Exploring Trends and Current Research in Career Fields

Use the University Library and the Internet to identify credible and relevant resources related to emerging trends and current research related to a career field of interest.

For many career fields, the expectations and best practices are constantly evolving. Keeping yourself informed on the evolving expectations for a career field you are interested in will help ensure that you are prepared to be a competitive candidate whenever the time comes to strike out on your professional journey.

The purpose of this assessment is for you to use the skills related to digital and information literacy you developed to explore the Capella University Library to learn more about the trends and current research related to a career field you are interested in pursuing

Assessment Instructions

Part I: Locating Current Career Trends and Research

• Decide on a career field you are interested in researching. This can be the same career field you used for the Job or Career Research assessment.
  • Then, in your assessment, describe the career field of interest. Note reasons why the career field is of interest.
• Go to the Capella University Library and start to search for emerging trends and/or current research related to your chosen career field.
  • For this assessment “emerging” and “current” should be resources that were published within the last 12 months. Select one library article.
  • The article, “Search tips from a seasoned searcher“, will be helpful in forming your search strategy.
  • If you need more help on searching the library, explore the Skill Development Tutorials resources.
• Use the Internet to identify a resource that is related to emerging trends or current research related to your chosen career field.
• Identify two resources that address emerging trends or current research related to your chosen career field, one from the library and one from the Internet.
  • Resources should be published within the last 12 months.

Part II: Discussing Current Career Trends and Research

For each of the resources you selected complete the following:

• Provide a citation for the resource you selected.
• Summarize the main points of the resource in a short paragraph.
  • Specifically, note ways in which the main points are of personal interest within the context of the career field.
• Explain what was learned about an emerging trend or current research about a career field of interest within the context of the selected resource in a short paragraph.
  • Cite specific details from the resource to support the explanation.
• Explain why the resource is a credible and relevant example of an emerging trend or current research in a short paragraph.
  • Note the specific information literacy strategies applied to determine credibility and relevance.
• Explain how you will use this information to help prepare yourself for your professional journey in a short paragraph.
  • Note specific details from the resources and how it informs future career planning.

Assessment Requirements

• Length: 2-4 double-spaced pages, not including the title page and reference page.
  • Make sure you are including a proper title page and reference page.
• Formatting: Clearly organize and display the information. Make sure you are providing in-text citations as appropriate when referring to the resources you chose.
• Written Communication: Convey clear meaning with minimal issues in grammar, usage, word choice, and mechanics.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Use computers, software, and online tools to effectively complete a task.
  • Describe a career field of interest.
  • Summarize the main points of resources related to a career field of interest.
  • Explain what was learned about an emerging trend or current research about a career field of interest within the context of the selected resources.
• Competency 4: Integrate credible and relevant sources into coursework to enhance clarity and support claims.
  • Identify two resources that address emerging trends or current research related to a career field of interest.
  • Explain the credibility and relevance of selected resources as it relates to an emerging trend or current research related to a career field of interest.
• Competency 5: Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
  • Explain how information in the selected resources will be useful in preparing for a personal professional journey.
  • Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions.