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online one-stop for:Undergraduate Students
Introduction
As an undergraduate student, you should focus on your classes, your well-being, and how you're preparing yourself for a future career. The sections below provide resources to help you do library research, find library resources and support and learn new tools and skills to be success in your classes and future career.
Situation Needs
Being a student during the COVID -19 outbreak is not an easy task. We are sorry that the physical library is not there for you during these difficult times. But we can assist you from a far through email, phone, or zoom! If you find you need something ask!
When the COVID-19 crisis and distancing subsides, come in and visit us, we can provide a tour and officially welcome you yo the Marriott Library!
- Are you ready for online learning? Take the quiz Links to an external site. to find out.
- Email us with questions or recommend additional features or resources you would like to see on this Canvas site
- Use the 5 Top Searching Strategies canvas website to walk through the searching process
- Are you working on a literature review for a capstone project? Here is an open canvas page with a short video and accompanying resources as well as a library research guide.
Links to an external site.
- Need more help? Use this Microsoft Booking Scheduler Links to an external site.to find a time and schedule a consultation with Donna Ziegenfuss
Strategies & Skills
Click on the tabs to find useful information that will help you learn about what the Marriott Library has to offer, what you will need to know to do library research and about the library space once COVID-19 subsides and you can visit us!
Navigating the Library Website
Discovering Resources
Add a video here - overview of the library website
- First things first ... Login to authenticate to the library for off campus access
Links to an external site. from the library homepage
- Tracy Medley's Usearch Research Guide Links to an external site. for the library catalog
- Use HathiTrust Links to an external site.to find materials from our library and many more libraries.
- Connecting to and using Google Scholar Links to an external site. with the library resources
- Robert Behra's guide to understanding call numbers Links to an external site.
- How to request a book be pulled for you Links to an external site. (when browsing our general collection is not possible)
- Library Research FAQ - Some basic information to help you learn more about the library
- Citation formatting
Ask US
- The Knowledge Commons Links to an external site. - the main library service desk for technology loans, technical support and library support
- Interlibrary Loan Links to an external site. - we can get you access to materials the library does not own for FREE!
- Copy and Printing Links to an external site.
- The main Marriott Library contact page Links to an external site. with a lot of different ways to reach out to us
- Need help with library research? Find your Research Librarian
Links to an external site. by discipline, or use the form to request a library research consultation
Links to an external site.
Learning Software and Skills
- In addition to contacting the Knowledge Commons desk, here are some resources to help you learn software:
- Citation managers (ex Endnote, Zotero or Mendeley) can help organize your PDF and you can create bibliographies (reference lists) in a variety of formats to save time
- This research guide (Links to an external site.) will help you to chose a citation management tool. They all are FREE and do the same thing, but depending on your discipline or needs you may prefer one over the other
- Here is more detailed information on each tool: Endnote Basic (Links to an external site.), Mendeley (Links to an external site.) and Zotero
- Student Orientation to Canvas Links to an external site.
- Software list Links to an external site. of what you can access in the library and remotely
- Microsoft Software (Word Links to an external site., Publisher Links to an external site.)
- Presentation Software Links to an external site. research guide & Canvas page with tutorials
- Adobe Illustrator Links to an external site. research guide
- GIS software Links to an external site. research guide
- Assistive software Links to an external site. in the library accessibility room
- Citation managers (ex Endnote, Zotero or Mendeley) can help organize your PDF and you can create bibliographies (reference lists) in a variety of formats to save time
- Microsoft Office 365 Tutorials Links to an external site. (on Microsoft website)
- O'Reilly Safari Books Links to an external site.(all kinds of how to books for a variety of software applications) - under the database list (O) - need to be authenticated to access full text
- You can install free (Microsoft & Adobe) or discounted software through the Office of Software Licensing Links to an external site.
Beyond the Library Website
After the COVID-19 crisis has subsided we invite you to come into the Marriott Library. Here is a preview of some of the resources and services that are available for you there!
The Awesome Physical Space
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Marriott Library is only open to current U of U students, staff, and faculty. Our building hours Links to an external site. have been reduced.
- Library Maps Links to an external site.
- The Knowledge Commons Links to an external site. (Marriott Library 2nd level)
- Rooms and space Links to an external site. - you can reserve group study spaces Links to an external site. too!
- The UOnline Testing Lab contact info - this is the main testing lab where your instructor may ask you to go to take an online exam (Marriott Library level 1 by the security desk)
- Family Reading Room, Links to an external site. a study work space where you can bring your children with you!
- Practice a presentation or do your job interview in the One Button Studio Links to an external site. or ProtoSpace's VocalBooths Links to an external site.
Collections to Check Out
Depending on your major, you may want to use specific disciplinary collections and resources.
- Special Collections
Links to an external site. for primary resources
- Some popular collections Links to an external site. such as the Ski Archive
- Photograph Archives Links to an external site.
- The Fine Arts Collection Links to an external site.and space
- Middle East collection Links to an external site. resources
- The Book Arts program Links to an external site.
- The ARC Links to an external site. (where you can get video games Links to an external site. and films for free from the USearch catalog) - when the library is open
- Exhibits are always changing in the library - check them out!
- Digital exhibits during COVID-19
Events to Participate in
- When the library reopens after COVID-19 check this link regularly to find out about about library events, news, films and lectures Links to an external site.
Search & Research Strategies
Some tips and strategies to get you started in your library research.
What is Information Literacy?
Why Should You care?
As you move along your pathway in college, you will be asked repeatedly to 'do library research' for papers, for presentations, as a research assistant in a lab, for a capstone project and if an honors students for an honor's thesis. Learning research skills early and building those skills across your time in college will help you in no matter what career choose to pursue. These are skills can be transferred across courses and disciplines. I am sure you have heard about the need for 21st century skills!- What is information literacy? Here is a definition that emphasizes why information is important by the CILIP (2018) Download CILIP (2018) - The library & information association in the UK, "“Information literacy is the ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to reach and express informed views and to engage fully with society.”
- Requires you can find, access, and evaluate library sources and use them and communicate them in your research. (here is a rubric that will help you visualize information literacy)
- Information literacy is part of a broader group of literacies called digital literacy Download digital literacy
Source: Wikimedia Links to an external site. Commons
- RADAR Framework
Links to an external site. for evaluating source (BONUS: RADAR also helps you create annotated bibliographies, a common research assignment)
- Fake news
Links to an external site. is a real thing. Learning how to evaluate online resources can help you avoid untrue, fake information and get to the bottom of issues
Brainstorm Ideas
- Create a concept map to visualize ideas (concept map tool-CMAP Links to an external site.) for free in the cloud
- Google Hacks
Links to an external site. to find search terms and keywords and cut down on the ads
- example: pdf:immigration as a search in Google will only yield PDF files so you get government documents, policy reports, non-profit reports or newspaper:climate change will only show newspaper articles with that term)
Go BRoad
- Start with a broad search to see what is available on your topic:
- Start with Google Scholar to scan the scholarly literature:
- You can see who has cited articles
- You can connect to the U of U library resources (see tutorial in the Navigating the Library tab or download the 5 top searching tips for effective researchers doc Download 5 top searching tips for effective researchers doc for directions) Download )
- The Library Catalog, USearch, will provide a nice broad return of sources, such as books, some articles, videos, and research guides
- Find a review article on your topic
- Start with Google Scholar to scan the scholarly literature:
- Refine searches with new keywords and use Boolean searching
Download Boolean searching techniques to narrow or widen your search
- Boolean searching tip document
- Keep a log of search terms so you change up your searching strategies
- Narrow your topic:
- Make a focused question with PICO. PICO stands for Problem/Population, Intervention, Comparison, & Outcome. This is a tool commonly used by health professionals to create an answerable research question; however, it works well for other disciplines too! Read more about PICO here. Links to an external site.
- Make your topic FINER. FINER stands for feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, & relevant.
Dig deePER into Scholarly DatabaseS
- Doing an annotated bibliography Links to an external site., a literature review and writing an abstract
- The Anatomy of a scholarly article Links to an external site. (NCSU)
- Use keywords and search strings from strategy #1 to go deeper into the scholarly literature through broad library databases (click on Databases on the library homepage and then click on alpha letters to find these databases:
- Academic Search Ultimate (an EBSCOhost database) is an example of a useful broad database that can be used for many topics-see tutorials below
- Scopus (watch videos of an example search and our favorite Scopus features here)
- Web of Science tutorial Links to an external site.a broad database spanning science, social science arts and humanities topics)
- Gale Academic One File databases another broad database covering many topics (Gale tutorial) Links to an external site.
- HathiTrust (watch this video of example searches and ways to use
HathiTrust Links to an external site. - CQ researcher - great database for getting ideas and jumping off points for social topics
- ProQuest Central E-books tutorial Links to an external site.and Social Science Database library guide Links to an external site.
- Faceted menu (the menu to the right in Usearch, and to the left in most databases contains many options for narrowing down your search such as setting a time range, search by terms, by author, by type of resource such as by books, or scholarly articles, videos
- Compare scholarly and popular sources
- Anatomy of a Research Article handout Links to an external site.
- In some databases (like EBSCOhost) you will see AP videos, academic journals, magazines/periodicals, newspapers, and book reviews - what is the difference?
- Scholarly or peer-viewed articles are the highest quality of sources, magazines may have an editor but are peer-reviewed
Comparison of Scholarly and Popular Sources Links to an external site.
Mine what you find
- Read the abstract to evaluate the fit for your topic (tip: don't waste time downloading articles that will not be useful for your topic
- Scan for new keywords to refine your search as you go through articles, it will help you refine your searching as you go along
- Find other articles/books in the reference list or bibliography of the good articles you find, copy the titles and then try to find them in Google Scholar (this will help you see the seminal or important articles or books - the more people citing them the more important they may be
Get Organized: Use technology
- Use U Box Links to an external site. to organize files you download for your research - you can set up folders to organize by subtopic, add bookmark to e-books and websites, keep a journal or log and share your folder with others
- Citation managers (ex Endnote, Zotero or Mendeley) can help organize your PDF and you can create bibliographies (reference lists) in a variety of formats to save time
- This research guide Links to an external site. will help you to chose a citation management tool. They all are FREE and do the same thing, but depending on your discipline or needs you may prefer one over the other
- Here is more detailed information on each tool: Endnote Basic Links to an external site., Mendeley Links to an external site. and Zotero Links to an external site.
- Write annotation for articles you find that fit your topic to help you remember why this source was good for your project - here is some direction for doing that Links to an external site.
- If you will need to write a literature review of your topic - that is just what it sounds like - you will collect a range of articles or books around your topic and synthesize them into a narrative (for example - what are main subtopics of your main topic)
- General literature review help Links to an external site.
- A research guide on writing a literature review Links to an external site. in the health and life sciences
- The U of U also provides a university version of google drive Links to an external site. (Gcloud) and Office 365 Links to an external site. for storage and management of files
Ask for help
- Email or use the chat to get help Links to an external site. (first link on the page) - don't get frustrated - contact us ... we can help even during the COVID-19 shutdown
- Computer Questions webpage Links to an external site.
- List of links Links to an external site. for all of the U of U libraries (Marriott, Health Science, Law and Music)
Support & People
Even more importantly than the books, databases and resources in the Marriott Library are the librarians and staff that can help you find and access what you need
Librarian Support
Librarians are available to meet one-on-one, in groups and can also come into your classes to help you with all phases of the research process.
Librarians involved with the development of this course:
- Donna Ziegenfuss (College of Education) | 801-585-0542 | donna.ziegenfuss@utah.edu
- Alfred Mowdood (College of Health and Representative, Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC)) | 801-585-7125 | alfred.mowdood@utah.edu
- Lorelei Rutledge (School of Business and department of Family Consumer
Sciences) | 801-585-3922 | lorelei.rutledge@utah.edu - Tallie Casucci (College of Engineering and College of Health) | 801-581-8985 | tallie.casucci@utah.edu
Find librarians in other disciplines Links to an external site.
Librarians can help you get help with:
-
- Navigating Usearch catalog, databases and other resources and services
- Citing scholarly resources
- Guidance through the research process
- Evaluating research sources
- Selection of databases for research
Technical Staff Support
You can find a variety of technical support services in the library to help with software questions and installation, 3D printing, GIS, graphics, scanning, and creating videos.
The staff at the Knowledge Commons desk Links to an external site. can help you with:
Devices and Technology
- Laptop and device borrowing
- Borrowing loaner cables for your laptop and phone
- Software installation and troubleshooting
Printing and Scanning
- Flatbed scanning
- Book scanning
- 3D printing
- Poster and large scale printing
Graphics & Videos
- The One Button Video Studio Links to an external site. reservations and support
- Help with the Adobe suite of graphic software products
- Creating infographics Links to an external site. (Eccles Health Science library research guide)
- GIS support
Other Support People & Offices
You can find a variety of technical support services in the library to help with software questions and installation, 3D printing, GIS, graphics, scanning, and creating videos.
- The Undergraduate Writing Center Links to an external site. is located in the library (2nd floor) but also offers virtual support
- The Learning Center Links to an external site. (1st floor, room 1738) offers tutoring and academic support
- Advising Center Offices Links to an external site. (2nd floor) provide support for course selection and registration
Coursework Support
- Textbooks Links to an external site. (Textbooks in the Library)
- Course Reserves Links to an external site.
- Interlibrary Loan Links to an external site. (ILL) - ILL staff will get you articles and books to use that the library does not own for FREE!
SELF Care
As an undergraduate it is important to think about the bigger picture of how college work integrates with your life and where you hope to go after college and in your career.
Career Prep
Career Prep
- Identify your strengths and interests
- These can help you select topics for research and the ways that you disseminate your research as part of class assignments
- Take the 16Personalities Links to an external site. online free quiz. Results may help you glean some insights about your strengths and weaknesses, how you work and possible career aspirations grounded in Myers-Briggs theory it can provide an opportunity to reflect on your college experience
- Picking opportunities to set you apart
- Thinking about 'what sets you apart Links to an external site.' is a common question at job interviews. here are some strategies to help you think about that now
- Here is some research on this concept Links to an external site. as related to the college context (need to be authenticated for access)
- Finding internships and jobs and exploring on-campus opportunities for leadership, research, & service
- The MUSE project Links to an external site. - a personalized extra-curricular faculty/student experience
- Hinckley Institute Internships Links to an external site. - internships for all majors
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP Links to an external site.) - $1,200 stipend and educational opportunities to do research
- Career & Professional Development Center Links to an external site.
- Networking
- Advice: Journey to the Center of the Graduate Experience (Article (Links to an external site.))
- Advice from an article in the Harvard Business Review (Links to an external site.) about building your network
- Join the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (Links to an external site.) (free for you as a graduate students at the University of Utah)
- Click on become a member and select University of Utah from the pull down list and fill in the form
- Sign up for the Monday Motivator (Links to an external site.) when you complete your registration to get a brief dose of good positive reading for a Monday morning
- Talking about Crucial Conversations (Links to an external site.) (an e-book) may help you get focused as you start your career
- Test prep for grad school through continuing education Links to an external site. or with the library's test prep book collection Links to an external site.
Work-Life Balance
- Work-life balance is very important for college students, especially non-traditional students with families and/or working jobs
- Health
- U of U Wellness exercise videos Links to an external site.
- Read about the relationship of stress reduction and exercise
- Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework (Links to an external site.). Journal of environmental psychology, 15(3), 169-182. (an article that has been cited over 4,500 times and counting)
- Identify implicit bias - take quizzes Links to an external site. and read the book Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People Links to an external site.
- Explore the Leisure Studies journal (Links to an external site.) to look at the variety of topics that constitute 'leisure'
- 23 healthy foods (Links to an external site.)everyone should know how to cook
- Need to improve study skills - visit The Learning Center Links to an external site. (1st floor, room 1738) that offers tutoring and academic support
- Take a break and have some fun!
- Stream FREE films and music through the library's databases
- Here's a video using Swank, a film database: How to Access Free Films through the SWANK Digital Campus Links to an external site.
- Browse other media at https://mediabrowse.lib.utah.edu/ Links to an external site.
- Take a hike! Explore local hikes with this book
Links to an external site. or our catalog's virtual browse.
- Here's a video about using virtual browse: How to use Virtual Browse Links to an external site.
- Find other books on your favorite hobbies or develop a new hobby
- Stream FREE films and music through the library's databases
Problem or Question? Need a librarian? Contact Us