{"id":37688,"date":"2025-10-28T11:00:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T16:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/?p=37688"},"modified":"2025-10-31T10:48:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T15:48:00","slug":"peer-navigator-corner-research-resources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/ellis-library\/peer-navigator-corner-research-resources","title":{"rendered":"Peer Navigator Corner: Research Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by: Jariyatu Abdul Rashid<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mizzou Libraries are not just a place to borrow books; they\u2019re a hub for research support. Sure, it has quiet study spaces and shelves stacked with books, but behind all of that is a network of resources designed to make your academic life easier. The library has tools to help with doing assignments, preparing for a presentation, or working on projects. Most of us take some courses that involve lots of writing, at least once, before graduation. And let\u2019s be honest, writing usually comes with research. Even if you\u2019re not in an English class, plenty of courses require some form of research, whether it\u2019s a lab report, a case study, or a group project. Fortunately, the library has exactly what we need; research resources, knowledgeable librarians, and materials that go far beyond what you can find on your own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Databases: <\/b>Here\u2019s the thing, Google is fine for quick answers, but when you need credible, peer-reviewed sources, the libraries have your back. Through the<\/span> Find a Database<\/span><\/a> page, you can access collections that cover every subject imaginable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the most popular ones include <\/span>JSTOR,<\/span><\/i> great for humanities and social sciences, <\/span>PubMed<\/span><\/i>, perfect for health sciences and biology, <\/span>PsycINFO<\/span><\/i>, a must for psychology majors, and <\/span>Business Source Complete <\/span><\/i>for business, marketing, and economics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Normally, these databases and articles are locked behind expensive paywalls, but as a Mizzou student, you get them for free. That\u2019s a huge deal when you\u2019re trying to impress your professor with solid sources. For example, instead of citing a random blog post, you can pull a peer-reviewed article from JSTOR or PubMed that gives your paper credibility. Also, in many classes, using peer-reviewed resources is required for research.<\/span><\/p>\n

Research Guides: <\/b>If you\u2019ve ever felt lost about where to even start, the libraries also have <\/span>Research Guides<\/span><\/a> created by subject librarians. Think of them as roadmaps for your major. Instead of digging through endless options for resources, the guides point you straight to the best ones for your field. For example: Political Science<\/span> majors can find guides for <\/span>government and policy research.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Biology students<\/span> can access resources for <\/span>lab studies and medical research<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Business students<\/span> can dive into <\/span>market data, company reports, and industry trends<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s like having a librarian whispering, <\/span>\u201cHere\u2019s where to look first.\u201d<\/span><\/i> These guides can save hours of wasted time and frustration. Personally, I wish I had known about them earlier. My first research paper would have been a lot less stressful if I had followed a guide instead of clicking through random websites.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another thing I wish I knew earlier: you can<\/span> schedule a research consultation<\/span><\/a> with a librarian. Yep, a real person will sit down with you (in person or online) and help you brainstorm keywords, find sources, and even figure out if your sources are reliable.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s basically like having a research coach, and it can save you hours of frustration. Imagine spending three hours searching for articles on your own, only to come up empty-handed. A librarian can often point you to the right database or search term in minutes. They\u2019ve seen it all before, and they know the shortcuts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Citations: <\/b>C<\/span>itations are the part of research papers that nobody enjoys. Formatting in MLA, APA, or Chicago style can feel like learning a new language. Luckily, the libraries offer <\/span>workshops<\/span><\/a> on tools like Zotero which organize your sources and automatically generate citations. Imagine finishing your paper and having your bibliography done in seconds- it\u2019s a total game-changer. The organization also means if you\u2019re working on a big project or even a thesis, you won\u2019t lose track of where your information came from.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the truth: The libraries aren\u2019t\u00a0 just a place to cram before finals or to grab coffee at Bookmark Caf\u00e9. They\u2019re a resource that can make your life as a student so much easier. Instead of panicking over where to find credible sources, you can use the libraries\u2019 tools and people to get ahead. The next time you\u2019re staring at a blank Word document, don\u2019t just rely on Google. Check out Ellis Library\u2019s<\/span> Research Help page<\/span><\/a>, explore a subject guide, or book a consultation. Not only will your research be stronger, but you\u2019ll also save yourself a lot of stress.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by: Jariyatu Abdul Rashid The Mizzou Libraries are not just a place to borrow books; they\u2019re a hub for research support. Sure, it has quiet study spaces and shelves stacked with books, but behind all of that is a network of resources designed to make your academic life easier. The library has tools to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":38014,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[454,568,496],"tags":[1057],"class_list":["post-37688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ellis-library","category-gateway-carousel","category-resources-and-services","tag-peer-navigator"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2025\/10\/Research-Resources.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":true,"date":"2026-11-14 14:16:00","action":"category-remove","newStatus":"private","terms":[568],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37688"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37689,"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37688\/revisions\/37689"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.missouri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}