Spanish Majors Research Skills

Writing Intensive Classes

These skills may be regarded by all students as a base for further study. Help is available through the Neilson Library Reference Department's Ask a Librarian options.

What Majors Should Learn in Courses

Level II: SPN 125, 200, 220

Upon completion of this level students should

• be able to understand the various elements of individual entries in a Spanish-English / English-Spanish dictionary
• be aware of the supplementary materials available in such dictionaries (for instance, lists of strong verbs)
• be able to produce Spanish characters (á é í ó ú ü ñ ¡ ¿) in MS Word

Level III: SPN 230, 241, 244

The emphasis here should be on using skills the student has already mastered in English (use of a dictionary, word processing, and basic online searches), but refining them for Spanish language studies. This includes such things as: Spanish Spellcheck, etc., in MS Word; online dictionaries, and also reputable Spanish-English and Spanish-Spanish dictionaries.

• Students should achieve appropriate technological proficiency to be able to use Spanish-language electronic dictionaries and word processing software: MS Word
• Apprentice scholars need to maintain a flexible vocabulary which will allow them to alter initial search strategies which prove unsuccessful as well as to understand, support, or refute an argument
• Students should be able to perform basic searches of and to cite Spanish websites

Level IV: SPN 245, 246, 250 - 261

At this level students should have become familiar with scholarly Spanish-Spanish dictionaries, knowing when and how to use them.

300 Level/Seminars

Advanced Spanish majors at the seminar level should master the research skills necessary to make an original contribution to the field of Spanish studies. This requires that students be able to contextualize their claims within current scholarly discourse, drawing upon quotable and reliable resources and presenting their arguments cogently.

Beyond the skills required in levels III and IV (above), students should

• know how to identify the standard scholarly editions of major writers and to distinguish these from less reliable print or online sources
• be able to identify the credentials of an author whose work they are citing
• be able to apply their skills in using literary databases such as MLA International Bibliography to resources in related disciplines such as History, Film, Government, Art History, the Performing Arts, and others as necessary

At this level, students should familiarize themselves with basic American academic resources, while at the same time they begin to specialize their research methods to reflect a deeper engagement with Spanish studies.

• demonstrate mastery of skills required for levels II, III, and IV (outlined above)
• be able to locate scholarly sources, becoming skilled users of standard databases such as (but not limited to) the Five College Library Catalog, WorldCat, MLA International Bibliography, and J-STOR
• be able to acquire materials using Interlibrary Loan
• submit a bibliography of primary and secondary sources that accords with a recognized style manual (Chicago Manual of Style or MLA)
• create a bibliography using RefWorks
• have become familiar with scholarly Spanish dictionaries, knowing when and how to use them
• know key contact personnel in library: Sika Berger
• be able to cite secondary sources accurately and honestly

In addition to the resources listed above, students in the 300 seminar level should be familiar with the following:

In What Ways Will Student Skills Be Assessed?

Students completing work on a paper at the 200 level should submit a bibliography in which primary and secondary sources listed reflect the use of the online catalog, at least some scholarly journals through the use of MLA International Bibliography. Students should be prepared to defend the credentials of authors cited if asked.

In 300 level seminars in Spanish students should routinely cite both supportive and oppositional arguments from primary and secondary sources in papers including book reviews or other articles found through the use of footnotes or scholarly databases. The seminar paper might include an annotated bibliography in which students are asked to indicate the source of their citation and its relative value to the argument within the paper.

Ethical Issues

An 'ethical use of information' means to make a clear distinction between received knowledge and the production of new knowledge. The incorporation of the work of others into his or her own must comply with such distinction. Therefore, every written and/or oral work in the discipline must clearly state its source, if it has any.

Approved by members of the Spanish & Portuguese Dept. faculty, May 4, 2009

Please NOTE: Content for Portuguese information literacy planning is under development, May 2009.