Assessing Outcomes with Nursing Research Assignments and Citation Analysis of Student Bibliographies

Abstract

What are the library and information research requirements in a typical undergraduate nursing program? Do distance-learning library services provide undergraduate nursing students with the research materials they require for their academic work? In order to determine how the broad range of reference, instruction, and access services offered by Feinberg Library at Plattsburgh State University of New York, are used by students, the author reviewed selected nursing course syllabi for research requirements and the resulting student research bibliographies as an outcome assessment. The review included 441 bibliographic citations from 78 student research papers from 1998-1999. Results indicated no significant difference between on and off-campus student bibliography citations with regards to currency, format or number of citations. Results also indicated that the reviewed undergraduate nursing research assignments were indeed designed to promote research integration into nursing practice, and that student access to information was sufficient to allow them to complete their academic assignments.