UUNI100 Student FYE Alternative Infographic Project Guide

All students need help with research at some point, even those who are more advanced or experienced with research. Getting stuck can happen at any point in the research process and at any point in your academic career—even if you’re a senior or a grad student!

The good news is that if you need help, there are plenty of options available, including ones that are available 24/7. 

The library offers a number of options for getting help with your research. The most common are: 

• Visit the reference desk in person: The reference desk is for anyone with a research-related question. At the desk, we can help set you on the right path. The main reference desk is located at the front of the University Library, to your left as you walk in the main entrance. 
• Research consultations: If you have a more in-depth question, you can request a 30 minute one-on-one research consultation with a librarian. We’ll work with your schedule to find a good time for you to come in for a chat.  
• Virtual chat: Help is available even if you’re not in the library or if the library is closed. Through our virtual chat service, you can chat with a librarian (not a robot), no matter the time of the day or night. Just look for the "chat" icon on the library's website, usually found on the bottom right of any page you're on. 

When it comes to figuring out the best way to meet the requirements of an assignment, your professor is always going to be the best person to ask. 

• Take a look at your syllabus or course information on Brightspace to learn about the best way to contact your professor and what their office hours are.
• If their office hours don’t fit your schedule, you can often set up an appointment that works for your availability. 

If you know another students who is more experienced with research than you, they can be a good person to ask for help—especially if they took the same class with the same professor. Because they are still learning too, you may want to check their advice against another source like your instructor or a librarian, but talking with a friend of a peer can be a good way to get started with figuring things out. 

UAlbany doesn’t currently offer tutoring services related specifically to doing research, though the research consultations the library offers (mentioned above) are similar. However, there are a number of other tutoring services on campus that you might find helpful.