Engaging Conversation: Evaluating the Contribution of Library Instruction to the Quality of Student Research

Abstract

The study discussed in this article compared research papers before and after implementation of an inquiry-based library instruction program to assess the program’s effectiveness and consider its future development. The new program appears to have made a small difference in the types of materials students chose and how they found them. Little change was seen in how students used their sources. The evaluation has fostered increased collaboration between the library and the English department, and suggests that the programs can be further improved by providing more training for instructors and placing greater emphasis on the rhetorical approach to research.