I adapted this assignment to work in a 55 minute class period. I did a 25 minute presentation introducing the concept of a literature review and scholarship as conversation. Students, in pairs, did a 10 minute activity searching for 2 source types in a relevant database.

Video included from BYU: https://youtu.be/9vkpCvGxgqw

Activity Handout Text Example:

"
Pick a topic in the subject of this course that interests you; Examples of topics you might choose include: marriage in Asian countries or the history of public schools in the United States.
Topic: ___________________________________________________________________________
Go the libraries’ research guides at https://research.cuw.edu/. Click on the blue button “Databases by Subject”. Choose one of the following subject areas that most closely reflects your topic, and underline it:

• Social Sciences
• Criminal Justice
• Counseling, Psychology & Social Work
• Education

Click the “+” to see of a list of databases for that subject area. Use the descriptions of each database on the page A-Z databases (on the left side page menu) to decide which source you could find in what databases.

Find one of each of the following types of sources, keeping your topic in mind.
Source 1: Primary source
(examples: demographic statistics, diary, text of legislation, video of an interview)
In which database (ProQuest Central, PsychINFO, Sociology Database) did you find this source?
Search terms used to find the source:
How do you know this is a primary source?
What unique purpose does a primary source bring to a research paper or project on this topic?

Source 2: Research Study
(examples: study of the effects of gender bias in hiring, analysis of a military campaign, ethnographic study of a tribe or city)
In which database (ProQuest Central, PsychINFO, Sociology Database) did you find this source?
Search terms used to find the source:
How do you know this is a research study?
What unique purpose does a research study bring to a research paper or project on this topic?

Source 3: Literature Review
(examples: review of 20 years of research on political ads, compilation of most influential public policy research)
In which resource (e.g., library catalog, ProQuest) did you find this source?
Search terms used to find the source:
How do you know this is a literature review?
What unique purpose does a literature review bring to a research paper or project on this topic?