- Explain the assignment, it's purpose and scope: What do you want students to do? What do you want them to learn? What are your minimum and maximum requirements?
- Clearly state due dates and type of submission: Breaking up the assignment and staging due dates is helpful; should students submit the assignment by email or via Blackboard, or in print?
- Clearly state source requirements & recommended resources:
- Only scholarly sources (such as books and journal articles) and/or general sources such as newspapers and magazine articles? It is especially helpful to recommend specific databases!
- Is there a minimum or maximum number of sources?
- Only sources from our library's resources such as our databases and online catalog?
- Are there sources you want to exclude such as their text or general encyclopedias?
- State required citation style.
- Include a scoring rubric.
- INCLUDE AN EXAMPLE! It is especially helpful to include a link to a former student's well done work for the assignment.
- Encourage students to consult with a librarian and to take advantage of the Writing Center.
Adapted with permission from "Creating Effective Research Assignments" by Jane Bigelow, Edison State College (August 2013).
