Information Research Certificate I (IRC I)

The Library at Palo Alto College offers a program, called the INFORMATION RESEARCH CERTIFICATE, which serves as a tool for helping students do research and also serves as an additional method for faculty to encourage their students to stay enrolled and excel in their courses.

No reservations are necessary. The room holds 24 students. First come, first served, so come early. The door is closed and locked on the hour when class begins. Please do not disurb the class; if you are late, find another time for the class. All classes are offered for 6 weeks during the semester on varying days and times.

All LRC classes are fifty minutes long, free (tuition waived), and held in Ozuna 119 in the Library. Students completing 6 of the7 following  classes - in any order - will receive an Information Research Certificate.

1. Plotting Your Next Move: Introduction to Information Research: What is available in the library and how to find it. Organizing and conducting research.
2. Cheaper than Kindle: Online Catalog and E-books: Effectively searching the catalog. How to access and use electronic books on and off campus.
3. Accessing 10+ Journals: Electronic Databases Research: Choosing and accessing the most relevant databases that the library owns to find professional articles.
4. Better than Google: Web Research: How to search the deep web.
5. Does Wikipedia Measure up? Evaluating Information: Verifying the validity and veracity of sources, including internet sites. How to discern "bad" information and distinguish it from "good" information.
6. Insight into Citation: Documenting Research Papers--MLA: A discussion and demonstration of how to avoid plagiarism and adequately document research assignments using the latest MLA style. 
7.  Learning the Rules: Documenting Research Papers--APA: A discussion of different documentation styles with specific examples of the most recent APA style for a variety of sources.

We offer each class at a variety of times so students can attend at their convenience (so valuable classroom time is not used). Proof of attendance slips will be provided for each student. An online alternative is also available. Call 486-3557 for more information.

Please send comments to: Ann Bolton-Brownlee  

               Spring 2012 Schedule 

• IRC Videos of the Seven Classes 

Online Alternative

 To Register for the Palo Alto College Online Information Certificate Program, follow these steps.

1. Enter ACES following the instructions on the ACES page : https://aces.alamo.edu/cp/home/displaylogin 
2. Select "Student" tab
3. Select "Web Services"
4. Select "Student & Financial Aid"
5. Select "Registration"
6. Select "Add or Drop Classes"
7. Select the current term (Spring 2012) from the drop-down menu
8. Click "Submit"
9. Towards the bottom of the page, under "Add Classes Worksheet," type the following CRN number: 81051. Click "Submit Changes"
10. On "Registration Start Date Confirmation" page enter the end date May 5, 2012. If this does not work, try entering the date you are registering for the class.(You will get an error message if a date is not entered.)
11. Click "Submit Changes"
12. The library class appears listed among your other scheduled classes.
13. Click "Back to Student Tab"
14. To enter the library course, select "My Courses" tab and click on the Information Research Certificate course, Library 101.
15. To exit the ACES system, select "Logout"