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English 120 Thinking Through Writing

A guide to library resources and research for ENG110, 120, and 122 students

Visiting the Research Desk

Librarians are happy to help you in your research process - whether you are developing keywords, looking for articles or books, or want assistance evaluating an article. We provide support both in person at the Research Desk in Ryan Library and virtually using the Contact A Librarian form.

To help you in your research, librarians ask a lot of questions. Library consultations are not interrogations; part of our work is figuring out where you are in the research process and helping you refine your question to something searchable in a database. We also want to know what sources you've already looked at; this isn't a pop quiz and we don't want to waste your time with a resource you already found irrelevant.

So if a librarian starts asking questions, don't be intimidated or think that your question is flawed. We are trying to figure out where you want your research and inquiry to take you, not just suggest resources we think are interesting.

Library Glossary

Have a question about how the library works but you don't want to ask a librarian? Check the Library Glossary section of the Frequently Asked Questions page to find information about call numbers, databases, and accessing library resources off-campus.

Research Support