The Slavic Reference Service
Questions and/or queries for us? Please send an email at srscite@library.illinois.edu
What We Do
Are you in the early stages of dissertation research and unsure of where to begin? Do you need help with locating items, conducting a literature review, or identifying collections of materials for your research? Do you need additional support for a manuscript in process? The Slavic Reference Service is here to help! The SRS handles bibliographic and reference questions in all subject areas connected to Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Our specific purview involves the following consultation-based activities:
- Answering bibliographic and reference queries.
- Identifying materials in our collection and libraries.
- Verifying and correcting citations.
- Suggesting reference materials you might find relevant for your research.
- Helping you locate difficult–to–find sources.
- Making copies of chapters or short articles held at UIUC through our Duplication Service.
- Offering access through our website to extensive research resources organized by country.
If you are looking for an answer to a general query, please fill out the Slavic Reference Service Query form; if you are looking to secure digital copies of resources held at the University of Illinois Library remotely, please contact the SRS’ Duplication Team through our Duplication Request Form. Finally, to schedule a consultation with a member of the SRS staff, please use our Make an Appointment application and indicate your location and affiliation. To learn more about our consultation sessions, please see the FAQ located below.
In addition to contacting the SRS directly, researchers can browse our Research Resources, which contain information on vernacular language print and electronic resources for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies.
What We Need
When scheduling a research consultation with staff from the SRS, it is important to keep in mind what details and materials our staff will need in order to best assist you in your research.
Please include the following information in your request:
- In which languages are you comfortable working?
- In which languages are you comfortable working?
- When do you need these materials?
- What is your academic affiliation? If you do not have a university affiliation, we can conduct an Interlibrary Loan and make arrangements with your public library to supply you with your research materials.
What We Don’t Do
Finally, it is important to understand what services the SRS does not provide before scheduling a research consultation with a member of our staff. The SRS does not…
- Charge a fee for its services.
- Act as a document delivery service. Should you need a copy of some material from our collection, you will be directed to our InterLibrary Loan Department.
- Obtain archival materials and the full text of dissertations.
- Recommend particular books on a topic. As we are all reference librarians, we are not qualified to suggest a specific text over another within any given subject area.
- Supply genealogical information.
- Advise on copyright related issues.
Feel free to reach out to a member of our staff if you have additional questions about what services we offer.
Publishing Consultation Services
Publishing a first article or monograph can be a daunting task. Where should I submit? How do I choose a publisher? How long does the process take? How does blind peer review work?
The Slavic Reference Service is here to offer support and guidance through the publishing process for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early career scholars. Our new Publishing Consultation Service is available to Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies scholars year-round.
We can help with the following:
- Identifying potential journals and publishers that are a good fit for your specific topic
- One-on-one assistance with the peer review process
- Offering tips and suggestions on transliteration systems and formatting references
- Providing guidance on incorporating feedback from reviewers
What We Don’t Do:
- Offer copyediting services
- Offer translation services
- Submit your article for you or contact publishers on your behalf
To schedule a consultation or learn more about our Publishing Consultation Service, please fill out our Publishing Consultation Service form and/or contact the Slavic Reference Service at srscite@library.illinois.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Research consultations with SRS staff allow patrons to receive specialized, reference-based assistance with their research projects at their convenience for no cost. If you are looking for project assistance in the area of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies, there is no better place to get said assistance than the SRS.
No! Our services are available to everyone and can be especially useful for graduate students, those working on dissertations, manuscripts, articles, or literature reviews.
When you are ready to schedule your consultation, please utilize our Make an Appointment application and choose the date and time available on the calendar that is most convenient for you.
After you schedule your research session through our calendar, we will follow up with you via email. Our message will include details about your session, including a link to join the consultation through Blackboard Ultra. This link is all you will need to join the session; therefore, there is no need to download or purchase any software before the consultation.
A typical research consultation with a member of the SRS staff will last between thirty minutes and one hour; however, we are happy to arrange for shorter or longer consultations depending on your availability and needs.
If desired, we are happy to offer a series of consultations to either supplement a single research consultation session or support a long-term research project. Simply let us know how often you would like to meet, and we will work with your schedule and research needs.
While every consultation is customized to our patrons’ projects, we will typically provide an overview of resources relevant to a patron’s project and familiarize them with important collections. We will also go over local, regional, and international catalogs and provide strategies for conducting a thorough literature review surrounding the project’s topic. Any additional coverage of topics is up to the discretion of the researcher.
Yes! We have Research Resources specific to each country in the Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies region.
Yes! We can provide copies of short articles (limited to 20 pages) through our Duplication Service.