In the Classroom edited by
Andrea Twiss-Brooks
Beyond Chemical Literature: Developing Skills for Chemical Research Literacy
John Crerar Library University of Chicago Chicago, IL 60637-1402
Dell Jensen, Jr.* and Richard Narske Chemistry Department, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois 61201 *
[email protected] Connie Ghinazzi Tredway Library, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois 61201
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Committee on Professional Training (CPT) presented new ACS Undergraduate Professional Education guidelines that were implemented in Spring 2008 (1). One notable change is the summary of student skills in section seven. This section discusses skills that chemistry graduates should master to become successful professionals. Many of these skill sets were implied in previous guidelines, but now they are clearly articulated in one place. We appreciate this change and would like to address two specific areas, Chemical Literature and Communication skills, and the incorporation of these skills into our curriculum. The previous and current guidelines suggest that a course in Chemical Literature is one way that undergraduates can be exposed to and learn how to retrieve information from the chemical literature, including chemical abstracts and other online database tools. We recognize that search and retrieval skills are important, but what does it mean “to use the chemical literature effectively and efficiently” (2)? Our interpretation of this statement is the ability to evaluate, interpret, and incorporate chemical literature when communicating; we call this chemical research literacy. We contend that stated Chemical Literature skills (search and retrieval) are not the same as chemical research literacy, because the previous lacks development of the higher-level skills of evaluation and interpretation. In a review of our department curriculum, we believed that chemical research literacy should be introduced before the spring term of the junior year when our students typically complete the Chemistry Literature course. Background Organic chemistry is a yearlong, three-term sequence generally taken by second-year students and a foundational course for majors in chemistry, biochemistry, and biology, and prehealth programs. Because of its sequential and foundational nature, organic chemistry is suitable for the introduction of chemical research literacy. Starting with the Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) standards for information literacy (3) and information literacy for science and technology (4), we developed our goals for chemical research literacy with a focus on improving communication skills. The four goals for incorporating chemical research literacy in our organic chemistry sequence are to: 1. Differentiate and use chemical literature 2. Develop search and retrieval skills for chemical literature
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3. Interpret and evaluate chemical information 4. Cite sources using ACS format
While developing our research literacy assignments, we examined several examples of literacy programs from the literature. A model used at Oberlin College of a semester-long chemical information class made up of weekly problem sets and exercises was effective and had many of the components we desired (5). However, we were more interested in the sequential skill-building model presented by Somerville and Cardinal (6). The University of Rochester librarians outlined an impressive integration of information literacy skills throughout the chemistry sequence, yet this program was too large for our current needs. Walczak and Jackson's recent article was an example of integrating information literacy into analytical chemistry (7). We considered several additional examples while developing our assignments (8-12). Using concepts from information literacy (13, 14), we have designed, modified, and assessed a series of assignments for chemical research literacy over the last six years. We also evaluated student usage of our library holdings and made significant changes to our journal subscriptions, reference collection, and database licensing to better support these assignments and research literacy goals. What we present here is a description and explanation of the assignments used to build chemical research literacy in the organic chemistry sequence. Implementation To introduce students to chemical research literacy, our science librarian provides 45 min of in-class library resource instruction. The presentation is designed to introduce research skills specific to chemical literature and build on the information literacy skills introduced in our liberal studies first-year (LSFY) courses, taken by all students during the first year. The information literacy skills incorporated into these courses cover the use of electronic catalogs, access to books and articles through interlibrary loan, development of a basic search strategy for use in general databases, differentiation of popular and scholarly work, and creation of a bibliography in MLA format.1 The science librarian's presentation begins with desk references2 as a starting point for chemical research, providing a list of titles in our reference collection they will want to use throughout the year. The lecture continues with subject-specific databases such as ACS Online and Science Direct College Edition, and the
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In the Classroom Table 1. Summary of Assignment Sequence Linking Tasks, Skills, and Goals Term
Task
Skills
Goals
Fall
Annotated bibliography
Identify audience/scope for each resource. Recognize the variety of general resources. Use ACS citation style. Develop an annotated bibliography.
1, 2, 4
Winter
Title and abstract
Identify and define chemical terms. Recognize structure of a research article. Develop scientific writing.
1, 3
Spring
Literature research
Use of more specialized resources. Use bibliographies to find related research. Develop a comprehensive search strategy. Develop scientific writing.
2, 3, 4
differences between review and research articles. The discussion then turns to evaluating sources for authority, reliability, and currency. Because of the widespread use of Wikipedia as a research tool, it is imperative to require students to defend Web sources using these criteria. Most students are Internet savvy and can use basic search functions, but they lack an understanding of search results and can mistake databases as information in the public domain. The librarian addresses this issue by stressing the proprietary nature of databases and copyright issues for the different types of sources that are available, which leads to a discussion of plagiarism and proper citation. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the ACS format for annotated bibliographies and the bibliographic citation manager RefWorks. A handout, created to support the assignments throughout the course, is distributed during this session and sets the stage for future discussions regarding chemical research literacy.3 Three assignments are designed to build chemical literacy skills in a sequential manner. Each assignment targets our stated goals and requires greater depth and complexity of thought to complete. We start with an introduction to chemical literature, followed by the process of writing and communication of scientific literature, and finish with chemical literature research, as synopsized in Table 1. Assignment One The first assignment introduces three key topics: types of literature,4 ACS citation, and annotated bibliography. Students are asked to find the physical and chemical properties of a popular pharmaceutical or well-known chemical from five types of sources: the popular literature, a “reputable” Web site, a desk reference, a peer-reviewed research article, and a review article. Students then create an annotated bibliographic record that includes a summary of information provided and evaluation of each source. This assignment introduces students to a range of resources that are available, the purpose and scope of each, and ACS citation style. Students also read for content by finding facts related to the assigned compound, such as chemical structure, IUPAC name, biological effects, biological origins, synthesis, preparation, or isolation. This first required task is assigned early in the first term and reinforces student understanding of the nature of compounds in organic chemistry. Assignment Two The second assignment is a set of tasks to develop understanding of the structure of journal articles, build vocabulary, and develop communication skills. Students are provided a short article from the Journal of Organic Chemistry5 with the title,
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abstract, and references removed. The students are expected to read the article and compile a list of chemical terms with which they are unfamiliar. These lists frequently include both chemical terminology and nomenclature for which students find appropriate definitions and structures; occasionally, students need to make educated guesses. To define these terms, students use chemical dictionaries and desk references that are familiar from the first assignment. The next task is to compose a title and abstract for the article. This requires students to read for content, identify key concepts, and summarize the article with a focus on brevity and clarity. Students are limited to 15 words for the title and 100 words for the abstract. We find that students struggle with writing abstracts and frequently seek additional clarification of content and terminology within the article. We view this as a sign of student engagement. The purpose of the last two tasks is to further develop communication and evaluation skills. Students work in a small group (2-4) to rewrite both the title and abstract using 10 words and 60 words or less, respectively. This builds both oral and written communication skills as students need to agree on the information that should be in the title and abstract. Next, the group of students composes a synthetic scheme that outlines the chemistry presented in the article. This task emphasizes the idea that organic chemistry is a “language” of structures and reactions that can be communicated without sentences and paragraphs. Another variation on this assignment is to have the group write an executive summary for a nonscience administrator of a research funding agency with the goal of using language appropriate for the general public. Assignment Three The last assignment requires students to research a named organic reaction (15) not typically covered in organic textbooks. First, students need to find the generic form of the named reaction, reaction conditions, applications and limitations, and the mechanism. As in the first assignment, the initial search process requires the use of desk reference materials to establish reliable background information; we de-emphasize the use of Web pages to find this information as it tends to be less reliable. Then, students conduct a review of the current literature for use of the named reaction. Students are required to find five research journal articles that refer to their named reaction as part of a synthetic procedure. The reference to the named reaction may be a simple statement of its use or a detailed exploration of the reaction conditions. This task requires students to explore subject-specific databases using the named reaction as a search
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term and encourages them to explore bibliographies of sources to find articles. Students use the information to summarize the significance, utility, and scope of the named reaction and prepare an annotated bibliography for each article as outlined in the first assignment. Assessment
3.
Our primary assessment of student progress is the two annotated bibliographies prepared by students during the fall and spring terms. As the assignments are designed to prepare students to read, interpret, and evaluate chemical literature, we observe considerable improvement in the depth and sophistication of the written annotations for the cited sources in the named reaction assignment. These bibliographies are reviewed by the instructors and the science librarian for assessment purposes. The instructors review the bibliographies for grading; the librarian reviews a sampling to assess the resources being used for assignments. The assessment helps to modify and update assignments to better target chemical research literacy goals and identify future acquisitions in support of these goals. We are currently implementing SALG6 (Student Assessment of Learning Gains) instruments to more clearly define the impact of these assignments on student learning in the organic chemistry sequence. Conclusion This article outlines our efforts over the last six years to integrate chemical research literacy skills into the organic chemistry sequence. We believe that with exposure to this sequence of assignments students become well versed in differentiating among and using chemical literature sources, developing search and retrieval skills, evaluating, and citing these materials. We expect these research skills to be useful not only in future chemistry research assignments, but hope that students recognize the transferability of these skills to other courses requiring scientific literature research. Acknowledgment We recognize that much of what we present as chemical research literacy is applicable to other scientific fields, and it is our hope that these assignments could be adapted for other disciplines. Thank you to our many colleagues and participants at our presentations: your feedback resulted in many modifications and improvements along the way. We also thank our colleagues in the chemistry department for their patience, feedback, and encouragement, and the staff of Tredway Library for their willingness to collaborate and modify their holdings. Notes 1. A key element of the Augustana General Education Studies (AGES) program calls for information literacy to be incorporated into first-year courses. Augustana College librarians have developed a sequential, integrated approach outlined in this
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information literacy matrix available online at http://www. augustana.edu/library/Services/ILmatrix.pdf (accessed Apr 2010). Desk reference refers to nonperiodic reference materials, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, indexes, and monographs in our reference collection. The librarian's handout for desk references can be found in the online Supporting Information. Published literatures are broadly divided into popular literature, desk references, Web sites, research articles, and review articles. Articles are taken from the Notes section of this journal. The SALG Web site at http://www.salgsite.org/ (accessed Apr 2010) is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0613426.
Literature Cited 1. Committee on Professional Training, Undergraduate Professional Education in Chemistry. ACS Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor's Degree Programs; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2008. 2. Topical Supplements to the ACS Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor's Degree Programs: Chemical Information Retrieval; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2008. 3. Association of College and Research Libraries. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education; American Library Association: Chicago, IL, 2000. 4. Association of College and Research Libraries. Information Literacy Standards for Science and Technology, edited by the ALA/ACRL/ STS Task Force; American Library Association: Chicago, IL, 2006. 5. Ricker, A. S.; Thompson, R. Q. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76 (11), 1590–1593. 6. Somerville, A. N.; Cardinal, S. K. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80 (5), 574– 579. 7. Walczak, M. M.; Jackson, P. T. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84 (8), 1385– 1390. 8. Drake, B. D.; Acosta, G. M.; Smith, R. L., Jr. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74 (2), 186–188. 9. Gallagher, G. J.; Adams, D. L. J. Chem. Educ. 2002, 79 (11), 1368– 1371. 10. Pence, L. E. J. Chem. Educ. 2004, 81 (5), 764–768. 11. Roecker, L. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84 (8), 1380–1384. 12. Rosenstein, I. J. J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82 (4), 652–654. 13. Calderhead, V. Research Strategies 1998, 16 (4), 285–299. 14. Lawal, O. I. Science & Technology Libraries 2001, 20 (1), 43–57. 15. Laue, T.; Plagens, A. Named Organic Reactions, 2nd ed.; John Wiley & Sons: West Sussex, England, 2005.
Supporting Information Available The instructor's assignment handouts and the librarian's handout for desk references. This material is available via the Internet at http:// pubs.acs.org.
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