Research Help
Research Help is a service that librarians provide to help students, faculty, and staff find and use information. You might reach out to a librarian when you’re not sure how to get started, you hit a wall in your research, or you are interested in learning about new tools and strategies to help save you time.
Chat with a Librarian
Get 24/7 help from a librarian! Depending on the time of day, you’ll chat with a UMD Librarian or a librarian at another university – no bots! You may be referred to a UMD Librarian for additional support.
Book an Appointment
Meet with a UMD Librarian who specializes in subjects like business, fine arts, or psychology and can help match you with the right tools and resources relevant to your research needs. Book by availability.
Drop-in Consultations
Stop by the second floor and visit a librarian in their office during Research Help hours. Staff members at the Library Materials desk can help put you in touch with a librarian.
Research Peer-Mentors
Talk with a peer about any stage of the research process! Research Peer-Mentors (RPMs) are students who provide research guidance and support to other students. Check out their hours online or request an appointment!
While there is a lot of information available through search engines like Google, librarians can help you navigate tricky research obstacles, such as:
- Websites may contain bits and pieces of the information you need, but don’t dig in deeper into a subject or they’re not reliable sources of information
- You can’t find anything on your topic – research is a messy process and librarians can help you build a search strategy that gets you the information you need
- Paywalls, where you’re prompted to pay for access to information, can stop you in your tracks – the library can likely get you the same or a similar resource for free
- You need an article from a peer-reviewed scholarly journal or academic book, expensive resources typically locked behind a paywall or not available online at all
- You can’t find the citation information for a source and need to cite it in the correct format – librarians can help you track down the missing pieces of a citation and provide resources to help with formatting
Our research process guides provide guidance on various aspects of the research process with the option to connect with a librarian on each page. General research guides are organized by subject and provide links to relevant tools and resources.
Research Support Hours
Fall and Spring Semester Hours
Monday–Thursday
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Friday
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.