Navigating Scholarly Success: A Guide to Walden University Library Resources

Walden University provides its students and alumni with a wealth of library resources designed to support their academic journey, research endeavors, and professional development. This article will explore the importance of utilizing these resources, with particular attention to evaluating sources, accessing literature, and leveraging available support services.

The Cornerstone of Academic Integrity: Evaluating Your Sources

In academic research, the credibility of your sources is paramount. Information found online isn't always reliable, emphasizing the need to critically assess resources. Evaluating sources ensures the accuracy and validity of the information used in papers and capstone studies. It's crucial to consider if the resources are of high quality and how up-to-date the research is. Walden University emphasizes the importance of using scholarly resources, as they contribute to the ongoing development of knowledge within a field.

Why is using scholarly resources in your writing important? It matters to you because it strengthens the validity and impact of your work. It matters to your readers because it provides them with trustworthy and well-researched information. Questioning a source in a piece of writing can change your experience as a reader, prompting you to think more critically about the information presented.

Accessing Scholarly Literature: A Gateway to Knowledge

Walden University Library offers a wide array of open access research databases and resources available to graduates. These resources provide access to materials, books, and peer-reviewed articles written by experts in their fields of study. Accessing scholarly literature is essential for students and researchers to build knowledge in their field and participate in ongoing discussions about their research topic.

Strategies for Literature Review

The Walden University Library provides webinars to guide students through the literature review process. These webinars cover essential topics such as:

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Finding the Gap in the Literature through Exploratory Research: This webinar focuses on identifying broad concepts within your area of interest and using library resources to survey current literature and identify opportunities for further research.
Finding Literature for the Lit Review: This webinar provides guidance on how to use library resources to locate current literature on your topic.
Library Tips for the Literature Review (Series): This series offers practical tips and tricks to make the literature review process more manageable. Topics covered include:
- Developing a Search Strategy: Where do you start looking for literature for your literature review?
- Staying Organized: During the course of your library research you may come across hundreds of articles to consider for your literature review. How do you stay organized?
- Exhausting the Literature: How do you know when you have exhausted the literature for your literature review?

The Peer-Review Process: Ensuring Scholarly Rigor

Scholarly publications undergo a rigorous peer-review process. When researchers complete an article, they send their completed manuscript to a journal. The journal's editors then send the manuscript to other experts in the field for review. These reviewers evaluate the research methodology, findings, and overall contribution of the article to the existing body of knowledge. The reviewers then make recommendations to the journal editors regarding publication or not. This process ensures that only high-quality, well-researched articles are published in scholarly journals.

The peer-review process is vital because it:

Validates the research methods used.
Verifies the accuracy of the data analysis.
Determines if the research makes a worthwhile contribution to the scholarly literature.
Encourages authors to engage other researchers in discussing their studies.

Beyond the Classroom: Practical Application and Career Support

Walden University understands that making a difference in your field requires more than theoretical knowledge. That’s why a number of online degree programs feature a practicum, which provides an introduction to the practice of your profession. Completing a practicum gives you clearly defined, real-world field experience in your area of interest, under the supervision of Walden faculty and an on-site supervisor.

For some professions, field experiences are vital to building the skills needed to advance. That’s why a number of online degree programs include a field-based, supervised internship. Longer and more intensive than a practicum, an internship offers a broader training experience with added responsibility so that you can develop the hands-on expertise you need to practice in your chosen field. You will work with Walden faculty to determine the most suitable site and the type of internship experience that best matches your interests.

Walden’s Career Services has the resources you need, from webinars to individualized support, as you explore career options and job opportunities. Even after graduation, Walden remains committed to supporting its alumni.

Navigating the Walden University Environment

Walden University provides a comprehensive support system to help students succeed.

Registration and Course Access

You can register in the myWalden portal. You can self-register for courses in your student portal. Log in to myWalden and click the “Registration” button located above the current courses. For more information, view “How Do I Self-Register for Courses.” Students not in a program that requires self-registration will automatically be registered for classes. If you are registered for a class within four days of the start date, it will take 12 to 24 hours before you can enter the classroom. If you register early or on time you will be able to access your classroom four days before the official start date for your program.

Classroom Environment and Participation

Walden’s classes are hosted in Canvas, and the Walden Orientation and Welcome is a great introduction to the online classroom. In your courses, you may see both required and optional resources and readings within each week or module. Course participation means you have submitted something for a grade, whether it’s a discussion thread that you post/reply to throughout the week or an assignment.

Communication and Support

Your instructor’s contact information is in the “Contact the Instructor” area of the classroom (on the left navigation). If your assignment is late, contact your instructor as soon as possible so they are made aware. Preferably, you should notify your instructor and ask permission to get an extension prior to the assignment due date. You can schedule advising appointments using the event app.

Grading and Feedback

Instructors have up to 10 days following the assignment deadline to post grades. Grades are posted in the myGrades area in the classroom. While in the Blackboard classroom, scroll to the lower left of the page and click “Tools.” Your myGrades link will be there.

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SafeAssign

Your submission will receive an overall SafeAssign score reflected as a percentage. This score is related to the probability that your paper contains content that matches other sources. Keep in mind SafeAssign scores are an alert indicator only.

Transcripts

To order your official Walden transcript, you must submit a request through Parchment Exchange. You will need to create an account with Parchment to request your transcript. Your unofficial Walden transcript will show your GPA. You must provide your official transcripts from your previous colleges and universities during the admissions process. If you do not have an official transcript on file at time of admission you will be admitted conditionally, and you will have a contingency hold placed on your account.

Alumni Resources

Through the Walden University Alumni Library, a wide variety of our open access research databases and resources are available to graduates.

Academic Residencies

Academic residencies are face-to-face or virtual learning experiences (in some programs) that allow students to collaborate and network with other Walden students, staff, and faculty members. Typically, academic residencies are held throughout the United States, as well as internationally.

Accessing the Library and Bookstore

You can get to the Walden Library from your myWalden student portal. From the home page, scroll down to “Walden library” in the “Academic Resources” section. You can find a link to the Walden bookstore in the “University Services” section of your myWalden portal.

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