This course shows you how to use FRELIP’s research guides — librarian-curated starting points by subject — to begin any topic from an expert’s shortlist instead of a blank page, and when to ask a librarian for help.

It answers the question every researcher faces: “where do I even start?”

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• explain what a research guide offers;
• find the guide that fits your subject;
• use a guide’s resources as a launchpad;
• choose between general and specialised guides;
• ask a librarian for help effectively;

The lessons

1. What Are Research Guides? — expert-curated starting points by subject.
2. Finding Your Guide — browsing and searching to the right guide.
3. Using Guide Resources — treating a guide as a launchpad into research.
4. Subject-Specific Guides — going deeper with focused, discipline-level guides.
5. Contact a Librarian — getting personal help when you need it.

How to study this course

Work through the lessons in order — each is a short read with a worked example, a quick exercise, and a hand-picked free resource. Use the Previous and Next buttons at the foot of each page to move along. There are no fees and no enrolment barriers; the course is open to everyone, and you can revisit it any time.

This courseware is provided free by FRELIP. Original text released under CC BY 4.0; linked resources remain under their own licences. Curated by the FRELIP Open Courseware editorial team.