This article is from the archives of the UB Reporter.
Electronic Highways

Connecting students to scholarly information, resources

Published: March 31, 2011

In just a few short weeks, students will be handing in their final papers and projects. In addition to library instruction, the UB Libraries provide a number of resources and services to help students produce a well-researched, properly cited submission. As we approach the final weeks of classes, perhaps your students would be interested in some of the following tools as they work through the research process.

The Research Tips tutorial is an online guide designed to help students perform research using the UB Libraries. Students will learn how to select a topic, locate books and periodicals using the library catalog, access full-text articles, search the Web more efficiently, evaluate resources; and lastly—but certainly not the least important—properly cite sources and avoid plagiarism.This tutorial is a great refresher course for those students who have completed the Library Skills Workbook.

Best Basic Resources provides a one-stop shop for students looking for the best place to go for a particular type of source. This web page will guide them on the path to locating books, journal articles, news articles, images, multimedia, statistics and more.

Resources by Subject directs students to discipline-specific resources, such as databases, encyclopedias and websites. Created by subject librarians, these web guides provide information on both print and online subject resources.

As students conduct research, they may discover a citation to an item that is not available within the Libraries’ collections. Students can submit requests for these items through Interlibrary Loan. If the item is available in the collections, but in a library not located on their campus, students can request items be delivered to a library on the opposite campus through Document Express. Requests for both of these services can be made when students register with ILLiad.

If you work with international students, the Resources for International Students web page will provide a plethora of information to introduce students to the library system at UB. This guide introduces students to the open-stack library system, as well as provides information on how to find language dictionaries, English as second language materials, multi-language books, periodicals and newspapers, and more. Translated audio tours of Lockwood Library also are available.

For students who need help with time management or just something to ease the anxiety of the research process, the Assignment Calculator is just what the professor ordered. This tool helps plan research assignments, providing a printable schedule to keep students on track through each step of the research process. Links to research tools related to each step of the research process also are provided.

In addition to the numerous research tools listed above, the Libraries also offer one-on-one research assistance for students. Librarians are available in-person at reference/information desks in each library unit, as well as via phone, text, e-mail and chat messaging. For further information, students should check out the Ask a Librarian web page.

Best wishes to you and your students for a successful, productive remainder of the academic year!

—Bridget Schumacher, Arts & Sciences Libraries