Thinking, Research, and Academic Integrity
Chapter Outline
Student Survey
Are you confident in your skills of finding accurate information? Take this quick survey to figure it out, ranking questions on a scale of 1–4, 1 meaning “least like me” and 4 meaning “most like me.” These questions will help you determine how the chapter concepts relate to you right now. As you are introduced to new concepts and practices, it can be informative to reflect on how your understanding changes over time. We’ll revisit these questions at the end of the chapter to see whether your feelings have changed.
- _______ I comprehend how to approach problem-solving.
- _______ I have creative potential.
- _______ I often think about how I’m learning.
- _______ I know how to find and evaluate valid information.
Chapter Outcomes
In this chapter, you’ll be introduced to different ways of thinking about how you think and use information. By the time you complete this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
- Describe thinking as a process and the reasons it is important.
- Articulate the process and importance of critical thinking.
- Describe the best approaches to problem-solving.
- Define information literacy for college students.
- Distinguish between different types of resources.
- Identify the parts of a peer-reviewed journal article.
- Explain the meaning and importance of academic integrity.
- Recognize how citing your sources can help safeguard against plagiarism.
What Thinking Means
Thinking is one of those hard-to-pinpoint aspects of life we typically don’t analyze much—like breathing or walking or sleeping. We constantly think. Becoming more attuned to how we think and what we do when we encounter new ideas is an excellent habit to pursue.
“If you are going to do anything as much as you think, you might just as well learn about it and hone this skill.”
You may have read quotes or inspirational slogans that claim you are what you think. What does that mean? Can you think yourself into a good mood? Can you think you have a million dollars in your pocket? Does it mean you are the next music sensation if you often sing at parties? Not necessarily, but consider Jose, for instance. He isn’t a rock and roll star, but Jose spends a lot of his leisure time thinking about music, analyzing performances, memorizing his favorite musicians’ characteristics, buying fan clothing, and even designing a creative means to explain his excitement for music to his friends through a homemade video. Jose certainly could allow his fascination to seep into other aspects of his life. Do you have a hobby or interest you spend a lot of time thinking about?
Many people go to great lengths to attend a concert by a favorite musician. They think creatively about how to save enough money for tickets; they think analytically about scheduling their other obligations to have time off work to attend or how to make up work in their college classes. This much planning involves a great deal of thinking, and not all about music. In the example about Jose, thinking directs the actions of the person doing the thinking. So, in fact, what we think does influence who we are and how we act. We have many resources available to be more effective thinkers. Learning about these resources gives us options.