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EN 1201 - College Writing II (Turner)

Finding Research

Starting Your Search

When you are starting your search, it can be valuable to think about the different themes related to your topic. By thinking about these themes and who might be writing about them, you can start to know where to look for good resources. 

Differences between Sources

  Academic Trade Popular
 
Content Original research and experimentation Industry/trade trends, products, and news Current events, opinions, and general information
Look Plain, long articles, may contain charts and graphs Glossy, contains photos and industry/trade related advertisements Glossy, contains color photos and everyday product advertisements
Authors Experts in their field Industry specialists or staff writers Journalists/reporters, staff or freelance writers
Audience Professors, researchers, students Members of the particular industry or trade Anyone
Language Academic and technical Jargon of the industry Written in a language for anyone to understand
Documentation Footnotes or bibliography Occasionally contain cited sources  References may be mentioned in text

Selecting a Database

Whether looking at print sources or electronic ones, it is important to evaluate the quality of a source. Use the following guidelines to select appropriate resources for this assignment.

Currency: the timeliness of the information

Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs

Authority: the source of the information

Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content, and

Purpose: the reason the information exists

We have many different databases for all kinds of research projects. Use the drop-down menu to select the one that is right for you.

Race

Gender

Sexuality

Setting up RefWorks

RefWorks

RefWorks is a new way to collect, manage, and organize research.  You can read, annotate, organize, and cite your research as well as collaborate by sharing collections.

From simple bibliographies to papers formatted with in-text citations or footnotes, RefWorks handles it all. ​To learn more about RefWorks, use our RefWorks research guide.

To create a RefWorks account:

  1. Go to the link below and click Create account
  2. Fill in your information, making sure to use your DelVal email address.  
  3. Go to your inbox and click the email link to complete the activation process. 

Already have an account? Just go to the link below and click "Log In"

Online Tutorials

RefWorks screencasts are available 24/7 on ProQuest's YouTube Channel. 

Click here to begin watching.

Formatting your Bibliography

MLA Style Citation Examples

In-Text Citations

NOTE: MLA treats quotations and paraphrasing the same. 

(Last name Page)

Example:

(Dorris and Erdrich 23)

More than two authors

(Last name et al. Page)

Example:

(Burdick et al. 42)

Journal Articles

 Last name, First name. "Article Title." Journal Title, vol., no. if available, year, pages. Database, if available. Stable URL, if available. 

Example: 

 Borroff, Marie. "Sound Symbolism as Drama in the Poetry of Robert Frost." PMLA, vol. 107, no. 1, Jan. 1992, pp. 131-44. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/462806.

Journal article with multiple authors

When a source has more than two authors, include Last name, First name, et al.

 Last name, First name, and First name Last name. "Article Title." Journal Title, vol., no. if available, year, pages. Database, if available. Stable URL, if available. 

Example: 

 Dorris, Michael, and Louise Erdich. "The Crown of Columbus." PMLA, vol. 120, no. 3, May 1997, pp. 182-44. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/462806.

Getting Help