Library

Library




Information Research Skills

The USP Library offers a range of user education services to help library users find and evaluate information more efficiently and effectively

 

User Education at USP Library includes:


Information Research Skills


Background


In the first semester of 2002, the Library launched the Information Literacy Programme "Information Literacy @ the USP Library" aimed at developing information skills for lifelong learning. It was renamed Information Research Skills (IRS) in 2013.

 

What is information literacy?


A set of abilities acquired by individuals to:

  • recognize when information is needed
  • locate information to answer the need
  • evaluate and select the right information by using critical thinking
  • use effectively the needed information to create a product (i.e. an essay, a research paper, or just to make a basic decision)

Objectives of IRS

To empower the students with the necessary skills to become information literate.


“Ultimately information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organised, how to find information and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning, because they can always find the information needed for any decision or task at hand.” American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report, 1989


Information Skills Classes

These are available as sign-up classes (Library Foyer) or may be arranged by academic staff in consultation with the Reader Services Librarian and Liaison Librarians. The hyperlinks below, are not meant to be stand alone course modules, but rather the slides/handouts that accompany the in-class presentation and can be used as refreshers of the information provided.

Module 1

Resources at the USP Library

Handouts PDF - Resources Available at the USP Library

Module 2

Accessing the USP Library catalogue

Handouts PDF - Searching the Online Catalogue

Module 3

Untangle the Web: Using the Internet to Find Information

Handouts PDF 1 - Untangle the Web

Handouts PDF 2 - Introduction to the Web

Handouts PDF 3 - Using the WWW to find Information


Module 4

Evaluating Information Sources

Handouts PDF - Critically Evaluating Information Sources


Module 5

Citing Your Sources and Creating Your Bibliography

Handouts PDF - Information Searching, Citing Sources

Supplement - Bibliographic citation styles: Citing your sources

Module 6

Searching the ProQuest Database

Module 7

Searching the ISI Databases

 

Searching the Web of Science 

Module 8

Chemical Abstracts

Handouts PDF 1- Using Chemical Abtracts 

For further information,

Please Contact:
The Librarian (Reader Services),
The University of the South Pacific Library,
Suva, Fiji
Tel.: +679 323 2287
Fax: +679 323 1528
Email: readservices(at)usp.ac.fj

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Library Tours

Library tours are conducted each semester and can also be organised for specific courses and academic programme. Contact the Readers Services Librarian on Ext. 32287 to organise a tour of the library. An Orientation Package comprising the individual library brochures is given to all borrowers upon registration. The Orientation package, and printed guides are available at the Information Desk.

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Page updated: Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Library
The University of the South Pacific
Private Bag, Laucala Campus,
Suva, Fiji
Tel: +679 323 2402/323 2050
Email:library@usp.ac.fj