Supporting researchers using Information Literacy

A half-day event hosted by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and sponsored by the CSG Information Literacy Group

Where:  GCU, CPD Building CPD06/07,

When:   Monday 11^th July 12.00-4.30

 

This is a free event but places are limited.  To book a place contact Heather Marshall: [log in to unmask]

 

Programme:

12.10-12.30 Registration, coffee and biscuits

12.30-3.00 Prof. Sheila Corall and Ruth Stubbings

3.00-3.30 coffee break

3.30-4.30 Aileen Breen

Using the Researcher Development Framework to Develop Postgraduate Information Literacy

Professor Sheila Corrall, University of Sheffield, [log in to unmask] 

Ruth Stubbings, Loughborough University, [log in to unmask]

Background: The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a tool for planning the training and development of researchers and is the most significant development in research training since the recommendations of the Roberts Review (2002). It was formally launched in August 2010 by Vitae, the national organisation supporting the personal, professional and career development of research students and staff. The RDF and associated Researcher Development Statement (RDS) have replaced the Joint Skills Statement of the UK Research Councils (2001) as the skills benchmark for doctoral students, but with a more comprehensive competency framework, which also covers the knowledge, behaviours and attitudes needed by research staff and academics throughout their careers. A key change in the new framework is the explicit inclusion of Information Literacy, which features in several of the four domains and twelve sub-domains of the RDF (e.g. Knowledge base, Cognitive abilities, Professional conduct and Risk management).

The Research Information Network (RIN) Working Group on Information Handling is a coalition of interests spanning the academic/research and library/information domains, whose members include representatives of BAILER, CILIP, HEA, JISC, SCONUL and RLUK. The Working Group has collaborated with Vitae on the development of the information literacy components of the RDF and in mapping the competency descriptors against the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy as a step towards creating an ‘information handling and data management lens’ for the RDF to support information-related training for researchers. The Working Group has also collated examples of good practice in research training provided by university libraries for deposit in the Vitae Database of Practice and mapped the competencies covered against both the RDF and the Seven Pillars.

Workshop content: A representative of the RIN Working Group will introduce workshop participants to the RDF and show how information literacy fits into the different domains and sub-domains, using the Seven Pillars Model as a reference point. They will also provide a few examples of library courses and resources used to develop some of the competencies in the RDF. Participants will then work in small groups to discuss methods and tools for developing the information-related competencies represented in particular areas of the RDF, including areas currently under-represented in the examples of good practice collected by RIN. They will also be invited to suggest additional material for the database and ways of promoting good practice. Participants will be asked to record ideas on flipchart paper for sharing with the whole group. The workshop will conclude with a round-up of key points emerging from discussions.

Intended outcomes. By the end of the workshop participants will have:

·         gained an understanding of the purpose and content of the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) and Researcher Development Statement (RDS);

·         reflected on how the RDF can be used to support and contextualise information literacy training and development for research students and staff;

·         discussed specific methods and tools that could be used to develop key information literacy competencies in the RDF;

·         considered ways of promoting good practice in information-related training and development for researchers.

 

Bibliometrics support for the research community: the experience of 4 Irish University libraries collaboratively producing a suite of Open Access reusable learning objects

Ellen Breen, Dublin City University, [log in to unmask]

Bibliometrics is a set of methods used to measure research publications and is the primary approach being used to assess research impact . Increased collaboration between libraries is seen as one way to cope with demand and bibliometrics was identified as a suitable topic for this, as much of the basic material on sources, metrics and toolkits is generic and currently there is much duplication of effort across the library services.

The NDLR is the Irish National Digital Learning Resources repository. In 2010 4 of the 5 university libraries in Dublin made a successful bid for project funding from it. The brief was to produce a range of general materials, plus explore how to adapt and build on this to meet the special needs of particular subjects (Computer Science and Geography). This allowed us to explore the challenges that bibliometric analysis can present to subjects that are not so suited to this approach. The project resulted in small “Reusable Learning Objects” (RLOs) that can be selected and packaged in a number of ways for local use. Where possible these can be edited after download, so that subject examples and level of content can be adjusted to suit the context. A complete online tutorial was also produced as a complementary deliverable.

The time frame on this project was challenging, with the funding made available in mid-June and deliverables required by December. This paper will report on this project.