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Research Methods with People & the Environment Focus (INFS 2010)
Total Credits:
3
Lecture Credits:
3
Description:
This course introduces information literacy and research skills with a focus on environmental issues. You will learn how to organize a strategy for finding information, how to use print and digital sources to locate information, and how to analyze and evaluate information found. Your research will focus on exploring today's complex environmental challenges; including the inter-relatedness of human society and the natural environment.
Topical Outline:
1. Introduction to issues and theories concerning the production, organization and dissemination of information in a diverse democratic society
2. Introduction to issues and theories in environmental studies and environmental research
3. Introduction to discipline based academic research and approaches with a focus on research in humans’ relationship to the environment
4. Develop students' ability to employ appropriate search syntax to construct database searches to locate information related to environmental and human/environment research topics
5. Develop students' ability to critically evaluate and analyze information to support academic research needs
6. Explore the ethical uses of information, including: academic honesty, intellectual freedom, copyright and plagiarism
Learning Outcomes:
1. Identify and articulate how knowledge is produced, organized and distributed in a democratic society.
2. Identify and articulate how information and knowledge is affected by cultural, political and economic factors, including intellectual property rights and intellectual freedom.
3. Analyze the complexity of environmental challenges and the interrelatedness of human society and the natural environment and propose solutions.
4. Determine the proper tool needed to locate desired information and use an appropriate search strategy to locate the information.
5. Apply appropriate library-based research tools and classification systems.
6. Critically examine information and determine its authenticity, credibility, intellectual content, bias, and explain how the information supports one’s research topic.
Prerequisites:
Placement into
ENGL 1110 or completion of
ENGL 0900 or
ENGA 0900 or
ESOL 0051
MnTC: