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Your Librarian
Your Librarian
Renee Fratantonio
Renee Fratantonio
If you are not sure of how to start your research project or where to look for sources, contact Renee. She can help you find articles, books, websites, and more. You can talk to her in person in her office on the first floor of the library, HA-102, or send an email to rfratant@fitchburgstate.edu.
You can also set up a time to meet with Renee by using her online appointment scheduler.
The library website is separate from the University website so when you need to do research go directly to the library's website by clicking here. You will also find more ways to get help.
Research Guides are created by librarians to point you in the direction of different resources to help you. These include, but are not limited to, library databases, websites, journals, books, and citation guides.
Citations shouldn't be a hassle -- that's why the library provides you access to the citation manager RefWorks. Learn how to set up a free account, collect all your sources in one place, and create bibliographies at the click of a button!
Sometimes an article or a book you want for a research project isn't available at the library. The library will get it for you. Sign up for an ILLiad account here and you will be able to request articles, books, and media. Articles are sent digitally within 2 days!
Some helpful 1-2 page "Quick Guides" on research process topics:
Search Strategy and Keyword Development
Search Strategy and Keyword Development.pdfWhen and How to Use Quotation, Paraphrase, and Summary
Quotation Paraphrase Summary.pdfKeyword Searching vs. Subject Searching
Keyword vs. Subject Searching.pdfEvaluating Sources
Finding sources is easy.
Finding authoritative, reliable, trustworthy sources can be difficult, particularly when these sources are found on the web. This is because the internet lacks any sort of oversight or control over what gets published. In some cases this is a positive thing, as when new ideas are shared, but it also means anyone with a computer - from an expert to a novice (or worse, someone disseminating misinformation) can make a page that looks credible, but may not be. This is why your professor usually prefers that you use sources from books and scholarly journals, which can be found through the library.
You can use the RADAR method to evaluate information you find for its credibility. RADAR is an acronym standing for:
Relevance
Authority
Date
Appearance
Reason
To learn more about this method, download the worksheet and accompanying cheat sheet or click through the Evaluating Sources Prezi below.
Fake news is a related problem -- you can learn more about identifying false news stories and the problems associated with spreading fake news on the library's Fake News Guide.
RADAR worksheet.docxCiting Sources
Citation serves a real scholarly purpose above and beyond checking to make sure you did your work - it leaves a trail for future scholars to follow, so the basis of your argument is understood. We cite to provide evidence, but also to provide context so the full implications and rationale of your position makes sense. We cite in a particular style so that the trail is uniform and recognizable across space (between countries, for instance) and time (so researchers in 100 or 200 years can follow our ideas.) Citation styles go through revision meaning new editions of a single style are released. Always check with your professor on which edition s/he/they would like you to use. MLA released their 8th edition recently and many of the databases have not switched from 7 to 8. You are responsible for checking that your citations are consistently in the same format and edition.
These shortcuts should provide you with a good overview of how to cite in MLA 8:
How to Cite Sources in MLA 8 - Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library
FSU librarians have put together a guide with multiple resources to help you figure out MLA 8 and how it's different from MLA 7.
Purdue OWL - MLA Formatting and Style Guide
The Purdue OWL site is a favorite of librarians and professors across the board. It's a really helpful and well-organized tool for checking your format.
This handout from Spartanburg Community College Library provides a format examples and tips for the most common sources you will need to cite.
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