A research assignment is due, you have been asked to support your arguments with scholarly sources, and a quick internet search is returning hundreds of results. Which ones can you trust? Where can you find the full article? And what happens when the material you need appears to be locked behind a subscription?

For students at Busitema University, the answer may be closer than they think. Busitema University Library provides access to a wide range of electronic resources and research support services designed to help students find credible academic information for assignments, coursework, projects, dissertations and other research activities.

These services extend well beyond the physical library building. Through the Library website, students can discover scholarly articles, journals, e-books, theses and dissertations, research databases, subject guides and other academic resources from a computer or mobile device. Students who encounter difficulties along the way can also seek help virtually through the Library's Ask a Librarian – Chat Reference service, or face-to-face from librarians at their respective campus libraries.

More than books: What can you find through the Library?

The Library's electronic resources bring together scholarly information covering the different disciplines taught at Busitema University. Instead of depending only on general internet searches, students can use these resources to locate academic information that is more suitable for university-level study and research.

Through the E-Resources Portal on the Busitema University Library website, users can access or discover the Library Catalogue, Institutional Repository, Open Access Resources, A–Z Databases, Research4Life databases, statistical databases, Research Guides and subject-specific collections.

Research4Life: scholarly information across disciplines

One of the major electronic resource collections available through the Library is Research4Life, which provides access to a large collection of scholarly journals, e-books and other academic resources. Research4Life is organised into five major subject programmes, making it easier for students to identify resources relevant to their disciplines.

HINARI supports research in health and biomedical sciences. It is particularly useful for students and researchers working in areas such as medicine, nursing and allied health, nutrition, biotechnology, infectious diseases, dentistry, paediatrics, surgery and other health-related disciplines.

AGORA focuses on agriculture and related fields, including agricultural sciences, fisheries, food and nutrition, veterinary science, life sciences and environmental and social sciences related to agriculture.

OARE provides resources in environmental research, including ecology, conservation, environmental engineering, energy, geography, pollution, environmental economics and environmental law.

ARDI provides scholarly material in science, technology, development and innovation and can support students and researchers working in engineering, applied sciences and related technological fields.

GOALI provides access to legal and social science information, covering areas such as law, politics, economics, philosophy, history and the social sciences.

Students who need assistance with Research4Life login details can contact a librarian at their campus or access the resources through MyLOFT.

Search several electronic resources through LibHub

Students do not always have to know the exact database in which an article is located before beginning their search.

The Library's LibHub service allows users to search across the University's online resources using a common search interface. Students can search for journal articles, journals, databases, books and other electronic materials from one place.

This can be particularly useful at the beginning of an assignment or research project when a student has a topic or keywords but is not yet sure which database is most appropriate.

A good search should not necessarily begin with a full research question. Students can start with the main concepts or keywords from their topic and refine their search as they discover new terminology and relevant literature.

Find Busitema University research through the Institutional Repository

Students can also learn from research already produced within Busitema University. The University's Institutional Repository provides access to institutional scholarly output, including research associated with students, academic staff and other members of the University community.

This is an important starting point for students who want to understand research that has already been conducted in their area of interest, identify potential gaps for further investigation or explore previous scholarly work from Busitema University. The Library also provides access to institutional research collections through its digital discovery platforms.

Use B-DEALS to discover theses and dissertations

The Library's B-DEALS — Busitema University's Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship brings together research output, including students' theses and dissertations.

Where an item is not openly available in full text, students may be able to request access to a digital copy or seek assistance through the Library's Document Delivery Services.

For a student beginning a research project or dissertation, previous theses and dissertations can be useful for understanding how similar topics have been approached, identifying research methods and discovering references that can lead to additional sources.

They should, however, be used as research guides rather than copied or treated as substitutes for conducting one's own literature search.

Find books through the Library Catalogue

Electronic research does not make the Library's print collection any less important.

The Busitema University Library Catalogue allows students to search the University's print and electronic collections. Searches can be conducted using information such as the title of a resource, author's name, subject, ISBN, keyword or call number.

Because Busitema University operates libraries across several campuses, the catalogue can also help students identify where a particular resource is located and whether it is available. This can save time before visiting the Library and can also help researchers discover other books on the same subject.

Not sure where to begin? Use the Research Guides

Sometimes the challenge is not the absence of information, but having too much information and not knowing where to begin.

Busitema University Library's Research Guides are prepared by librarians to guide students through the research process. Guides can be organised by subject, course, topic, librarian or library and can direct users towards relevant journals, databases, reference resources, websites and other scholarly information.

A student conducting research in engineering, agriculture, education, health sciences, natural resources or another discipline can therefore begin with a guide relevant to that field instead of searching the entire internet without direction.

The guides are particularly useful for students who are beginning academic research and are still learning which databases and information sources are recognised within their disciplines.

Accessing e-resources while on campus

Students connected to Busitema University's network can access many Library electronic resources through the Library website.

Some subscribed resources recognise users through the University's network, while others may require institutional authentication or login credentials.

Students are therefore encouraged to begin from the Busitema University Library website rather than searching for subscription databases independently on the open web. Beginning from the Library portal helps users follow the University's recognised access routes to subscribed resources.

Where login details are required, students can contact their Campus Librarian for assistance.

Away from campus? The Library can still come with you

Leaving campus does not mean leaving the Library's electronic resources behind.

Busitema University Library provides remote access through MyLOFT — My Library on Fingertips.

MyLOFT is an authentication platform that enables authorised Busitema University users to access subscribed scholarly resources even when they are using a private internet connection away from the University network.

Students can begin the MyLOFT registration process through the Library website. During registration, users are required to select Busitema University and provide the requested account information. The Library recommends the use of a Busitema University email address.

Once properly registered and authenticated, MyLOFT can provide a convenient route to electronic resources whether a student is studying from campus, home or another location.

For students who experience difficulties setting up or using MyLOFT, support is available from Library staff.

Finding information is only part of research

Having access to thousands of journals and books does not automatically make research easy.

Students may still face questions such as:

• Which database should I use for my topic?

• Why am I getting too many or too few search results?

• How can I find recent peer-reviewed articles?

• How do I know whether a source is credible?

• How can I access the full text of an article?

• Where should I begin my literature review?

• How do I properly acknowledge the sources I have used?

• Which referencing style should I use?

• How can I organise the articles and references I have collected?

These are exactly the kinds of challenges for which Library research support exists.

Ask a Librarian: research help wherever you are

Students do not have to struggle with a research problem until their next physical visit to the Library.

Busitema University Library provides Ask a Librarian, its Chat Reference service, through the Library website.

The service gives students an opportunity to seek assistance from Library staff virtually when they have questions about research, information resources or using Library services.

A student may use Chat Reference when they need guidance identifying an appropriate database, improving search terms, locating a book or journal article, navigating an electronic resource or deciding where to begin searching for information on a particular topic.

The value of Chat Reference is its convenience. A student working on an assignment away from the Library can still reach out for professional guidance rather than abandoning a search when difficulties arise.

The Ask a Librarian service is integrated into the Library's online research-support environment, making virtual reference assistance part of the wider Library experience.

Research help is also available face-to-face

Students who prefer in-person assistance are encouraged to visit their respective campus libraries and speak with Library staff.

Campus Librarians provide professional research assistance and can help users locate information materials for coursework and research.

Students who are not sure where to begin can also request research consultations. These consultations can provide more focused assistance for a specific assignment, research proposal, dissertation or other academic project.

Face-to-face support may be particularly valuable when a research question requires a longer discussion, when a student needs help developing a search strategy or when several databases and information sources need to be explored.

The Library's reference desks also provide a physical point where users can ask questions about finding resources and navigating Library collections and services.

Other ways to reach the Library virtually

Chat Reference is not the only virtual channel available for research assistance. Students can also send research questions through the Library's electronic communication channels. The Library's Information and Reference Services page lists email support alongside Chat Reference and other forms of virtual assistance.

For general Library enquiries, students can reach Busitema University Library through library@busitema.ac.ug

The Library also continues to provide research support through its website, research guides, online databases and other digital services.

Get help with citations and managing your references

Good research does not end when you find the right article. Students must also keep track of their sources and properly acknowledge the work of other authors.

Busitema University Library provides guidance on citation and scholarly writing, including support for reference-management tools such as Zotero and Mendeley.

These tools can help researchers organise references collected during a literature search, store bibliographic information and manage citations while preparing academic work.

The Library also provides guidance relating to commonly used citation styles, including APA, MLA and Chicago.

Students should always follow the citation style required by their faculty, department, lecturer, supervisor or academic programme.

Strengthen your research skills through information literacy support

The Library's role is not simply to give students access to information; it also helps students develop the skills required to find, evaluate and use that information effectively.

Through information literacy instruction, Library workshops, research guides and other user-education activities, students can learn how to formulate research questions, develop search strategies, evaluate sources and use information ethically.

These skills become increasingly important as students progress from ordinary coursework to research proposals, final-year projects and postgraduate research.

When you cannot find what you need, ask

One of the most important research habits a student can develop is knowing when to seek assistance. If a search is producing irrelevant results, a resource will not open, an article appears unavailable, or you simply do not know where to begin, do not assume the information does not exist.

Talk to a librarian.

Visit your Campus Library for face-to-face assistance, consult the Research Guides, use MyLOFT when accessing subscribed resources remotely, or open the Ask a Librarian – Chat Reference

Visit the Busitema University Library website, explore the E-resources available to you and, whenever your research reaches a difficult point, remember: you can Ask a Librarian, and Tools/handouts to help you through the research process.