Librarian Offers Tips on Writing Research Papers
By Nicholas Papini | Observer Contributor
Photo by Nicholas Papini
One research librarian believes that one of the greatest mistakes students make in writing a research paper is not asking for help.
Ellen Pratt, a distance education and outreach librarian, mentioned how the library has numerous resources available for students, but that many students do not use them.
“Reaching out for help is an underdeveloped skill in a lot of students,” said Pratt. When students are utilizing a database and not getting any results, they blame the database for the issue. They may even decide that the database is not a helpful tool. However, Pratt stressed that there are tools available to help them. Library assistants are one, but there are resources on the MWCC website, as well. The MOOC video tutorials contain numerous tips and tricks. There are also research guides on the website under the Start Your Research tab.