Publication Date

March 2011

Abstract

Since the publication of Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America's Research Universities (Boyer Commission 1998), many colleges and universities have committed to systematic programs of undergraduate research. Librarians are increasingly proactive in providing the tools and research support services necessary to build long-term relationships with undergraduate student researchers through a variety of services and outreach including instruction services, space for individual and group research, and targeted collection development. However, two crucial elements are under-developed: dissemination and persistent access to this scholarly work. With the production of original scholarly or creative work comes the expectation to disseminate and share the new knowledge or creation with the scholarly community. A large research university and a small liberal arts institution are collaborating to examine the range of current practices in libraries while documenting the experience of undergraduates in two very different environments. Specifically we ask: Does engagement in the publication and dissemination of their original research help students better understand academic inquiry and knowledge production? How do students understand publishing, intellectual property, and the significance of discrete collections of student research within the context of their broader Web lives? What are the current practices of academic libraries in supporting undergraduate research programs and how can libraries better support the last piece of the research process: publication and dissemination?

Disciplines

Library and Information Science

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