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Narrowing their topic and determining a stance worthy of exploration can be challenging. As students are novices in their field, they may have trouble determining where their research question fits into their field of research; as they encounter discipline-specific information sources for the first time, they may have difficulty distinguishing important information from trivial information.
For more information on scoping information needs

Most students start their searching in Google; for those who move beyond Google, choosing the right search terms, understanding database functionality, and recognizing a good source when they see one are just a few of the challenges they might encounter. Many students are unaware of tactics like following citation trails, and are unwilling to persevere when an initial search is unsuccessful; students will often change their topics instead of refining their search strategies.
For more information on finding sources

As burgeoning scholars, first-year students in particular lack the disciplinary knowledge to know how to evaluate authority in an academic paper. Many students do not even know the difference between a scholarly source and a website, or how to determine which type of source is most suitable to their research question.
For more information on evaluating information

First-year students are not yet familiar with strategies like scanning and selective reading to extract important information from dense academic sources. Many students are surprised by the specific nature of scholarly journal articles, and often seek out articles hoping for general background information that will address their topic more broadly.
For more information on reading scholarly material

Students struggle with integrating academic sources while maintaining their own voice, using proper citation, and drawing on the work of others to support their ideas.
For more information on using information

Librarians can collaborate with instructors to design workshops and exercises tailored to help students improve their research proficiency and practice their information literacy skills. For more information, visit the Libraries鈥�

Based out of the University of Washington, Project Information Literacy (PIL) is an ongoing series of research studies that investigates the experiences of college students in the digital age.
Head, A. J., & Eisenberg, M. B. (2010). .

A report on college students鈥� research strategies and challenges. Findings suggest that students鈥� information-seeking strategies are driven by efficiency and predictability.
Head, A. J. (2013). .

This research shows that students鈥� research practices are largely 鈥淕oogle-centric,鈥� that students struggle with finding, reading, and comprehending academic information, and that students are unaware of the library supports available to them.

Handouts, videos, and other resources for students. Themes range from choosing a research topic to reading scholarly works to advanced searching and more.

Short video tutorials on database searching and using other library resources

Students can connect with a librarian for assistance in a variety of ways 鈥� in-person, via email, chat, or phone.

Subject guides are designed to put students on the right track with disciplinary research. A subject guide has been created for most programs; faculty are encouraged to include them in course syllabi and Brightspace.