Writing and Research Help Center - Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
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Ruth A. Myers Library
Writing and Research Help Center
Writing and Research Help Center
Ruth A. Myers Library
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Contact the Library
Keith Cich
Librarian
keith.cich*AT*fdltcc.edu
218.879.0837
218.879.0838 (library circulation desk)
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These links can assist you with writing papers for class and conducting research. Please note that most of the provided links will navigate you away from the college’s web site. Most of these web sites are not maintained by Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.
How Do I Get Started on My Research Project?
The first step in getting started is choosing a topic.
This video will give you an overview
of how to accomplish this sometimes daunting task.
After you have chosen a topic, you need to begin finding sources for your research. But what types of sources might provide the kind of information you need?
This video will talk about the differences
between scholarly, popular, and trade sources.
It’s also important to understand another difference in types of sources—primary, secondary, and tertiary. Many times your instructor will ask that you use specific types of sources.
Do you know which is which?
After watching the two types of sources videos,
test your knowledge by taking this short quiz
. (You will find the correct answers at the end of the quiz.)
Once you know what types of sources you’re looking for, you can begin actually searching for them using the library’s databases. These videos will help you do just that.
Generating Key Words
Basic Key Word Searches
Advanced Searching Using Boolean Operators
How Do I Know if a Source Is Reliable?
We are lucky to live in a world where information is easily accessible. However, with so many sources of information available, how do you decide what is reliable? These videos from Crash Course can help.
The Facts about Fact Checking
Who Can You Trust?
Evaluating Evidence
From politicians to posts on social media, we hear a lot of about fake news and media bias. But how you do know if the news you’re reading can be trusted? The two sites below can help you learn how to evaluate news sources for reliability and bias.
SMART Check
Media Bias Chart
After reviewing the resources on assessing sources,
take this brief assessing sources quiz
. (You will find the correct answers at the end of the quiz.)
How Do I Keep Track of Information and Avoid Plagiarism?
You’ve chosen a topic, found sources, and evaluated their trustworthiness. Now that you’re reading through all this information, how you keep track of it and incorporate it into your own writing? How do you avoid plagiarism?
Click on this link and scroll down the page to see the information about keeping track of information from multiple sources without plagiarizing.
It’s crucial to understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
This site will help you do just that, and it also includes a link to plagiarism checker
so you can make sure you aren’t plagiarizing.
You will undoubtedly be quoting sources in your work. Of course, you want to do this correctly according MLA or APA rules. Here’s how:
APA
MLA
How Do I Document My Sources?
Part of doing research is being transparent about where your information is coming from. To do this, you’ll use citations in the text of your paper as well as citations at the end of it. These citations must follow a particular documentation style. Two of the most common styles are APA and MLA.
MLA Video Guides:
These five videos cover formatting a document using MLA style, creating in-text citations, and creating an MLA works cited page.
APA Video Guides:
These six videos cover formatting a document using APA style, creating in-text citations, and creating an APA references page.
These three videos created by the FDLTCC Library cover APA 7th edition general guidelines, in-text citations, and headings/subheadings:
APA and MLA Quick Reference Guides:
MLA
APA
Citation Generators. These sites will help you create reference list or works cited entries for your essays. Be sure to choose the correct citation style when you use them.
EasyBib.com
CitationMachine.net
Where Does the Comma Go?
You can build credibility with your audience by carefully proofreading your work to make sure that you have correctly used punctuation. The sites below can help you learn how to do just that.
This website goes over common sentence errors to watch out for
This site goes over some frequently misused punctuation marks: colons, semi-colons, and dashes
Using commas correctly is one area in which many writers struggle.
This website can help take some of the mystery out of comma usage
What if I Need More Help?
Contact FDLTCC’s Centers for Academic Achievement:
Sarah Libbon, CAA Coordinator
218.879.0834
slibbon*AT*fdltcc.edu
Contact FDLTCC’s librarian:
Keith Cich, Librarian
218.839.0837
Keith.cich*AT*fdltcc.edu
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I chose FDLTCC because of its size and the curriculum. When I first came here in 2019, I was just looking for what I needed to volunteer, perhaps in a crisis shelter. I met with Don Jarvinen, and the rest is history.
It is awesome here at the FDLTCC Education Program because it is like a family here, if you need help or are struggling with anything, you have quite a few people who will help you out.
My favorite thing about FDLTCC is the people. I’ve met fantastic students, faculty and staff who go above and beyond what I expected.
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