What's on the Typical Guide?
An environmental scan of the psychology guides of 36 schools revealed that the large majority of guideswere organized by format (e.g. books, articles) and usually have:
- Instructional text pertaining to link resolver, catalog, and interlibrary loan
- General instructional text on Boolean and truncation
- Guide to call number browsing
- Linked APA or vendor handout on searching PsycINFO
- Link to APA YouTube channel or list of tutorials
Recommendations for Instructionally Robust Guides
1. Consider the skills the user needs to effectively utilize a resource like PsycINFO. The outcomes of the Information Literacy Standards are a helpful guide.
2. Clearly label help content for the user; tell them why the linked resource would be helpful.
3. Capitalize on the multimedia potential of online guides to more effectively present content by featuring:
- embedded video
- slide presentations
- screenshots
- worksheets or handouts
4. Embed instructional content whenever possible; avoid linking.
Some Components of an Instructionally Robust Guide
