By Melinda Wilson
During class visits, I tell students that they are welcome at the Writing Center during any phase of the writing process, even the phase prior to the actual writing, which consultants refer to as pre-writing and students sometimes identify as the most difficult phase because they do not yet know what their central idea will be. This stage is particularly complex when it comes to writing assignments that require research. Given this complexity, how can Writing Consultants aid students through the research stage, especially students who are unfamiliar with the research process?
While important expertise lies with academic librarians, I argue that a Writing Consultant should be similarly prepared to improve students’ information literacy skills. While I always advise students to see a subject-specific librarian if they are having difficulty locating sources, the Writing Center is another natural starting point. Writing Consultants offer students support in terms of determining what kind of knowledge they require in order to successfully complete their writing assignment.
Moreover, Writing Consultants find themselves well positioned to distill information literacy skills, as we are what may be described as “writing allies.” We are supportive and non-evaluative, and we provide assistance in a low-stakes environment that encourages natural curiosities. Information literacy promotes perennial learning and proves paramount in all disciplines. With this skill set, students are able to ascertain what kind of information they need, what resources are available to them, how to determine the credibility of research, and how to apply their original thinking to the research.
The collaboration between the library and the Writing Center is a natural partnership. If the Writing Center happens to be the student’s first stop, it is a useful opportunity to have a productive conversation about research—what kinds of ideas the student is compelled by and how to triangulate different kinds of sources to move a new idea forward. It can be a useful primer, in a sense, to the student’s research, which can begin, sometimes in the abstract, as a discussion with the consultant, and progress with the research librarian. Part of this beginning can be to work on figuring out ways to make students interested and have a stake in their research beyond the completion of an assignment for credit.
Finally, one thing consultants can do is to know how to help students make an appointment with a research librarian. Making this appointment can close out the writing consultation and provide the student with a clear next step. Here’s the link: https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/library/students/researchconsultations.html.
Published March 9, 2017
