RefWorks Sub-Group

Added by Dana Thomas, last edited by Kate Davis on Aug 25, 2008  (view change)

Objectives

1.  Best practices in OCUL
2.  Sharing with "learning commons" campus parners.
3.  Wiki for user guides, tips, etc.
4.  Common "citation centre" relating to style guides.
5.  User evaluation.

 Objective 1 - Best Practices in OCUL

This objective relates to RefWorks instruction and instructional materials.  How is RefWorks currently taught at OCUL institutions?  What is working/not working in our RefWorks library instruction?  Can we learn anything from institutions beyond the OCUL group?

Tasks:  

  •  Connect with librarians at other OCUL institutions who are responsible for RefWorks and engage in discussion.
  •  Collect points commonly agreed upon from discussions to create best practices document for RW instruction.
  •  Survey materials available online to support RefWorks end users in self-directed learning.
  •  Identify institutions outside OCUL -- outside Canada using RefWorks and collect materials/course descriptions of interest.

Timeline?  Who would like to work on this objective?

 Objective 2 - Sharing with Learning Commons Campus Partners

RefWorks blurs the boundaries between traditional library instruction, teaching technology, and teaching writing and citation skills.  This provides an excellent opportunity for us to connect with various groups within our institutions that are outside the library.  Can PSWG gather some wisdom about ways to promote collaboration and to obtain support from these groups?  To what extent should groups outside the library support RefWorks?  Promotion only?  Basic instruction?

Tasks:

  • Identify groups within OCUL institutions whose activities lend themselves to teaching or promoting RefWorks.
  • Identify institutions that have succeeded in partnering with these groups.  What were the strategies used to gain support?  How were these groups approached?
  • Identify the types of collaboration that currently exist.
  • Identify institutions that have succeeded in partnering with these groups (within and beyond OCUL).  What were the strategies used to gain support?  How were writing centres approached?
  • What type of instruction and support is offered for RefWorks at writing centres?

Timeline?  Who would like to work on this objective?

Dana

 Objective 3 - Wiki for User Guides, Tips, etc.

Storing materials such as the database instructions for exporting/importing references to RefWorks, troubleshooting guides and FAQs on a Wiki would enable OCUL librarians to share their work and cut down on some of the time required to maintain these guides.  A central location for materials, status of known issues and requests, etc. on the SPOT docs wiki has already been created.

Tasks: 

  • Promote the SPOT docs wiki to the OCUL RefWorks librarians.
  • Investigate the "who does what" question.  Do individuals want to continue to monitor changes made to all interfaces and maintain local guides, or can we agree to divide the responsibility?
  • Look at SPOT docs vs. CORIL, promote their respective purposes and encourage contribution.

Timeline? 

Stacy Allison-Cassin (York) 

 Objective 4 - Common Citation Centre Relating to Style Guides

Create a citation centre that encorporates the best of online style guides, and is geared towards RefWorks users.

Tasks:

  • Identify the best of the web-based guides for the main citation styles:  APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian.
  • Identify the knowledge of citation style and practices required in order to use RefWorks effectively.
  • For the above point, also then identify elements that could be taught or described in a citation centre.
  • Create information that speaks to what RefWorks does not do and that individuals need to learn on their own.
  • Look for resources that may help students distinguish between different types of online resources (i.e. e-journals vs. conference proceedings vs. website vs. online report vs. e-book, etc.)

 Heather Matheson, Carleton

 Objective 5 - User Evaluation

Gather feedback about RefWorks from end users.  This objective depends upon the user panel.

  • Identify target points that we'd like to collect data about re: RefWorks.
  • Choose (an) instrument(s)/method(s) to gather feedback from end users. 

Mita Williams (Windsor)

Members

Stacy Allison, York

Jim Brett, Guelph

Dana Thomas, Ryerson

Mita Williams, Windsor

Heather Matheson, Carleton

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