I'm an Instructor. How Do I...?

Go to Topic:

Select Research Skill or Library Learning Outcomes:

Student Success

Foundational Research Skills

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

NCSU Web Page

How to...understand scholarly article structure

Concept Map: Plan Your Research

Video: 01:30

How to...organize & generate search terms

Developing Research Topics and Questions

Video: 10:07

How to..create research topics and questions

Intro to Research Methods

Interactive Guide

How to...define and choose research methods

Manage Citations: Zotero

Videos: Est. 20 Mins.

How to...manage your citations using Zotero

Peer Review Process

Instructional Guide: est. 10 min

How to... describe and locate peer reviewed articles

Primary & Secondary Sources

Instructional Guide

How to...identify primary & secondary sources

Types of Sources

Instructional Guide

How to...identify popular, scholarly, or trade sources

Resource Evaluation

Evaluating Sources: The CRAAP Test

Video: 04:59

How to...use guidelines to analyze sources

Information Lifecycle

Instructional Guide: est. 10 min

How to...understand the way information is published & analyzed over time

Search Strategies

Accessing Full Text With Mason Search

Video: 02:24

How to...access the full text of online resources @Mason

Begin the Research Process

Video: 04:26

How to...brainstorm research topics & select source types

Doing a Simple Mason Search

Video: 02:34

How to...find sources @Mason

Doing an Advanced Mason Search

Video: 02:52

How to...find & filter sources @Mason & beyond

Find Accessible Media @Mason

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...find accessible media using Mason Search

Find DVDs & VHS

Video: 01:34

How to...find physical media @Mason

Find Full Text from Citations

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...read citations & get full text @Mason

Find Rare Books in Special Collections

Video: 01:43

How to...find sources in Special Collections @Mason

Find Sources FAST!

Instructional Guide

How to...use citation mining to optimize your research

Interpreting Citations

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...read MLA & APA citations to identify sources

Library Database Search Strategies

Video: 05:01

How to...pick keywords & use Boolean Operators

Managing Mason Search Results

Video: 02:33

How to...save, export & access sources @Mason

Writing & Presenting

Creating a Research Poster With SP@RC

Video: 04:09

How to...format & create a research poster using a template

Instructor Services

Find Content on Canvas Commons

Instructional Guide

How to...import library content from Canvas Commons

Find Items @Fenwick

Instructional Guide

How to...locate an item @Fenwick using a call number

Fix It!

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...troubleshoot online library resources

Get Started: Course Reserves (Leganto)

Videos: Est. 25 Mins. Retiring May 2025

How to...get started with the course reserve system

How Items are organized @Mason

Instructional Guide

How to...read a Library of Congress call number

Learn More: Course Reserves (Leganto)

Videos: Est. 20 Mins. Retiring May 2025

How to...use advanced options in the course reserve system

My Mason Library Account

Video: 02:55

How to...access account, borrow/renew items & check fines

Request Interlibrary Loan @Mason

Video: 02:47

How to...request items not owned by Mason

Using Google Scholar @Mason

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...link Google Scholar to Mason resources

Student Testimonials
Retiring January 2025

Annotating Sources

Honors College Video: 01:36

Interview with honors college students

Asking Authentic Questions

Honors College Video: 02:29

Interview with honors college students

Can My Research Topic Change?

Honors College Video: 01:35

Interview with honors college students

Evaluating Sources

Honors College Video: 04:40

Interview with honors college students

Good Research Questions

Honors College Video: 03:25

Interview with honors college students

How Can Librarians Help?

Honors College Video: 01:21

Interview with honors college students

How Can the Library Help?

Honors College Video: 01:06

Interview with honors college students

Is My Topic Significant?

Honors College Video: 01:21

Interview with honors college students

Is My Topic too Broad?

Honors College Video: 01:30

Interview with honors college students

Multiple Perspectives

Honors College Video: 03:13

Interview with honors college students

Relationships Between Sources

Honors College Video: 01:43

Interview with honors college students

Reliable Sources

Honors College Video: 01:26

Interview with honors college students

Research Tools

Honors College Video: 01:45

Interview with honors college students

Scholarly Conversations

Honors College Video: 01:34

Interview with honors college students

Selecting Topics & Questions

Honors College Video: 05:47

Interview with honors college students

What are Research Questions?

Honors College Video: 01:33

Interview with honors college students

What are Scholarly Databases?

Honors College Video: 01:45

Interview with honors college students

What I Wish I Knew About Mason Libraries

Video: 04:22

Interview with PhD student

Additional Questions and Help

If you have trouble or questions about topics covered in these tutorials use the Ask a Librarian chat service. If you would like to help us improve our tutorial page, please provide feedback.

If you need help with data, the Digital Scholarship Center can help! Consult their guides or contact them at datahelp@gmu.edu.

 

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