Developing Internet research skills among criminology honours students and researchers in the Institute of Criminology, University of Cape Town : an evaluation of the methods and materials used for this purpose

Abstract

In order to assist honours students and researchers in the Criminology Department at theUniversity of Cape Town to fully utilise resources available through the Internet and other online databases, an online electronic research skills tutorial was developed and implemented. The aim of this research is to assess whether this tutorial is a useful and efficient method of imparting information literacy skills and assisting users to use the rich array of information available electronically. The concept of information literacy is reviewed internationally and in South Africa, in order to place this research within this framework. Concepts of benchmarking and best practice are examined to assess whether the tutorial meets these criteria. Internet trainer certification is studied as well as the importance of linking information tutorials to specific subjects and integrating them with the curriculum. In developing and implementing this tutorial, other information literacy initiatives and Internet tutorials were examined to provide background information and to inform the construction of the tutorial. Initiatives at the University of Cape Town were explored to avoid duplication and overlap and to build on prior training of students and researchers. The practical component of this research reviews the implementation of the tutorial with 13 participants. The participants completed pre-tutorial assessment questionnaires, using open and closed questions, to assess their knowledge and skills. The questionnaire responses were scored on a scale of I to 5 and represented in graphical form. The participants completed the online tutorial, which introduced important sites for criminologists that can be found on the Internet as well as in other electronic databases, and explored how to use the Internet to support research. The tools and techniques to improve Internet searching were reviewed with the participants, as was the critical thinking needed to evaluate information found on the Internet. A post-course evaluation was completed to assess whether the participants had found this a useful experience, whether the course was at an appropriate level and whether the objectives of the course had been achieved. A self-administered follow-up evaluation questionnaire was completed 2 to 3 months after completion of the tutorial in order to assess whether the information contained in the tutorial had been used, sites visited and whether in retrospect, the participants found the experience a useful one. The findings of these questionnaires are analysed and presented in graphical form on a scale of 1 to 5. The analysis of the research shows that the participants of this case study found the experience of doing thc online research skills tutorial a valuable one and that it assisted in developing new skills and in providing a window into all the electronic resources available in their field.