InfoGuides: IT 104: Introduction to Computing: Get Help

Get Help

George Mason University provides a number of academic support services free of charge.

Academic Skills Workshops
The academic skills workshops can help you improve your academic performance and develop your study skills. Workshops include: Exam Strategies, Critical Thinking, Reading Strategies, Note-taking, and Memory Strategies.
The Writing Center: Tutoring
The Writing Center offers face-to-face, video, and email tutoring, as well as ESL Writing Support.
Academic Coaching Program
The Academic Coaching Program helps students adjust to higher education. Peer Academic Coaches meet with students to develop study plans, discuss time management, goal setting, reading strategies, and more.

Use the following online tutorial to learn new research skills or strengthen skills you already have!

Mason Library Tutorials -- Find tutorials covering all aspects of conducting research, managing the information you find, etc. as well as ones on using library services.

Where do I Start? -- This tutorial provides tips on getting started and seeing your research through to the final paper! (Colorado State)

Look at the following videos to learn more about Literature Reviews and Patent Searching:

Patent Search Beginners Tutorial
This brief tutorial introduces beginning searchers to the different types of patent searches, discusses the patentability search process and strategies for finding information in patents. (Inventor's Quick Tips; Runtime 14:42)
Idea or Invention?
This brief tutorial explains the differences between an "idea" and an "invention." (Inventor's Quick Tips; Runtime 4:26)
How to conduct a Preliminary U.S.Patent Search: A Step-by-Step Strategy
Use this information from the USPTO to help you conduct patent searches.

Zotero Workshops

Need help organizing your research materials and creating citations? Save time and energy and use Zotero!

Take a Zotero workshop to get started or a ZoteroPlus workshop to learn more advanced techniques. Visit this page for the schedule. Registration is required for these very popular workshops.

All Upcoming Workshops

View a list of upcoming workshops on this page. Can't make a workshop? Contact Theresa Calcagno for assistance: tcalcagn@gmu.edu

Academic Support Services

George Mason University provides a number of academic support services free of charge.

Academic Skills Workshops
The academic skills workshops can help you improve your academic performance and develop your study skills. Workshops include: Exam Strategies, Critical Thinking, Reading Strategies, Note-taking, and Memory Strategies.
The Writing Center: Tutoring
The Writing Center offers face-to-face, video, and email tutoring, as well as ESL Writing Support.
Academic Coaching Program
The Academic Coaching Program helps students adjust to higher education. Peer Academic Coaches meet with students to develop study plans, discuss time management, goal setting, reading strategies, and more.
Digital Scholarship Center
The Digital Scholarship Center helps you find, access, and use statistical, geospatial and qualitative data as well as digital humanities, as well as relevant software. They instruct and consult on data discovery, acquisition and use, data management and data management plans, GIS, methodology, and more.

Services for Online Students & Faculty

Research Services

Mason Libraries offers live and on-demand instruction to assist online learners with their research.

Learn more about research topics with the libraries’ How Do I...? Page for students
Browse our workshop calendar
Chat with a librarian about your research

Accessing Library Materials

As a student enrolled in a designated online or hybrid course, you can access a wide variety of digital resources and have physical library materials sent directly to you!

Access the libraries' electronic databases and e-books from off-campus
Request items through the Delivery Service.

Tip: When using Mason Search on the Mason Libraries homepage from off-campus, be sure to sign in to your My Mason Library Account to search the full range of available content.