In partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), Columbia University Libraries is pleased to announce the availability of “From Books to Bytes: Navigating the Research Ecosystem,” a set of online resources that define the research lifecycle and provide students with practical research strategies. The six-part video series, intended for Columbia-affiliated students, guides viewers through the extensive variety of resources available at Columbia University.   

The modules, which were designed in accordance with digital accessibility and inclusion guidelines, include:

1. Develop a Research Strategy: Introduce the research process by breaking it into manageable phases.
2. Recognize Bias: Practice identifying and countering bias in various research scenarios.
3. Understand Research Data: Define, find, and manage research data ethically.
4. Archives and Primary Sources: Leverage Columbia’s vast archives and rare primary sources to enrich your research.
5. Cite and Organize Sources: Apply appropriate citations and citation management strategies to your research.
6. Preserve and Share Your Research: Explore varied approaches to traditional and digital publishing options.

“This set of modules, focused on information- and digital-literacy instruction, promises to be an important set of pedagogical tools for instructors and key implements for instruction librarians to deliver meaningful remote and in-person learning opportunities to students,” said the Libraries’ Head of Humanities and History, Jeremiah Mercurio. 

An Instructor Toolkit is available to faculty and instructors, with directions on how to contact and collaborate with a librarian to best leverage the series in class, how to access the series, and how to utilize instructional strategies and assessment techniques to share the content with students.

Available in CourseWorks, the modules clarify each stage of research, from developing a coherent research strategy to preserving and sharing research outputs. These tools for explaining and supporting the research lifecycle enable students, whether undergraduates preparing their first research papers or established authors with multiple publications, to produce quality work in a higher education setting. Collectively, “From Books to Bytes” navigates each phase of the research process through 30- to 45-minute video modules, handouts, and information that support viewers in their use of library services and tools related to the fundamentals of research.

“Working with our library colleagues on ‘Books to Bytes’ has been a powerful and collegial reciprocal learning experience,” said Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Catherine Ross. “The CTL is delighted to have been able to support this critical teaching effort that will have broad impact—both on instructors who introduce and teach students the research process, as well as on the students themselves. We very much look forward to hearing more about the users’ experiences and the learning that results.”