Contact Steve Witt to schedule your course for instruction.
Instruction Options for Global Studies Courses at the University of Illinois
The International and Area Studies Library (IASL) at the University of Illinois offers a range of instruction sessions tailored to support Global Studies courses. These sessions are designed to build core competencies in international and area studies research, equipping students with the skills necessary to navigate and critically evaluate a complex, multilingual, and interdisciplinary information landscape. Instruction is divided into sessions for lower-level undergraduate courses and upper-level undergraduate courses, ensuring a progression of skills as students advance in their studies. Each session aligns with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, fostering a deeper understanding of the research process and the value of information in global and regional contexts.
Lower-Level Undergraduate Courses: Foundational Research Skills
For students in lower-level undergraduate courses, instruction focuses on the development of foundational skills in information identification and research strategies. Students learn to identify and refine researchable topics in international and area studies, navigate library search tools, and locate books, periodicals, and articles relevant to their inquiries. Sessions introduce multilingual and cultural context awareness, teaching students to use translation tools and consider how cultural perspectives influence knowledge production and dissemination.
Students also gain experience in evaluating diverse sources, such as handbooks, bibliographies, and both open-access and subscription-based databases, with an emphasis on recognizing biases and assessing their impact on research. Citation and academic integrity are key components, with instruction covering proper citation practices, commonly used citation styles, and tools like Zotero. Discussions on the use of AI in academic research and writing are also integrated, encouraging ethical and informed use of technology.
Upper-Level Undergraduate Courses: Advanced Research Skills and Critical Analysis
Instruction for upper-level undergraduate courses builds on foundational skills, introducing students to advanced research strategies and digital literacy tools. Students explore subject-specific databases, complex search strategies, and transliteration systems to locate and synthesize multilingual resources. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary approaches that draw on diverse fields such as history, political science, and economics, fostering a comprehensive understanding of global issues.
Specialized sessions focus on the use of grey literature, teaching students to locate, evaluate, and integrate non-traditional sources such as reports, government publications, and white papers. These sessions also delve into ethical and legal considerations in international research, addressing topics like indigenous rights, cultural sensitivity, and copyright laws. Students are encouraged to critically analyze how regional perspectives and cultural biases influence research outcomes, preparing them to produce nuanced and ethically informed scholarship.
Alignment with ACRL Framework for Information Literacy
All instruction sessions are grounded in the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, which emphasizes concepts such as Authority Is Constructed and Contextual, Information Creation as a Process, and Searching as Strategic Exploration. Students are encouraged to view research as an iterative process, engage with scholarship as a global conversation, and value information as a resource shaped by economic, legal, and social influences.
These tailored instruction sessions offered by the IASL equip Global Studies students with the research competencies and critical thinking skills necessary for success in an increasingly interconnected and information-driven world. Through hands-on guidance and interdisciplinary approaches, students are empowered to navigate the complexities of global and regional research with confidence and integrity.