Anatomy of a Term Paper--Break down the research process for a research paper by having students submit a clearly defined research question, proposed thesis statement,outline and an annotated bibliography.
Annotated Bibliography--Students properly cite sources (specify how many and what type of sources are permitted) they plan to use for a paper and provide descriptive or evaluative annotations for those source.
Biography--Choose a person relevant to the course material. Students use a variety of source types (biographical dictionaries, magazines, newspapers, scholarly sources, books) and deliver a presentation or write a biography of the person.
Debate--Students gather credible evidence to support either side of an argument.
Follow-up--Students are given an article and are asked to find sources that either support or refute the article.
Literature Review Analysis--Find two literature reviews on a topic or research question. Explain the purpose of literature reviews. Students compare the similarities and differences between the two reviews.
Literature Review Update--Students are given a literature review that is a few years old. Ask students to locate sources published since the literature review was published and to update it with new sources.
Research Diary/Log--Have students keep a record of library research completed, including sources used, search terms/keywords, databases used. Have them reflect on challenges or success throughout the research process.
Source Evaluation--Students work in small groups and examine a few sources on the same topic or research question. Ask students in their groups to identify indicators of quality and authority. Students then trace the research forward to see how the research conversation developed over time. Was their consensus among scholars or not?