Library Research Competencies

During the course of their time at Reed, students should advance beyond basic library skills, eventually gaining a broad understanding of the nature and organization of information resources and the ability to formulate and carry out library research in their chosen disciplines. The following list of competencies suggests appropriate levels of knowledge about library services and collections, as well as other information resources, to be acquired during successive stages of a Reed education.

Collectively, these competencies build toward an understanding of library research as a process. In order to reach a sufficient proficiency of information resources to support thesis research, it is suggested that most research competencies be acquired prior to the senior year.

First-year level competencies

First-year level students are able to:

access and use the library website, resources, and services
discover print and electronic books, articles, and other materials using the library catalog, databases, and other relevant resources
find and use library's print and electronic course reserves
distinguish between primary texts and critical works/secondary sources
use citations found in databases, notes, bibliographies, and other resources to locate books and journal articles
understand concepts of authority in scholarship and critically evaluate sources

Sophomore & junior level competencies

Sophomore & junior level students are able to:

understand and explore databases, reference sources, research guides, and other resources in their major disciplines
locate and obtain books and journal articles from libraries beyond Reed
locate and critically evaluate non scholarly resources, such as news, social media, etc.
locate and critically evaluate primary resources specific to the discipline, such as images, media, data, or legal information
understand how to correctly cite sources and use discipline specific citation style guides
collect, organize, and manage research using citation management software such as Zotero
understand issues relating to the ethical use of information, including concepts of intellectual property, copyright, proper citation, and attribution

Senior & thesis level competencies

Senior & thesis level students are able to:

locate, obtain, and critically evaluate specialized information resources to support thesis research
understand and apply discipline research methods
incorporate proper citation procedures into thesis including intellectual property, copyright, proper citation, and attribution
format their thesis according to Reed College requirements and appropriate style manual