A-Z Playlist

LibSkills Guide

A beginner’s guide to help new students learn about the services and resources available from the USF Libraries. Topics include:

• Connecting from off campus
• Reading call numbers
• Basic search skills
• Subject and Course Guides
• Inter-Library Loan
• Getting Help
• And more…

Workshop Level: Beginner
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APA Citation Style

This workshop provides an overview of why citation styles are used, the different parts of a citation, and the basics of using the APA citation style. Learning outcomes include:

• Explain the importance of citing sources
• Identify the parts of a citation
• Create a citation using APA style for books, journal articles, and web pages
• Create in-text citations and a reference list

Workshop Level: Foundational
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Avoiding Plagiarism

This module will cover some good practices about how to avoid plagiarism and how to cite your sources appropriately. After participating in this workshop you will be able to:

• Identify USF sanctions for students who plagiarize
• Define plagiarism
• Define “common knowledge”
• Identify types of plagiarism
• Be able to read citations for three major formats containing information (books, book chapters, articles)
• Identify three different citation styles
• Identify various tools to help you with citing your sources.

Workshop Level: Beginner
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Chicago Citation Style

This workshop provides an overview of why citation styles are used, the different parts of a citation, and the basics of using the Chicago citation style. Learning outcomes include:

• Explain the importance of citing sources
• Identify the parts of a citation
• Describe the differences between Chicago author-date style and Chicago notes and bibliography style
• Create a citation using Chicago style for books, journal articles, and web pages
• Create in-text citations and a reference list

Workshop Level: Foundational
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Creating a Research Topic (Goldilocks)

This workshop will help you identify workable topics for short, 8-10 page papers and other projects that will require you to write with sources. After completing this workshop you should be able to:

• Identify the components of the research process
• Identify types of sources that offer you basic and advanced information on a topic
• Identify characteristics that make a topic either too broad or too narrow
• Create a manageable topic or research question for a project
• Create a search plan by using concept maps that document search terms related to your research

Workshop Level: Foundational
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Data Literacy 1: Evaluating Graphs, Tables & Charts

This interactive workshop provides a brief overview of data literacy and how to understand data. Learning outcomes include:

• Critically evaluate data
• Explain the context in which data is used
• Cite data when using it in your research

Workshop Level: Foundational
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Help, I Need This! How Do I Find it?

Students often struggle with locating resources for which they are given a citation, but no other information. This workshop will help you understand how to find those materials. This module will enable you to identify :

• Location of style manuals in the Library.
• Citations for books, book chapters, print journal articles and online journal articles.
• Where to look to identify if the Library has the materials you need.
• How to obtain a source if the Library does not own it.

Workshop Level: Beginner
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It’s A TRAAP: Evaluating Sources

This module will introduce you to the concept of choosing and evaluating resources for college writing, and why & how you judge a resource before using it. After participating in this workshop, you will be able to:

• Identify research tools & resources available through the USF Libraries
• Define the term “authority” as it pertains to research
• Identify at least three indicators of authority when presented with a list of possible criteria
• Correctly identify each criterion of the TRAAP test
• Apply the TRAAP test to a set of provided examples

Workshop Level: Beginner
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MLA Citation Style

This workshop provides an overview of why citation styles are used, the different parts of a citation, and the basics of using the MLA citation style. Learning outcomes include:

• Explain the importance of citing sources
• Identify the parts of a citation
• Create a citation using MLA style for books, journal articles, and web pages
• Create in-text citations and a reference list

Workshop Level: Foundational
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Primary Sources in the Humanities

This workshop covers the differences between primary and secondary sources in the humanities and how to find primary sources for your research. Learning outcomes include:

• List the differences between primary and secondary sources
• Find primary sources in the library and online

Workshop Level: Foundational
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Primary Sources in the Sciences

This workshop describes the characteristics of primary and secondary sources in the sciences, provides examples, and describes how to use USF Libraries to find and evaluate primary sources in the sciences. Learning outcomes include:

• Define primary and secondary sources in the natural sciences
• Understand how primary sources in sciences differ from primary sources in humanities and social science disciplines
• Find a peer-reviewed primary article in a science topic using USF Libraries e-resources
• Critically read and evaluate a primary research article in the sciences

Workshop Level: Foundational
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Changes in Scholarly Perspectives

Our understanding of our world is always changing as we uncover new information and re-evaluate our existing beliefs. This workshop demonstrates how perspectives in disciplines have shifted over time, and learn about some of the drivers behind those shifts. After completing this workshop, you will be able to:

• Discuss, using sources taken from different time periods and provided to you, how the scholarly perspective has changed for a particular topic over time
• Identify possible causes for shifts in scholarly perspectives, such as changes in knowledge, understanding, or culture particular

Workshop Level: Intermediate
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Data Literacy 2: Interpreting Graphs, Tables, & Charts

This course will help you learn how to make sense of the graphs, tables, and charts that you often see when you’re gathering information for your research or project. After completing this course, participants will be able to…

• Explain why being able to correctly interpret quantitative evidence is important in research and career development
• Correctly identify examples of quantitative evidence when presented with examples of different kinds of data
• Correctly match a given set of example graphs, tables or charts with their corresponding textual descriptions/annotations
• Correctly interpret and explain the information being conveyed by a chart, table, or graph when presented with a series of examples
• Identify different methods that are sometimes employed to mislead readers when presented with quantitative evidence.
• Correctly identify misleading charts, tables, or graphs when presented with both sound and intentionally deceptive examples

Workshop Level: Intermediate
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EndNote Citation Management

Short instructional videos on the EndNote Citation Management Platform:

• Intro to EndNote
• Create an EndNote Library
• Import References into EndNote
• Organize References in EndNote
• Attach PDFs in EndNote
• Editing and Note Taking in EndNote
• Creating a Bibliography in EndNote
• EndNote Cite While You Write
• Syncing Your EndNote Library to EndNote Online
• Sharing Groups in EndNote

Workshop Level: Intermediate
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Finding Relevant Information for Research

This workshop will help you determine which resources will support your research efforts, and which ones might just lead you down the wrong path.
After completing this workshop, you will be able to:

• Articulate strategies for locating relevant sources of information as they pertain to the research question
• Determine the relevance of sources when provided with an example research question
• Identify additional search paths by employing hyperlinked terms in databases or bibliography citations

Workshop Level: Intermediate
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Introduction to Library Databases

This workshop introduces students to library databases, explains why they are used, and helps you choose the most appropriate database for your assignment. Learning outcomes include:

• Define the benefits of using library databases for your research
• Analyze research projects to determine which database(s) may be most appropriate to the project

Workshop Level: Intermediate
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Literature Reviews

This workshop is designed to introduce students to essential elements of the literature review. Topics covered include:

• The purpose and function of a literature review
• Developing a topic
• Identifying appropriate databases
• Using effective search strategies, such as Boolean logic, controlled vocabularies and cited reference searching.
• Evaluating sources
• Organizing the literature review

Workshop Level: Intermediate
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Opposing Claims

This workshop introduces the concepts of claims and hypotheses, and explores how library resources can be used as credible evidence to support a claim or hypothesis.
After participating in this workshop, you will be able to:

Workshop Level: Intermediate
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Scholarly Conversations & Modalities

This workshop will introduce the concept of academic or scholarly conversations and the different forms (or modalities) those conversations can take. After completing this workshop, you should be able to:

• Identify the correct definition of scholarly or academic conversation
• Identify the student’s role as an active participant in scholarly or academic conversations
• Differentiate between formal and informal modalities of scholarly conversations
• Identify some of the features inherent in scholarly or academic conversations
• Explain how the modality of the conversation can affect the pace of the conversation and scholarly publication cycle

Workshop Level: Intermediate
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Finding History

Finding resources for your History assignments and projects can be difficult. This module will help get you started with your historical research.
After completing this module, you will be able to:

• Identify databases for historical research
• Locate special collections and archival resources, physical and digital
• Find and evaluate primary and secondary sources
• Get sources the Library doesn’t have

Workshop Level: Mastery
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Library Resources for Marketing

This self-paced workshop will introduce you to some of the USF Libraries’ resources that you will use to complete your marketing plan assignment for your class. At the conclusion of this introductory workshop, you should be able to:

• Identify USF Libraries resources for locating information on companies, industries and products
• Identify the key questions and information components when researching companies and industries
• Identify specialized library databases for finding industry information
• Recognize the definition and purpose of NAICS codes
• Successfully execute searches in specialized databases to locate industry information by keyword, NAICS or SIC code
• Identify specialized databases for locating demographic and target audience data

Workshop Level: Mastery
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Creating Research Poster Presentations

This workshop guides students through the process of designing and presenting a research poster to in-person and virtual audiences. Learning outcomes include:

• Apply design principles to create an effective research poster
• Create visualizations of your research data
• Practice strategies for presenting your research to different audiences
• Increase the impact and visibility of your research project to further your academic or professional career

Workshop Level: Mastery
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