On the Rutgers RIOT program I did three sections (Finding Sources, Selecting Keywords, and Evaluating Sources). The tutorial was very helpful in that it pointed out a lot of specifics about how to get the best results for your research. The selecting keywords tutorial was helpful because it told you how to optimize your results so you can find better sources faster and spend more time writing and less time researching. Also, the finding sources tutorial told you about all the different databases and how they are each different. Because they are different, they have different sources and yield different results when you are searching. The tutorial encourages you to try all the databases and not to get frustrated if you hit a wall in one, but rather to refine your search a little bit more because it is possible that you can then find even better sources then you had.
I think that the Rutgers RIOT is a great teaching device. Since it is interactive it keeps you engaged and the length of time for each module is not that much. Also, if you were only interested in one part of the tutorial then you can go right to that module. The review notes are also helpful.
In terms of improving the tutorials, I really don't think they need any improvement. They were straight forward, short, and helpful. Eventually they will need to be updated to include more amenities of the Rutgers library system; however for now they are very up to date and very helpful.
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Thanks for posting. I felt the same way. This is a great resource.
ReplyDeleteYou're right: keywords are KEY to finding the right information. It's a good idea to keep track of useful keywords or to pay attention to words associated with useful items you find. For example, when you find a good book in IRIS, check out the subject headings associated with that book -- they may lead you to others like it.