Library workshop on research strategies attracts one student
Amen Bdira, a biotechnology student, found a one-hour research workshop to be useful.
“I wanted to learn about strategies in terms of how to effectively search because I find that when I search for something, I don’t get all the information I need. I was participating to be able to learn different methods in terms of how to get better further information,” said Bdira.
The AC Library hosted a Research Quest workshop for navigating academic tools for assignments in room 263 of the C-building, from 10 to 11 a.m. on Sept. 17.
Christine Gilbert-Harrison, a library technician, shared a PowerPoint with a variety of resources to use when completing assignments.
Bdira benefited from one-on-one advice from staff; she was the only student who attended the workshop.
“It helped me find some ways that I can apply to my research so that I can actually get results better and also to not rely heavily on Google,” said Bdira.
Gilbert-Harrison said the workshop is meant to inform and improve students’ research methods.
“A lot of students come right from high school where they don’t have a lot of experience doing academic research and it can be overwhelming,” said Gilbert-Harrison.
“We also have a lot of students come and go who use Google for all their research, and we show them ways to improve their Google use to get more valuable academic material,” said Gilbert-Harrison.
Bdira said the workshop is a good resource.
“It helps to give you more websites that you can use for more academic purposes. I think that should really help those who are struggling with research especially when it comes to knowing what to use,” said Bdira.
“Using the college website is more effective and you don’t have to try to find it through the searches on Google,” said Bdira.
Gilbert-Harrison advised students on how to get the most out of Google searches.
“Most people will go straight to Google because they’re very familiar with it. If you’re looking for more academic material, try Google Scholar first,” said Gilbert-Harrison.
“You could actually attach Google Scholar to the library’s catalogue and get direct access to the library through it,” said Gilbert-Harrison.
Gilbert-Harrison said researching is a good skill to have, even outside of academics.
“Learning to do research will be valuable throughout your life. If you go out and you could buy a car in the future, what type of research are you going to do to ensure that’s the right car you want? It has more applications,” said Gilbert-Harrison.
