Primary sources can enable – and enrich – original research, but using them can sometimes be challenging.
Digital archives also require certain digital skills and techniques that may test students and experienced researchers alike. To help students and researchers acquire the necessary skills more quickly, and draw deeper and richer insights, Gale is adding Learning Centers into each of our primary source archives.
Valuable to students
Built largely with the student researcher in mind, the Gale Primary Sources Learning Centers quickly orient new users with the content and topics available in a digital archive, spark inspiration for new research topics, and provide guidance and best practices for searching, browsing, citing, and reusing primary sources.
Valuable to faculty and librarians
The Learning Centers will also prove invaluable for faculty and librarians in their teaching responsibilities, providing an all-in-one instructional tool to help educators in their efforts to increase primary source literacy amongst students. Experienced researchers will also find useful archive functionality and tips that may help them in their own research!
Built using pedagogical Learning Frameworks
The Learning Centers are organised into four workflow steps: Conceptualize, Find, Read and Use. These steps are based on the Learning Objectives outlined in the Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy developed by a joint taskforce between the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). This workflow mimics the student research process, from formulating a research question, to finding and analysing sources, to incorporating those sources in an essay or dissertation.
Engaging content
Each workflow section features detailed instructional content that’s engaging and accessible. Content includes topic overviews, sample searches, essays by subject experts, step-by-step search strategies, case studies, and discussion questions to encourage further exploration.
Available in select archives at no extra charge
Learning Centers are currently available in select Gale Primary Sources archives – with more soon to come. If your library already has access to these products, the Learning Center will become automatically available, at no additional charge to your institution.
