College-wide assessment by source of evidence
Research Practices Survey (RPS)
The Research Practices Survey (RPS) is a fifteen-minute online questionnaire for assessing the information literacy of undergraduates. The survey instrument was collaboratively developed by an inter-institutional group of librarians, faculty members, and assessment specialists, and includes questions about students’ academic research experiences, habits, attitudes, and knowledge. St. Olaf has played a key leadership role in the construction of the survey, the development of the data analysis protocols, its adoption by other institutions, and its future availability through the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS).
RPS results show how students’ research practices and proficiencies change during college, and allow comparisons between St. Olaf students and students in other liberal arts institutions. Evidence from the Research Practices Survey is intended to inform and improve instruction in academic research in both the classroom and the library.
Since it was developed in Fall 2004, the RPS has been administered to more than 6000 undergraduates at more than 40 liberal arts institutions. At St. Olaf, the RPS has been administered to first-year students at the beginning and end of their first year of college. Future administrations will include upper-division students.
Research Practices Survey instrument (opens as a pdf)
What the Research Practices Survey measures
Results from the Research Practices Survey
Improve instruction using results from the Research Practices Survey
Participating RPS institutions (coming soon)
St. Olaf’s contributions to the Research Practices Survey project
Note: Please contact the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation (ir-e-office@stolaf.edu) if you wish to cite these results in documents disseminated beyond St. Olaf.