Research Expedition

Welcome to the Research Expedition. This module is designed to introduce you to research skills. There are seven units, and the module as a whole should take approximately one hour to complete. You can return to each unit as often as needed. Students who complete the module can download a certificate and request a digital badge. Navigate through the Research Expedition using the links on the bottom of the screen. Send questions or comments to ocls@maine.edu.

In the 21st Century, fortune favors the research savvy.

in·for·ma·tion lit·er·a·cy \ˌin-fər-ˈmā-shən ˈli-t(ə-)rə-sē\ noun Information literacy is the capacity to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”1

1. High Marks

Studies show students who use libraries have higher GPAs than students who don’t. 2, 3, 4  This may be a coincidence or a correlation, but there’s definitely a positive relationship between good grades and using the library to conduct research.

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2. Career Success

Companies are desperate for employees with research skills beyond conducting a simple Google search. 5, 6 Most public libraries provide database access to patrons for free, so you can use scholarly databases even after you graduate. 

Person looks into binoculars with dollar signs on the lens

3. Personal Safety

A study cited in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that the medical advice offered online may actually be harmful to patients.7 Think twice before using that DIY cure that you found online.

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4. Money and Time

At some point in college, a professor will ask you to use peer-reviewed journal articles. You can find them on Google for around $35 each, or for FREE using the library. Most library databases allow you to limit your search to peer-reviewed journal articles, which also saves you time!

$39.95 for a scholarly article

5. Academic Integrity

Information literacy skills can prevent you from accidently trying to pass off someone else’s work as your own. It’s a mistake that can get you kicked out of college, and it’s more common than you might think. Primatologist Jane Goodall, historian Stephen Ambrose, and New York Times journalist Jayson Blair have all been guilty of using the ideas, words, or research of others without providing appropriate credit. 

Student graduating from college