Help students pace themselves when completing an assignment. Novice researchers tend to look at the final product rather than the process involved in getting there. Help them understand the time and steps involved in completing your assignment. If appropriate, provide them with an outline of the stages involved in completing the assignment and deadlines for the different stages. If some of the stages require library research, librarians are willing to work with students a number of times in order to help them understand and complete the process.
Test drive the assignment.
If your assignment is instructor-tested, then you will know that it meets your objectives adequately and minimizes student frustrations. Explain Your Preferred Citation Style. If the guides and books do not answer a student's citation question, librarians will refer the student to the professor for a clarification of expectations. Consider requesting a session or workshop on finding and selecting appropriate print and electronic sources of information. Knowledge and familiarity with traditional library research is not as common among students as many believe.