See all UNB Libraries' Help Desks
- Harriet Irving Library ~ Research Help Desk
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Location Phone Email Instant Message Text HIL Learning Commons 506-453-3546 askus@unb.ca lib.unb.ca//help/ask-us 506.800.9044 - Other Libraries
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Science & Forestry Engineering & Computer Science Law Hans W. Klohn Commons UNB Fredericton UNB Fredericton UNB Fredericton NB Saint John 506-453-4601 506-453-4747 506-453-4734 506-648-5888 scilib@unb.ca englib@unb.ca lawlib@unb.ca refsj@unb.ca - Subject Librarians
- In addition to helping provide general service at the Research Help Desk, these librarians provide advanced or specific research help in their subject areas. For contact information, ask at any Help Desk, find the librarian for your department, or look in the relevant subject guides listed under Research by Subject:
Research Guides
View resources by Subject or Topic
- DIY Research Help
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- Online Research Help: Find a list of frequently asked research questions and answers.
- Glossary of Library and Research Terms: Familiarize yourself with the language of academic research.
COMMON RESEARCH MYTHS
“Google will find everything I need.”
Search tools such as Google make it easy to find some information, unfortunately including unreliable information unsuited to academic research. On the other hand, these public search tools cannot access material in many regions of the "deep web." For example, Google cannot find research articles within the library’s collection of thousands of e-journals, or the contents of the library’s many e-books.
Google misses a lot of the good stuff, and includes a lot of the bad.
“The library is all online.”
Although the library does have an extensive collection of e-journals and other electronic resources, and there is a lot of other good material out there on the internet, there is a vast amount of important research material in the world that is only available in print form. UNB Libraries, for example, have nearly 1.5 million print volumes in their combined collections.
Books are still important.
“The library has only good academic material.”
The library supports the full range of teaching and research at UNB and STU, and also provides some general interest material. This means we do have some popular books and videos, children’s literature, newspapers, and magazines—both in print and online. Do not assume that everything you find on your topic at the library will be academic in nature or useful for your specific research purpose.
Critically evaluate everything you find.
“Doing research is quick and simple.”
While information is much more accessible today than it was when your professor was a student, do not assume that you will be able to find everything you need for your term paper in an hour or two. As a general rule, expect the research process for your paper to take about three times as long as the writing process.
Start your research early.