Measures of Information Proficiency

Bowdoin's curriculum provides opportunities for honors projects and independent study, enabling students to engage in research under the guidance of faculty mentors. The College believes that technology must be embraced by pedagogy and research and made easily and dependably available to students. The Bowdoin Library also enables students to engage in research and gain proficiency in informational skills. The Library's statement on information literacy is available here.

Relevant Surveys


1. Survey of Seniors 2004

Conducted annually, the senior survey includes a section that measures graduating seniors' confidence in their information proficiency. The questions are as follows.

Survey Instrument (questions on Survey of Seniors 2004 related to information proficiency)

    How confident are you in your current ability to:
    30. develop a strategy and plan of action to complete a research project
    31. effectively use the library catalog as well as print and electronic indexes
         and databases to find information
    32. effectively use search engines to find information on the internet
    33. evaluate the authority and accuracy of information to determine its
         appropriateness
    34. understand what constitutes plagiarism and know when ideas and concepts
         must be attributed to their author

Survey Report (responses to questions above)

    Survey of Seniors 2004, questions related to information proficiency

2. Library Research Skills Study

In order to assist students' access to and use of the Bowdoin Library’s electronic and print resources, library staff are conducting a study to obtain information about where and how students acquire their library research skills. The study involves interviews of 82 seniors from the 160 who are enrolled in a 400-level independent study course during Fall 2004. Students to be interviewed are selected from each of the four academic divisions: humanities, sciences, social sciences and interdisciplinary programs in proportion to overall student enrollments in these divisions. This study represents the library staff’s latest effort to enhance the effectiveness of their services, in particular, their courses, workshops and tutorials, by understanding how students and faculty learn about and conduct library research.

Survey Instrument

2004 Library Research Skills Study Questionnaire


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Maintained by Margaret Allen, Bowdoin College Office of Institutional Research
Last Update: December 15, 2004
E-mail: mallen2@bowdoin.edu