Elements of Effective Research Assignments

Research assignments are most effective when they:

• clearly state goals and objectives
• are directly related to course content
• are closely tied to learning outcomes for the course
• produce tangible & meaningful output
• teach lasting or transferrable skills
• provide clear, specific instructions
• indicate criteria or standards by which assignment will be evaluated
• are communicated in writing and discussed in class

Keep in mind:

• students often know less about research than you (and they) think
• student often have difficulty defining the appropriate scope of topics
• students may lack knowledge of:
  • the scholarly communication process
  • the concept of peer review
  • relevant journals
  • cornerstone monographs
  • important authors/researchers
  • appropriate places to search for scholarly information
  • how to critically evaluate search results and sources