Ebook: Training Research Consultants : Training Research Consultants

Research consultants build exploratory environments for their fellow students by demonstrating empathy for the challenge of developing a new skill, framing exploration as a part of learning, and encouraging bravery. For peer research consultants to be effective, they need to believe that they are capable of being effective--calm and nimble during consultations, trying new methods when faced with obstacles, and sometimes rethinking their whole strategy, all without getting flustered. Consultants need to be able to show students that researching is rarely a linear process and challenges are to be expected and overcome. Training Research Consultants is a collection of perspectives and training materials from colleges and universities of many types and sizes that you can adapt for your own context. In four thorough parts--Introduction to Theory and Practice, Library Case Studies, Perspectives from Campus Partners, and Consultant Perspectives--the book covers learning theories, the role of research consultants in encouraging student intellectual development, program administration, hiring practices, training, and assessment. Finally, there are two reflections from research consultants, reminding us of the impact of these programs on the consultants themselves. Internships as experiential learning is one of several high-impact educational practices identified by George Kuh and the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and research consultant programs are increasingly common in academic libraries. Your library's culture, structure, and student body will impact what works for you and your institution in these programs, and Training Research Consultants can be a source of inspiration, ideas, and training materials to best serve your students.