Research Guide for Information Literacy
Scope
This research guide is designed to help Moraine Park students locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.
Books
A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker
Hacker covers general information (including grammar and punctuation), as well as the finer points of writing research papers (including citations in APA and MLA Style). This book is a required text in many writing classes. The MPTC libraries have copies in multiple places under this call number: PE1408 .H2778.
Concise Rules of APA Style by the American Psychological Association
Fond du Lac copy: located behind the Reference librarian’s desk. West Bend copy: reference section, call number BF76.7 .C66 2005
APA Style Guide to Electronic Resources by the American Psychological Association
You want to cite your sources in APA Style. What do you do if you’re using web-based sources? This style guide at the pamphlet file at the Fond du Lac campus is just the ticket. (Ask your librarian if you need help finding it.)
The Elements of Library Research: What Every Student Needs to Know by Mary W. George This is the best, most readable and up-to-date book on college research. Fond du Lac campus, call number: Z710 .G44 2008.
Search the MPTC Catalog
Suggested keyword searches
Citation
APA
AMA
MLA
Writing
Research
Online searching
Periodical Databases
Since all databases are an integral part of information literacy, the point is to learn to use whatever databases are appropriate to the topic(s) you are dealing with. Below are two databases which are good places to start.
WilsonWeb
EBSCO
Websites
Chris Niemeyer’s Keyword Searching Tutorial
http://www.umsl.edu/services/libteach/keyword.html
Library databases don’t work the same as Google and other non-library search engines. This tutorial will help you to search library databases effectively.
How to Read a Call Number
This video, produced by the University of Arkansas Libraries, explains the purpose of call numbers and how to find items using call numbers.
Anatomy of a Scholarly Article
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/scholarly-articles/
All the important parts of a scholarly article are color-coded for easy identification.
ERIC Searching Tips
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/guides/eric/erictips.html
ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) is funded by the US government. It is the world’s largest database of education-related literature. Thanks to North Carolina State University librarian Amy VanScoy for providing these ERIC searching tips.
Boolean Searching (using "and," "or," & "not.")
http://lib.colostate.edu/tutorials/boolean.html
Colorado State University Libraries put together this online tutorial that will help you do more powerful searches using the so-called "boolean operators," "and," "or," & "not."
NC State’s Research Process Worksheet
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/guides/researchtips/topic.html
This is another list of tips from Amy VanScoy. It will help you pick a topic and start searching.
IRIS’s Ideas for Choosing a Topic
http://www.clark.edu/Library/iris/start/topics/topics_p4.shtml
IRIS was designed for 2-year college students like you. These are their tips on finding a good topic.
Clarke College’s Searchpath
http://www.clarke.edu/media/static/searchpath/choice.html
Searchpath teaches research in a clear and understandable way. The sections on how to start, and how to choose a topic are relevant and up-to-date for all students.
MPTC’s Library Guides
http://www.morainepark.edu/pages/891.asp
These links will help you to do better research.
MPTC’s Citation Guides (APA/MLA/AMA)
http://www.morainepark.edu/pages/1530.asp
If you don’t cite your sources, you can be found guilty of plagiarism. Here’s a page of links to help you with APA Style (for social sciences), MLA Style (for the humanities), and AMA Style (for the medical fields).
Is this Source Scholarly?
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill20.html
If your instructor has asked you to use scholarly sources, you can be sure that you’re meeting the requirement by consulting this site.
Using Wikipedia Wisely
http://www.blip.tv/file/623977
Maybe your instructor warned you not to use Wikipedia. That means don't quote from it or list it in your references, but you still may want to use Wikipedia as part of your information-gathering process. This four-minute video shows you how.
Using Zotero
http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/howto/zotero.htm
Zotero is possibly the citation machine that more librarians recommend to their students than any other. Be warned, however, that Zotero is not compatible with Internet Explorer, the browser used with all MPTC computers. However, you may still want to download the Mozilla Firefox browser and learn to use Zotero by means of the resources provided in the link above.
The Onion’s Take Off on Peer Review
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30988
America’s favorite satirical news source demonstrates the concept of peer review (normally used to screen papers submitted to scholarly journals,) in the context of a fifth-grader’s speech.
FindSpot
http: //www.findspot.com/
Use Find Spot for help with non-academic searching, including online shopping, job hunting, planning a vacation, and much more.
Updated 10/2009
