OUR Skills: Otago University Research Skills for undergrads: Introduction

The OUR Skills Modules have been created for First Year Students

Overall Goal: To  Provide a solid foundation of research knowledge and skills for students entering Higher Education.

Students will gain a basic understanding or awareness of the following research concepts by completing all four OUR Skills modules.

• 1.1 The concept of popular vs scholarly publishing.
• 1.2 The use of information beyond a given reading list adds credibility to an assignment.
• 1.3 Basic research tools and their strengths and weaknesses, including the Library homepage, Library Search | Ketu, and Course Reserve.
• 1.4 The relevance and appropriateness of different information sources for different purposes.
• 1.5 The basics of effective keyword searching.
• 1.6 The ethical use of information (e.g. University Guide to Academic Integrity).
• 1.7 The location of the physical libraries and basic services which are on offer.

There are four separate modules in OUR Skills which should be completed consecutively. Work through a variety of videos and interactive resources to improve your research skills and learn about academic integrity.

The Modules:

1 - Introduction to Library Services and Resources - the Library website, locations, hours, Subject Guides, Subject Librarians

2 - Scholarly, trade & popular journals - what is the difference and when should you use them

3 - Searching - How to find quality information for your assignment using Library Search | Ketu, subject guides and ProQuest

4- Academic Integrity and how to avoid plagiarizing information when writing your assignments