In Spring 2012, instruction librarians collaborated with first year composition (FYC) faculty to study students' research habits as they related to writing. We collected process narratives from students in the introductory FYC course at the beginning and end of the fall semester, and a group of librarians and FYC faculty coded them together. Although we did not achieve one of our initial research goals, we still gained valuable insight into how our students perceive sources and the research process. We applied what we learned to create new instructional materials and developed a valuable relationship with FYC faculty.Librarians have a long history of working with English faculty and first year composition (FYC) courses. We took this relationship one step further and conducted research with faculty on students' research and writing processes. In the 2012-2013 academic year, instruction librarians collaborated with FYC faculty at the university to study students' research processes as they related to writing. In particular, faculty were interested in how students were "writing information literacy" (Norgaard, 2003). In order to study how students thought about research as it relates to writing, we collected process narratives from students in the introductory FYC course at the beginning and © Kathy Shields Based on a presentation given at 207 208 K. Shields end of the fall semester. Although one of our initial research goals failed, we gained valuable insight into how our students perceive sources and the research process. We used what we learned to revise our instruction sessions for FYC for Fall 2013, as well as the online course guide for these classes. Perhaps the greatest benefit of this project, however, was the relationship that the librarians built with the FYC faculty because of working together as research and teaching partners.The study was conducted at a private comprehensive university located in central North Carolina. The university offers a broad range of undergraduate degrees, including those in the traditional liberal arts, business, furniture and interior design, exercise science, and education. For the academic year 2012-2013, the university enrolled 3,926 undergraduate students, 1,257 of whom were first-year students.
LITERATURE REVIEWThe concept of "writing information literacy" (Norgaard, 2003) provided the impetus for this project. In his article, Norgaard (a Writing and Rhetoric professor) argued that information literacy is not a "neutral, technological skill," nor should it simply be "applied" to writing (p. 125). Rather, he promoted the concept that information literacy is "shaped" by writing, a relationship he termed "writing information literacy" (p. 125). Information literacy, then, is not a step that happens during the writing process; it is integrated throughout. Writing is informed by information literacy and vice-versa. Norgaard likened information literacy to the process-oriented models of writing: "In this sense, information literacy is less a formal skill linked to textual feat...