| Contact | |
|---|---|
| Stacy Anderson | |
| Phone: 231-591-3635 | |
| Office: FLITE 140C | |
| Contact | |
| Emily Mitchell | |
| Phone: 231-591-3730 | |
| Office: FLITE 140F | |
ENGL 250 (Courtright-Nash)
To find articles pertinent to your topic, it is essential to use the appropriate databases that provide access to many citations and full-text articles. Multi-disciplinary databases, like Academic OneFile and General OneFile, are great places to start, but you will probably also have to use subject-specific databases.
Rather than listing them all here, go to FLITE's list of databases arranged by subject or academic major. Take a couple of minutes and brainstorm what subjects are relevant to your topic.
If you are doing research from off-campus, you will need to log-on to use databases licensed by FSU. You can log-on to the databases using your MyFSU username and password. Click here for more information on off-campus database access.
In some databases you will see an option for a Text version of the document or a PDF version. In general, the PDF version is preferable as it is most often a scanned version of the original and will therefore contain the graphics. When e-mailing, printing, or saving a group of articles, be sure to select the full-text or PDF option if available.
Some databases contain little full-text, but allow you to link out to Ferris' holdings or the interlibrary loan request form. You will notice the Find it! links following individual citations that will indicate the availability of the article online, in the library, or the need to interlibrary loan the article. Click on the Go button and you will be taken to the online version, library holdings record, or interlibrary loan form to obtain the article you desire. See the example below:
Sample Article Link-Out from the Online Catalog Journals Tab
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.
To learn more about citations, check out this FLITE Citations page.
Print out the FLITE APA Citation Guide and use it to properly format your citations.
Other good resources for APA help are The Owl at Purdue University and Northern Michigan University's APA Guide.
Don't forget! Ferris' Writing Center will critique your papers including bibliographies. Find more information at their website.
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. It can be cutting and pasting text from a web site. A simple rule: Do not copy text from Web pages or other sources without identifying and giving credit to the original author.
Here are some ways to avoid plagiarism, taken from PILOT, the FLITE Information Literacy Online Tutorial.
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
For more information about Plagiarism, please explore the Plagiarism web page provided by the Ferris State University Writing Center. The Writing Center can assist you with "all aspects of the writing process, from preliminary brainstorming and outlining, to revising and polishing final drafts" as well as citation assistance. This help is available in person and through email.
FLITE offers many ways to get in touch with a librarian. You can can call, email, and chat with us. FLITE homepage > Get Help
Of course, we'd also love to see you in person! If your question is research-related, it may be best to set up an appointment with a librarian. You contact the librarian directly or you can complete the reference consultation form. Either way, someone will get back with quickly and set up a time to consult with you. This can be done in person, over the phone, via email, or through chat. Setting up an appointment allows the librarian to prepare for your specific consultation which makes for a less time-consuming and more relevant conversation.
Contact: Stacy Anderson / Email / Phone: 231-591-3635 / Office: FLITE 140C
Contact: Emily Mitchell / Email / Phone: 231-591-3730 / Office: FLITE 140F
Don't forget, you are welcome to come to the Oval Information Desk and ask for help any time. You can also call us 231-591-3602 or chat with us.
Updated by Stacy Anderson: November 2, 2011.