Getting Started @ The Libraries   Tags: assignments, library_information  

Five Ways to Get Research Help

Summer 2013

Visit us at the
Info & Research Help Desk

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Welcome to the Libraries!

Welcome to the University of Rhode Island! We hope the University Libraries - the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons, the CCE Library, and the Pell Library - will become a home away from home for you.

You will find the friendly librarians at URI to be a indispensible resource for your academic success. These pages will help you find your way around the Libraries and do the work your instructors ask of you.

How to Tackle a Research Assignment

So, you just got your assignment from your instructor and you don't know where to begin? Let's break it down:

• Set a timeline for yourself and stick to it. Give yourself time to review the research question, refine your topic, do your research, and write your paper.
• Read the instructor’s assignment description carefully. Be sure to answer every question s/he raises.
• Pick out keywords from the assignment description.
• Do a preliminary search for articles and books at the library using your keywords. Try the searching strategies we learned in our library session.
• Leave yourself plenty of time in case you need to order books from other schools.
• Refine your topic based what you learn by reading the sources you find.
• Search for more sources if necessary.
• Leave time to ask a librarian if you get stuck!

When you come to the library don't forget to bring:

• Your ID to the library—you’ll need it to make copies and to check out books, DVDs, and reserves.
• Paper and pen or pencil for jotting down notes, keywords, or call numbers.
• A USB/flash/jump/thumb drive to save your work off of the library computers.

Check out the library's research checklist for more tips!

D. Emsellem, 2009.

Revised and updated by A. Izenstark, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.