Getting StartedResearch Guides and FAQ
Research help is on the way! If you're questions are not answered here, please ask a librarian.
Information about resources |
Guides to research |
General questions |
Q: Where can I find help using a database? or What's a subscription database? or Do you have training videos for finding articles?
A: Please see this Articles and Databases Guide.
Q: How can I find books?
A: Please use this guide to finding books: Books Guide.
Q: Do you have e-books?
A: Yes! Pease see the E-Books Guide to learn more about finding and using e-books.
Q: I know the title of the magazine / journal / newspaper I'm looking for. How do I find it?
A: This E-Journal Guide can help you, even if the material you're looking for is in a GU/MSB campus library.
Q: What's the research process? or How do I start my research project?
A: These guides will help you: Getting Started, Choosing a Topic, Research Project Calculator.
Q: What is the Research Project Calculator?
A: The Research Project Calculator is a tool that will help you plan your research assignment. You can enter your email address and when the assignment is due to get updates on what needs to be accomplished each week.
Q: I need help finding a topic for my research assignment.
The library does offer some tips for Choosing a Topic.
Q: How do I cite this?
A: Take a look at our Citation Guide. You can also ask your instructor or ask a librarian for assistance.
Q: What is Plagiarism?
A: Learn all about plagiarism and how to avoid it in this guide: Avoiding Plagiarism.
Q: Can I use Wikipedia?
A: Learn more about Wikipedia in this Wikipedia Guide.
Q: How do I get help writing my paper?
A: Many campuses have a writing center that can help you. You can find one in the Writing Help research guide. If you're taking online classes, you can use the Smarthinking tutor service (click on the "tools" menu in your Blackboard class).
The Research Project Calculator tool will help you stay on track. You can recieve email updates that will guide you through the research process.
You can also consult this writing help guide.
Q: How can I be sure that information that I want to use in a paper is reliable?
A: You'll need to evaluate your sources for quality. This guide to Evaluating Information has some tips about that. You may also wish to take a look at the Web Research Tips guide.
Q: I need academic / peer-reviewed / scholarly sources or articles. What are they?
A: This tutorial about Scholarly Sources will give you a quick introduction to scholarly, trade, and popular sources.
Q: Do you have tips that will help me to research more efficiently?
A: The library has a number of research guides for this purpose.
Q: What are some strategies for finding reliable websites?
A: This Web Research Tips guide will help you get started.
Q: What's the difference between websites and databases?
A: The library has a chart that explains the differences in this guide: Websites vs Databases.
Q: Can I research from home?
A: Yes! (get details here) For more about using the library, please see our Getting Started guide.
Q: How do I check out books and magazines?
Q: Can I request something from another campus?
Q: If none of the campuses have what I want, what do I do?
A: Consult with your librarian. We also have the option of borrowing from other libraries.
Q: How do I suggest a purchase?
Q: I heard about the library, but I don't know what it means.
A: This Glossary of Library Words may answer your question. Please consult your librarian for further clarification.
Q: Do you offer assistance for international or non-native English speaking students?
A: We're happy to help. We also offer some Research Tips for International Students.
Q: How do I get help researching my project?
A: You can get help in a number of ways. You can consult a librarian by stopping by on campus, calling, or instant messaging. You can also see if we have a research by topic guide to help you get started: Research by Topic
Q: How do I find out what's new at the library?
Monday January 5, 2009A: Read the Library Lowdown news blog.