STEM Library & Learning Resources - Undergraduates

This is by no means an exhaustive list but we (STEM librarians) at Dartmouth believe that skills below will help with your become a well-rounded STEM scholar. Use opportunities to develop these skill-sets while at Dartmouth.

Efficient Searching: 

Using the library homepage, you can use our search bar to access both our physical and digital collections. We try to ensure that most databases we subscribe to have their results available inside our search. However, there are databases that we cannot index to an item level–this especially applies to our business databases. If you are looking for something specific and not finding it, just ask us! If you are looking for a database by discipline, check out our selected A-Z Database list, or if you know the name of the database you are looking for, use the database search for a complete index.

Each database has a slightly different interface and it's important to explore these interfaces to use them efficiently when it's time for in depth research. Talk to a librarian about ways you can do this. 

Writing:

If you are writing an assignment, a paper, or an honors thesis, connect with the Institute for Writing and Rhetoric! You can get help with just revision of your written work or for help with structure and flow from a peer. Here is an additional general resource for general Science writing at the Undergraduate level. 

If you would like to look at past theses, find that using this link. If you can't find what you are looking for, contact your subject librarian.It's a good idea to take a look at old thesis from your department to get a sense of formatting, style, etc. It's also a fantastic way to get a sense of the work done in your department by undergraduates. 

The Scholarly Communication, Copyright, and Publishing librarians are available to help you understand copyright laws for sharing and using materials, share your research and other materials. Connect with them for research or class work if you have any specific questions. 

Citation management:

If you are going to major in a STEM field it is imperative that you learn how to organize your resources early on. We recommend using Zotero, a free, open-source citation management software, and we offer regular workshops on how to start using it. Sign up for an account with your dartmouth.edu email address and get access to our institutional subscription for unlimited storage. Don't leave this important skill set till your junior and senior year. Start using it now. Ask your subject librarian for more information.

Quantitative and Qualitative Research data Analysis

Dartmouth offers a variety of research data services. The Library partners with other Dartmouth services like Research Computing and the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP). If you are going to generate or collect data for analysis or are going to analyze existing data sets, we strongly recommend that you become familiar with setting up a Data Management Plan (DMP).

Also consider getting some basic Geo-spatial skills. Dartmouth students can get access to ArcGIS online, which is any way to get started. The Research Data Services team along with the Research Computing teams at Dartmouth offer several intro classes. You can register for these classes at the main library workshops and events link.

Visual Communication

1. The Jones Media Center is an easy-to-use environment with the training and equipment necessary to create images or produce your own videos. You can get access to and train to use software like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop that can be very useful as a STEM student. Communicating your research effectively is a huge part of being a STEM researcher. 

Anyone in the Dartmouth community can use it to create a variety of visual media, including high-quality instructional videos, screen casts, and annotated media as well as podcasting. Check out the website for information on how to reserve and use the space. 

2. Reach out to the Research Data Management group to get help with thinking about and developing effective data visualization.