Over the past few weeks, we've noticed some common questions coming in through our librarian chat service. To make it easier for you, we've gathered these frequently asked questions and paired them with the research guides we often share during chats. Below, you'll find the guides that can save you time and help you dive into research on your own. And remember, if you still have questions after exploring the guides, we're always here to help! Check out the Get Research Help guide for all the ways to reach us!
Before you peruse the research guides below, it's important to have a clear understanding of what they are. Research guides are webpages designed for hosting information sources. Whether it provides relevant sources to support a program or a particular subject or to reinforce information literacy skills, the main goal of a research guide is to address your information needs.
There are four guide types on the library website:
- Program Guides support each degree path. You can find them under the Library Guides module in the courses in Canvas.
- General Purpose Guides support library services.
- Example: Article Request Service guide
- Subject Guides help users learn about specific academic subjects.
- Example: History guide
- Topic Guides help users learn about particular library skills.
- Example: Finding Clinical Practice Guidelines guide
You can find these guides by selecting Find Research Guides in the How Do I box on the library homepage.
How do I find peer-reviewed articles?
Peer review is when an impartial panel of experts vets an article before publication in a journal. The peer review process holds the author to a high standard defined by the journal’s standards. You can find more information about this process on the Evaluating Your Sources page of our How to Do Library Research guide. This guide is your one-stop shop for everything library. From navigating the library website to citing your sources, this guide breaks down the research process with simple step-by-step instructions.
How do I find quantitative articles?
Each page on the Finding Types of Research guide includes a definition, example article, and instructions for finding that research type in the library. Check out the page that is dedicated to quantitative research. We also have a video on how to identify quantitative and qualitative research, which you can watch in Kaltura.
How do I find health statistics for a specific geographic location?
Finding articles with health statistics on your topic for a specific geographic location can be tricky, if not impossible, as a study may have yet to be conducted there. Therefore, we recommend exploring one of the websites in our Finding Health Statistics guide to find local, national, or international statistics.
How do I find clinical practice guidelines for my topic?
The Finding Clinical Practice Guidelines guide provides instructions for finding guidelines in the library. The first page has instructions for finding guidelines in library databases with a guideline filter. The second page features library eBooks with current practice guidelines for specific conditions.
How do I request a 1:1 appointment with a librarian?
You can schedule a 1:1 appointment with a librarian on our Get Research Help guide. The button for this guide is located in the upper right-hand corner of the library website. After you schedule your appointment, you must check your inbox for a confirmation email with details, including a WebEx meeting link and password.
Please note that the librarian you requested the appointment with will use this method to contact you. Check your email often in case they require additional information about your research topic or need to provide an update about your appointment. If you provided your Chamberlain email in the appointment form, go to the Microsoft Office 365: Microsoft Outlook page in the Student Resource Center for instructions on where to access it.
Note! All appointments and library services are scheduled in the Central time zone.