Use MelCat to look up books in other Michigan Libraries. MelCat items will be delivered to the circulation desk and you will receive an Email when the items arrive.

Book Locations

• Main Stacks, Call Numbers A-H - Lower Level
• Main Stacks, Call Number J-Z - Third Floor
• Reference - First Floor
• Government Documents - Second Floor

Research Guides

A Variety of Research Guides are available for subject searching. The PRINT guides provide resources in print at FLITE, while the WEB guides provide electronic resources available at FLITE.

Finding Journal Articles

To find journal articles on a particular topic, it's necessary to use one or more of the databases available on the FLITE Web site. These databases cumulatively provide indexing to thousands of journal titles. A few of the databases provide full-text (content of the articles is found directly within the database), but most only provide citations (description of where the article originally appeared in print).

General OneFile
Provides academic journal articles, news, and magazines.

JSTOR
Provides journal articles.

Access World News
An index of world newspapers.

International Holiday Listing

U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State lists holidays by country. Choose the country to view the holidays.

Off Campus Access

FLITE's subscription databases are available to all current Ferris students, faculty, and staff. When you access a database from off campus you will need to login using your Library barcode number (located on the back of your Ferris ID) and a PIN (last four digits of your social security number or your birth date in mmddyy format). If you experience problems logging on, please call (231) 591-2669 or (800) 4-FERRIS (ext. 2669), or stop by the Check Out Desk at the Library.

Requests can be made electronically through the InterLibrary Loan (ILL) Request form.

Additional information can be found at Off Campus Database Access.

Getting the Article

If HTML or PDF full text options are available, click the link to go directly to the full text.

If full text is not an option:

Once you've found citations relevant to the topic you're working with and you need to get a copy of the articles, you'll need to verify whether FLITE owns the particular journal in which each article was published. Many databases now have a link called "Find It", which, by clicking on it, will give you the range of options available for document retrieval (print, microform, online). If the full text of the article is available, you will be able to find the article by clicking on the link.

If the only message you see is "Request document via Interlibrary Loan";, you will need to order the article. By clicking on the link in the window provided, you will be directed to a blank Interlibrary Loan form to be filled out. Sometimes the Find It button will provide a link to the Online Catalog. This indicates that the journal is found in FLITE's print collection. If you are off-campus and can't come to FLITE, simply order the article through Interlibrary Loan.

To look up whether FLITE owns a particular journal, use the Find a Periodical database to search for the journal title. Remember to use the journal title not the article title for your search.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another's work or ideas as your own. Plagiarism is often unintentional, but it occurs whenever you use someone else's ideas or words without giving them credit. It can be obvious - purchasing a term paper or turning in a project done by someone else. It can be putting other's ideas into your own words. A simple rule: do not copy text from Web pages or other sources without identifying the origional author. In this description, I am using ideas presented in the FLITE Online Tutorial called PILOT.
The tutorial provides these four tips to avoid Plagiarism:

• Take clear, accurate notes about where you found specific ideas
• Write down the complete citation information for each item you use
• Use quotation marks when directly stating another person's words
• Always credit original authors for their information and ideas

Citing Sources

Whenever you are quoting or using information from a source, you must credit or cite that source. Failure to do so is plagiarism which can lead to expulsion from the University. The following links provide information on how to use MLA:

Citation Style Guide: MLA (PDF)

MLA List of References
More examples of how cite different types of sources using the MLA format.

Copies of the full-length APA manual (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed.) and MLA Handbook (MLA handbook for writers of research papers) are found in the Ready Reference section on Floor 1 of the library near the South Service Reference Desk.

If you have any questions about what we went over during the library visit, Email Jodi Shepherd.

Don't forget, you are welcome to come to the South Service Desk and ask for help at any time. You can also call us 231-591-3602 or chat with us.

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Last Update: September 11, 2006