Ferris State University Library for Information, Technology and Education (FLITE).
SOCY 472- Baker

Where to find material at FLITE:

Finding Books

To find books in FLITE, try either Subject or Keyword searches in the online catalog.

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 Databases

Academic Onefile
Academic Onefile provides 8,000 academic titles in multiple disciplines, many in full-text. Includes peer-reviewed, refereed, and trade journals. Also includes Health Reference Center

General OneFile
A very large, full-text database with over 50 million articles covering a myriad of subjects, General OneFile indexes both newspapers and journals. Coverage is from 1980 to present. A few journals, especially older dates, give only selective full-text.

Wilson Select Plus
This completely full-text database includes articles from a wide range of subject fields including science, humanities, education and business. Coverage is from 1994 to the present.

Social Science Databases

Social Science Abstracts
Indexing and abstracting is provided for journal articles, interviews, obituaries, book reviews, and biographies. A wide ranges of social science fields are covered including anthropology, sociology, and political science. Coverage is from 1983 to the present.

Social Work Abstracts
The Social Work Abstracts database is produced by the National Association of Social Workers and contains more than 45,000 journal records from social work and other related fields. Coverage is from 1977 to present. The database can be searched by keyword, title, author, subject, or specifically defined fields. Topics covered include homelessness, AIDS, child and family welfare, aging, substance abuse, legislation, community organization, and more. The access limit for the database is four users at a time.

Criminal Justices Abstracts
With citations dating back to 1968, Criminal Justice Abstracts is prepared in cooperation with the Criminal Justice Collection of Rutgers University Library. Indexing journal articles, books, and government reports, Criminal Justice Abstracts covers such topics as crime trends, crime prevention and deterrence, juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice, police courts, and sentencing.

Criminal Justice Periodicals Index
This database provides selective full-text coverage to journals in the fields of law enforcement, corrections administration, social work, drug rehabilitation, criminal and family law, industrial security, and other criminal justice fields. Citations extend back to 1981.

CINAHL
The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) provides comprehensive coverage of the professional literature in nursing, allied health disciplines, biomedicine, consumer health, alternative medicine, and health sciences librarianship. Coverage is from 1982 to the present. Selective full-text is available for research instruments, state nursing journal articles, and critical paths.

Contemporary Women's Issues
Contemporary Women’s Issues provides over 35,000 citations for articles, books, and research reports, published since 1992, which focus on issues of particular concern for women. Coverage is world-wide in scope and includes such topics as education, family life, pay equity, and reproductive rights.

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.

Why not Google?

Does Google have it all?

Can you find:
American Indians and Alaska Natives in California: women's cancer screening and results. (includes abstract) Satter DE; Journal of Cancer Education, 2005 Spring; 20 (1): Supplement: 58-64. (journal article - research, tables/charts) CINAHL AN: 2009097406

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
For more information about Plagiarism, please explore the Plagiarism webpage provided by the Ferris State University Writing Center.

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:

APA:

Citation Style Guide: APA (PDF)

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

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

Rick Bearden
Library Web Coordinator
Email Rick Bearden
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Big Rapids, MI 49307-2279
Questions/Comments: Ask Jodi Shepherd
Main Switchboard
(231) 591-3500
Fax: (231) 591-3724