A Guide to Getting Started with Research for Niagara College Students
Niagara College Libraries + Learning Commons Information Skills Online Handbook by Jackie Chambers Page and Siscoe Boschman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
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This handbook introduces and reinforces essential information literacy skills for students beginning their post-secondary careers. The material is directed specifically at Niagara College students, but can be used by anyone.
Subjects include: avoiding plagiarism, generating search terms, effective internet searching, evaluating information, references, and more.
The authors would like to thank Kent Reynolds, ncLibraries + Learning Commons, for contributing to the proof-reading and usability testing of this handbook.
I
This section will introduce some essential concepts to help you get started with your research assignments. Chapters include:
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After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
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Download a copy of key terms through The Learning Portal from College Libraries Ontario
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Examples of useful assignment planning tools:
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After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
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Visit niagaracollege.ca/library for full contact information or email library@niagaracollege.ca.
For further information on this topic:
The Learning Portal by College Libraries Ontario. The Writing Hub – Choose a Topic. https://tlp-lpa.ca/research/choose-a-topic
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). Invention: Starting the Writing Process. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/OWL/resource/587/01
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By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
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II
In this section, you will learn some key concepts to help you distinguish between different types of sources and how to develop effective search strategies to locate the resources you need. Chapters include:
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By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
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After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Content originally created by Jen Klaudinyi for CLIP, modified by Jaclyn Chambers Page for Niagara College Libraries
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Email library@niagaracollege.ca or visit niagaracollege.ca/library for full contact information.
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After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
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Email questions to library@niagaracollege.ca or visit niagaracollege.ca/library for full contact information.
The Learning Portal by College Libraries Ontario. The Writing Hub – Choose a Topic. https://tlp-lpa.ca/research/choose-a-topic
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). Invention: Starting the Writing Process. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/OWL/resource/587/01
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After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
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Please email library@niagaracollege.ca with any questions.
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Find more information from these sources:
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III
This section will help you learn how to evaluate your sources in order to ensure you are choosing good quality background research in your assignments. This chapter includes information on the CRAAP test and evaluating news sources.
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After completing this chapter you will be able to:
This chapter will outline some key concepts to consider when analyzing internet sources. This knowledge will help you do better research for assignments and in daily life.
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Email your questions to library@niagaracollege.ca
IV
This section provides an overview of academic integrity and honesty. Chapters include:
9
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Unsure of what plagiarism actually is? Watch this video to find out.
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As a Niagara College student, you are responsible to uphold the College’s standards for academic integrity and honesty. Here are two essential items you need to be aware of regarding plagiarism:
The same information can also be found in the “Academic Responsibilities” section of the student handbook.
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There is more than one way to get accused of committing plagiarism. Watch this video to learn the different types of plagiarism so that you can avoid it in your own work.
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One of the easiest ways to avoid being accused of plagiarism is to always cite your sources. Watch this video for more information on why you should cite your sources, as well as where/when to cite your sources.
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After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
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As a Niagara College student, you are responsible for following the copyright practices of the college. In particular, you should be aware of:
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V
This section provides information on citations and referencing. Choose the chapter that features the referencing style relevant for you:
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After completing this module, you will be able to:
Please watch the following video to learn some key facts about citations. Make sure you take note of the section on “common knowledge”:
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As you learned in the plagiarism module, by giving credit to your sources you are contributing to the conversation of scholarship!
What does this mean? Citing your sources allows others to conduct further research into your topic by following the same path you took and drawing their own conclusions. Appropriate sourcing also demonstrates that you are a respectful and diligent researcher, which is essential to your professional reputation.
The ncLibraries Citation + Plagiarism guide is a tool created to help you construct citations successfully. Please review the guide and complete the digital “scavenger hunt” below (all of the answers can be found in the guide):
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Use the Citation + Plagiarism guide to help you choose the correct reference in this APA jumble.
In order to ensure you avoid plagiarism, you also need to integrate sources into your work correctly.
You may have noticed the examples in the previous tutorial forgot to emphasize this point, so here is a helpful guide to help you use your sources appropriately (examples are APA Style): Integrating Quotations.pptx.
You can also download helpful tip sheets from College Libraries Ontario’s Learning Portal, including:
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There are a number of citation generators available online for free and from library databases. These are extremely useful tools, but always make sure to proofread your results!
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Visit College Libraries Ontario’s Learning Portal for further resources on citing and referencing.
Buck, Stephanie. (n.d.). Why you need to cite sources [Video file]. Retrieved from https://softchalkcloud.com/lesson/serve/iLrlI5R1x7FUmo/html
HumberLibraries. (2014, November 12). APA in minutes [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/m1jDr93WC4A?list=PLOjUhNG9PY-GI5hMLuxDQ2yyiCcdVJNa0
Klaudinyi, K. (n.d.). Incorporating sources into your research paper [Video file]. Retrieved from https://softchalkcloud.com/lesson/serve/8kJ0PRcb3E9wlo/html
Memorial University Libraries. (2013, September 10). Referencing sources in APA style: A basic introduction [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/gGtkh_-9OC0
NC Libraries. (2014, December 19). Don’t lose “cite” of avoiding plagiarism [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/IJIqWTAN8Qc
NC Libraries. (2017, October 4). The why, where, and when of citing [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/4sMLdrwVzvo
NC Libraries. (2018, December 17). Citation generation with ncLibraries [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/qZt3FBOx1Fs
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After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Please watch the following video to learn some key facts about citations. Make sure you take note of the section called “Common Knowledge.”
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As you learned in the plagiarism module, by giving credit to your sources you are contributing to the conversation of scholarship!
What does this mean? Citing your sources allows others to conduct further research into your topic by following the same path you took and drawing their own conclusions. Appropriate sourcing also demonstrates that you are a respectful and diligent researcher, which is essential to your professional reputation.
The ncLibraries Citation + Plagiarism guide is a tool created to help you construct citations successfully. Please review the guide and complete the digital “scavenger hunt” below (all of the answers can be found in the guide):
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Use the Citation + Plagiarism guide to help you choose the correct reference in this IEEE Jumble.
In addition to ncLibraries Citation + Plagiarism guide, the 2018 IEEE Reference Guide is freely available online for users to access.
Users are instructed to consult the Chicago Manual of Style for resources not listed in this guide.
There are a number of citation generators available online for free and from library databases. These are extremely useful tools, but always make sure to proofread your results!
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Visit College Libraries Ontario’s Learning Portal for further resources on citing and referencing.
In particular, consult the following resources for information on how to incorporate your sources into the body of your essay:
13
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Please watch the following video to learn some key facts about citations. Make sure you take note of the section on “common knowledge”:
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An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/ncinfoskills/?p=149
As you learned in the plagiarism module, by giving credit to your sources you are contributing to the conversation of scholarship!
What does this mean? Citing your sources allows others to conduct further research into your topic by following the same path you took and drawing their own conclusions. Appropriate sourcing also demonstrates that you are a respectful and diligent researcher, which is essential to your professional reputation.
The ncLibraries Citation + Plagiarism guide is a tool created to help you construct citations successfully. Please review the guide and complete the digital “scavenger hunt” below (all of the answers can be found in the guide):
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In 2016, a new version of MLA style was introduced. The 8th edition of MLA style is designed to be more flexible in order to meet the needs of researchers in the digital world. Instead of desiging a specific model for every type of resource possible, MLA has come up with a set of core elements that researchers can use to create citations in a somewhat standard way.
What does this mean for you?
In order to use the new MLA style effectively, you will need to understand the core elements and adjust them to match the resource you are citing. This process is designed to be easier than trying to find an exact example to follow for every single type of resource you use. ncLibraries has compiled some commonly used types of citations to help you guide you in our Citation Guide.
Borrow the handbook from ncLibraries to learn more:
MLA Handbook (Eighth Edition) by The Modern Language Association of America
Call Number: LB2369 .G53 2016 (Welland and NOTL Campuses)
ISBN: 9781603292627
Publication Date: 2016
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The MLA Style Center has provided a template to help you create your citations.
The following are the core elements of an MLA style citation*, as defined by the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook:
1.Author. –>The author(s) of the work. For multiple authors, list their names in the same order they appear in the work. MLA Style uses each author’s full name in the following order: authorlastname, authorfirstname. If there are two authors, invert the second author’s name so it is authorfirstname, authorlastname. If there are three or more authors, use the first author’s name and “et al.” For example:
One author:
Thompson, Andrea.
Two authors:
Goderich, Felicia, and Merida Oakman.
Three authors or more:
Kerich, David, et al.
2. Title of source. –>Title of the work. Subtitles are included after the main title.
3. Title of container, –>This is the name of the journal, website, newspaper, etc. that contains the work. Sometimes, you will see “nested containers,” for example, an article from a database would have the journal name as the “container” for the article and the database name as the “container” for the journal.
4. Other contributors, –>This refers to other people who were involved with the work, such as an editor or narrator.
5. Version, –> Use this when your source states indications it is a different version from the original, e.g., revised edition, 8th edition, director’s cut
6. Number, –>This element is used to refer to volume numbers in books, volume and/or issue numbers in journals, seasons and episodes in television shows, etc.
7. Publisher, –>The publisher is the organization responsible for making the source available to the public.
8. Publication date, –>This is the date when the source was published.
9. Location. –> This refers to the location of your source within its container, for example the page numbers of an essay from an anthology, the URL of a page or post from a website, or the page numbers of an article from a journal.
*NOTE: Depending on the source you are using, you may not need to include all of the elements, but the elements you do include must appear in the order listed above.
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The MLA Style Center: A Quick Guide is the official source for templates and examples to help you create your MLA citations. You’ll find other resources and answers to some FAQs from the MLA Style Center home page.
You can find MLA 8th edition templates from the following websites:
Use the Citation + Plagiarism guide and the other resources described in this chapter to help you choose the correct reference in this MLA jumble.
In order to ensure you avoid plagiarism, you also need to integrate sources into your work correctly.
You may have noticed the examples in the previous tutorial forgot to emphasize this point, so here is a helpful guide to help you use your sources appropriately (examples are APA Style): Integrating Quotations.pptx.
You can also download helpful tip sheets from College Libraries Ontario’s Learning Portal, including:
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There are a number of citation generators available online for free and from library databases. These are extremely useful tools, but always make sure to proofread your results!
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Visit College Libraries Ontario’s Learning Portal for further resources on citing and referencing.
Buck, Stephanie. “Why You Need to Cite Sources.” Cooperative Library Instruction Project, adapted by ncLibraries, 29 Sept. 2015, https://softchalkcloud.com/lesson/serve/Yp2zmlGti13wH5/html.
MLA Handbook. 8th ed., MLA, 2016.
NC Libraries. “Citation Generation with ncLibraries.” YouTube, 17 Dec. 2018, https://youtu.be/qZt3FBOx1Fs.
NC Libraries. “Don’t Lose “Cite” of Avoiding Plagiarism.” YouTube, 19 Dec. 2014, https://youtu.be/IJIqWTAN8Qc.
NC Libraries. “The Why, Where, and When of Citing.” YouTube, 4 October 2017, https://youtu.be/bSDpIvw_zqg.
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Visit the ncLibraries + Learning Commons website to learn more about the topics in this handbook or email questions to library@niagaracollege.ca.
Jaclyn Chambers Page: jchamberspage@niagaracollege.ca
Siscoe Boschman: sboschman@niagaracollege.ca