Information Literacy + Analytical Review


  • The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your ability to engage with scholarly databases, locate articles relevant to your project, and analyze the content of a peer-reviewed, scientific article.
  • INDIVIDUAL assignment
  • 5% of Final Mark
  • Download template from Canvas
  • Complete the Research Methods Tutorial first to help you identify potential articles (analysis can be completed on an article independent of the search results)
  • Submit to Turnitin (with TA specific code)
  • See Information Literacy + Analytical Review assignment in Canvas to view a sample

Learning Objectives

  • Critically analyze connections between food, health, social justice and the environment within a community food security discourse
  • Develop information literacy competencies through advanced search strategies in academic databases


Submit to Turnitin (with TA specific code)

Information Literacy

1. Complete the interactive exercise available in the Search Strategies section (Activity break: Identify search terms) and use the output generated to fill in the following:

  • Identify your research topic: ______________________
  • Identify key concepts: ___________________________
  • Related search terms (keywords): ________________________ (for assistance, use the following website -
  • Provide an example of how your Search Terms can be combined using Boolean Operators, phrase searches, and/or truncation for advanced searching

2. Based on your keywords above provide a phrase you searched for (write it as you would in the search engine) and list the top 5 articles that occur. Use APA citation formatting style.

  • PHRASE: ____________________________________________

Analytical Review

  • Article must be related to your community project

Use the following template for analyzing your selected article

1. Authorship

  • Name(s)
  • Institution(s)
  • What are their credentials?
  • What are their research interests?

2. What is the main purpose of the article and how does it relate to your community project?

3. What is the key question that the author is addressing?

4. What are the key concepts presented in the article?

5. What are the key conclusions that author present in the article?

6. What are the key claims that support the authors conclusion?

7. What is the most important evidence in the article (e.g. what facts, experiences, data is the author using to support the argument)?

8. What are the implications of the author’s argument?

9. What are other implications of this research? Choose 2 of the following questions to answer:

  • Why is this relevant to me/others?
  • Why should people know about this?
  • Who is most directly affected by this?
  • What would be a counter-argument?
  • How does this inform my perspective on my community project?