Research Article: “Impact of Library Instruction: Do First-Year Medical Students Use Library Resources Specifically Highlighted During Instructional Sessions?”
Here’s a new full text article appearing in the July 2013 issue of the Journal of the Medical Library Association.
Title
Author
Ryan S. Rafferty
University of Illinois
Source
Journal of the Medical Library Association
Vol 101 No 3
Abstract
Objectives
The research sought to determine if first-year medical students consulted and cited resources specifically highlighted during library instructional sessions.
Methods
Students attended a library resources instructional session. Resources that pertained to the students’ assignment were demonstrated and discussed. The students created a report including citations from relevant literature. The citations were analyzed and categorized as: a resource discussed at the instructional session, a resource found on the course LibGuide, a library resource, course material, or some other resource. All citations were subcategorized as print or electronic.
Results
Three years (2008–2011) of data analyzing 2,983 citations showed that 49.55% of all citations were from resources discussed during library instructional sessions; 21.86% came from resources with links on the course LibGuide; 77.51% were from library resources; and 90.68% came from electronic resources.
Conclusion
Students cited resources specifically highlighted during library instructional sessions for their assignments. The percentage of all citations coming from resources highlighted during the instructional sessions or found on the course LibGuide indicates that library instruction had an impact on the students’ work.
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Filed under: Data Files, Libraries, News
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.