzes (30 points each; 60 total): Two objective quizzes are scheduled during the semester. Students are required to take the quizzes as scheduled. There will be no exceptions to this policy.
• Annotated Bibliography (280 points): Each student is required to submit an annotated bibliography on an instructor-approved social science topic of their choice by the last day of class. There will be no exceptions to this deadline. Detailed instructions will be distributed during the second week of class.
• Academic Dishonesty: Cheating, plagiarism and all other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students are expected to abide by the Student Code as printed in the WSU Student Handbook.  Proof of academic dishonesty will result in a final grade of E for the course, and the circumstances will be reported to appropriate university authorities.
• Services for Students with Disabilities: Any student requiring accommodations or services due to a disability must register with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Services Center. SSD can also arrange to provide course materials (including this syllabus) in alternative formats if necessary.

Grading:

500 points are possible, distributed as follows:

4 Exercises (40 points each)  160 points
2 Quizzes (30 points each)      60 points
Annotated Bibliography         280 points
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                                              500 total points

Final grades will be assigned based on the following scale:

460-500 = A
450-459 = A-
440-449 = B+
410-439 = B
400-409 = B-
390-399 = C+
360-389 = C
350-359 = C-
340-349 = D+
310-339 = D
300-309 = D-
000-299 = E

Expectations:

You Can Expect Me:

• To start class promptly
• To be prepared for each class period
• To give you the chance to ask questions
• To give prompt feedback on quizzes, exercises, and projects
• To be courteous and respectful

In Return, I Expect You:

• To be in your seat when class begins
• To let me know if you are going to miss class or need to leave early
• To ask questions
• To take responsibility for your own learning
• To be courteous and respectful by not talking during class and by turning off cell phones and beepers

Reserve:

The following title is on reserve under Reference:

American Psychological Association.  (2001).  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
      (5th ed.).   Washington, DC:  American Psychological Association.

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