Research & Writing Tools

Searching Tips

Researching

Writing & Citing

The Big Six Research Skills

Tools for Writing

Electronic Search Strategies

Society Issues Ideas

MLA Resources

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Help with Dewey Classification

Evaluating Web Sources

Additional Resources

Dewey Decimal Classification

Questions to Consider

Copyright

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Plagiarism

Indiana University's Writing Tutorial Services
Provides you with resources such as How to Use Evidence, How to Write a Thesis Sentence, Proofreading
for Common Surface Errors, Taking an Essay Exam, Using Outlines, and much more.

Thompson Gale's How to Write a Term Paper
Gives you navigational links to walk you through the process of writing a term paper from choosing a topic to drafting and revising the paper.

Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Purdue's OWL provides interactive presentations, tutorials, and printer-friendly materials for general researching
and writing concerns.

The University of Wisconsin's Madison's Writing Center: Writer's Handbook
Use this handbook for understanding the common types of writing assignments, improving grammar and punctuation, and enhancing your writing style.
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Duke University Libraries: Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper

If you are going to spend the time to search for the information you need, you want it to be as easy and painless as possible, right? Learning effective search skills can save you a great deal of time and can even reduce the headaches caused by long hours of researching.

Tips for Successful Searching:

Keep a record of the search terms that you have tried as you explore different resourcesto avoid repetition and wasting time.

Use a method of tracking successful search terms, as you may find that these terms bring you continued success during the research process.

Be specific with your search terms. If you want information on the American Civil War, search for American Civil War instead of civil war.

Take note of new search terms that you encounter as you search; these may bring you
added results when searching.

Refrain from hastily dismissing a source; be sure to take time to evaluate the material provided before you decipher the value of the source for your assignment

Avoid jumping around from one resource to the next while researching. Jumping around from database to database, for example, without conducting organized and thoughtful searches can cause you to become confused and frustrated with the multitude of resources available for your research.

Keep track of the resources that you have consulted and note whether or not they have produced successful searches (be sure to include why). You may choose to take these notes in a notebook or type brief notes into a Word document (possibly copying and pasting items as you search).

Try using synonyms for your original words. For example, try "nervous breakdown" or "mental breakdown" or "nervous disorder" or "mental instability".

Check your spelling. If you type litrature instead of literature, you will not find matches.

Talk to your classmates about credible resources and tools that they (and you) consider helpful when searching.

Never be satisfied with “zero results”. Try new search terms, try new term combinations, or simply ask your librarian or teacher for help.
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Many electronic resources, such as databases, allow you to use certain search strategies to yield more
specific and relevant search results. The following provides you with a brief overview of these strategies.

Typically, the resource's main search page will have a link to tips about the resource's searching capabilities.
The following provides an overview of the search strategies that many resources support.

1. DEFINE THE TASK – What needs to be done? What is the assignment? Carefully read the rubrics. Identify the general topic, narrow to subtopic, ask questions - what do you KNOW, what do you WANT to know, what have you LEARNED from an initial search. Combine the answers to develop a tentative thesis statement.Identify what type of info (facts, opinions, pictures, media, statistics) is needed. 

2. PLAN STRATGEY FOR GATHERING INFO – What can I use? Brainstorm all possible sources. Be creative. Don’t limit media. Select best sources to investigate. Where will you go?

3. LOCATE INFORMATION – Where can I find these resources? Locate the sources: books, magazines, electronic sources, media and people. Evaluate sources. Use indexes, word searches and alternative key words to narrow or broaden the search. Use subscription services and selected sites first, before googling. Use evaluation criterion on all Internet sources. Check out, print or copy. Gather all material together and keep in a folder. 

4. USING INFORMATION – What can I use from these resources? Make use of info you have obtained. Read, view and listen. Highlight important sections. Take notes. Form opinions. Discuss opinions with friends and/or family. Refine or redefine the thesis statement. Develop an outline or storyboard.

5. SYNTHESIS – What can I make to finish the job? Can you say, “I MADE THIS”? Organize info to support your thesis statement. Present your position citing the research that supports your position. Create a draft of the paper or project with appropriate documentation. Remeber yo cite graphics as well as text.

6. EVALUATE – How will I know I did a good job? Judge your results. Edit and review draft. Have someone read. Get feedback. Grade your work with the rubrics. Go for your personal best. Produce final copy of paper and or presentation. Judge the process. How efficient was your search? In the future what would you do, improve or avoid?

Appleton Public Library's Dewey Index : Use the alphabetized quick links to look up dewey numbers that correspond with the keywords of your topic.

The Internet Public Library for Teens: Learning to Research on the Web
Provides you with tips, tools, and techniques for Web research that include information on search engine operation, professional search techniques, essential browser skills, and more

Duke University Libraries - Resources for the Writing Process
Start with Choosing a Topic and then move to the links at the bottom of the page for Finding Background Information, Refining a Topic, Selecting Resources, Evaluating Resources, and Citing Sources.

The Internet Public Library for Teens: Skills for Online Searching
Helps you get started with basic search skills for more effective searching.

Evaluating Web Sources

The basics of evaluating a source on the WWW are simple, but you must always remember that anyone can put anything on the web. Some sites provide you with accurate information and others can sabotage your work with inaccurate information, so it is very important that you learn to become responsible consumers of information. Sometimes it is very difficult to determine the credibility of WWW sources, so if you need guidance, please be sure to ask your library staff or teacher.

Here are some basic questions to consider:

1. Is the site authoritative? Have you ever heard of the author or sponsoring organization? Can you link the pages back to a credible authority?
2. What is the site's purpose and intended audience? Is the Web address .edu, .gov, .org, or .com? Is the site trying to educate, inform, or sell something?

Does the site's content illustrate objectivity? What is the point of view, and does the information seem biased?

1. Is the site current? What is the date of creation? When was the site last updated?
2. How did you access the site? Did you link from a reputable site or an ad?
3. Does the site provide accurate information? Are the sources of the information provided so that you can verify them? Does the information conflict with information that you have gathered elsewhere? Is the site free of grammatical and typographical errors?
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Here are some additional resources to help you evaluate your Web resources:

Duke University Libraries: Evaluating Web Pages

University of Michigan Libraries: Criteria for Web Site Evaluation

Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab): Evaluating Sources of Information

When you create something that is important to you, you want credit for it, right? Well, avoiding plagiarism and maintaining academic honesty in your work is an important part of your education. No matter how major or minor the assignment is, it is important to give credit where credit is due. In a nutshell, plagiarism is using the thoughts, words, and ideas of others without providing information that points to the source of those thoughts, words, and ideas. The following resources are good references for information about understanding plagiarism and avoiding it in your work. If you need guidance regarding plagiarism, please be sure to ask your library staff or teacher.

Indiana University - Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It

Duke University Libraries - Avoiding Plagiarism

Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab): Avoiding Plagiarism

University of Michigan Libraries: Q and A Plagiarism Handout for Students

The United States Copyright Office defines copyright as "a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of 'original works of authorship,' including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works." It is important that everyone in the academic arena maintains an awareness of copyright law, especially in the face of the ever-changing environment of digital information. The following resources are good references for copyright information. If you need guidance regarding copyright, please be sure to ask your library staff or teacher.

School-Related Resources for Students and Faculty

University of Maryland University College: Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web

University at Albany: Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Fair Use Resources

Guidelines from the Consortium of College and University Media Centers: Copyright in an Electronic Environment

General Resources for Students and Faculty

Cornell's Legal Information Institute: Copyright Overview

The United States Copyright Office

Stanford University Libraries: Copyright and Fair Use

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