A Research Plan is a document of where and how the student plans to look for information resources. There is no standard format for plans, and students may find that their plans and their actual searching differ. A plan is a future-looking document, a sort of road-map to the types of information, sources, and finding tools they predict will help them find appropriate information resources. Think of it as planning a vacation itinerary, but knowing you may decide to visit the museum instead of the beach once you get to your destination.
Each plan will be unique to the discipline, course, assignment, and research question, but in general, should include:
Types of Information needed, such as:
Sources of Information to search for, such as:
Finding Tools to use when searching, such as:
A Note:
Many instructors default to requiring students to find only peer-reviewed scholarly articles. Forsyth Library encourages you to reflect on this requirement, and if it fits the needs of your assignment and discipline. In some cases, sources such as basic reference information, primary source artifacts, or public opinion may be the best fit for the information need. A source's authority depends on multiple factors, unique to the context of the need, not just on the traditional peer-reviewed model. Contact your Forsyth Library Liaison to consult about what required sources fit your assignment best.
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Design a research plan that (b) identifies appropriate information resources.
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Identifies information resources that are appropriate to the information need, including 0-1 of the following: A) Types of information B) Sources of information C) Finding tools to search for information |
Identifies information resources that are appropriate to the information need, including at least 2 of the following: A) Types of information B) Sources of information C) Finding tools to search for information |
Identifies information resources that are appropriate to the information need, including all of the following: A) Types of information (e.g. primary/secondary sources and qualitative/quantitative information) B) Sources of information (e.g. monographs, reference works, and periodical articles, and scholarly, peer-reviewed, trade, news, and sensational works) C) Specifically-named finding tools to search for information (e.g. specific academic library catalogs, scholarly databases, and web resources) |
Shows a deeper understanding of appropriate information needed for the information need, but not limited to: A) Types of information (e.g. tertiary sources or original data sets) B) Sources of information (e.g. archival materials, conference proceedings, expert interviews, and grey literature). C) Specifically-named specialized or discipline-specific finding tools (e.g. institutional and government repositories, archives, and open access databases/resources) |
CC BY-NC This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator
CC BY-NC Forsyth Library UNIV 301 Information Literacy
If inspired by this rubric, please acknowledge the work done by Forsyth Library for the UNIV 301 Information Literacy course in your documentation.
In UNIV 301 Information Literacy, after each of the first six modules, students add to their research plan, applying what they learned to their topic and research question. The work is reviewed and graded at each stage to allow instructor feedback and revision. The entire plan is later turned in as a whole for FHSU CORE assessment.
CC BY-NC This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator
CC BY-NC Forsyth Library UNIV 301 Information Literacy
If inspired by this assignment, please acknowledge the work done by Forsyth Library for the UNIV 301 Information Literacy course in your documentation.
Introduction to Information Literacy for Students by 
Concise Guide to Information Literacy by 
Information Literacy in the Digital Age by