Librarian
Citing
CITING YOUR SOURCES
You can find style guides for APA, MLA, and Chicago Manual of Style visiting the link below. From there, you can find resources for citing various sources in one of the major styles.
STARTING RESEARCH
When you begin a research project, it is a good idea to take a moment to reflect on your prior knowledge of the topic area. How much do you already know about this topic? How confident are you in moving forward with this topic?
In most cases, you will need to do a bit of research to get some general information on your topic. You can think of it like you are scaffolding a learning assignment for your students. To truly learn a new concept or skill, you need to create a solid base or foundation.
A great way to create this base is by conducting research in encyclopedias. Encyclopedias are arranged alphabetically and contain a general overview of a term or subject matter.
You can also access encyclopedias online through our reference databases like these:
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new windowProvides reference sources in almost all disciplines. Also includes historical timelines, multimedia, selected magazine articles, notable quotations, and a dictionary and thesaurus.
- Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new windowBroad cross-curricular collection of non-fiction titles, supporting science, geography, history, language arts, business and other subjects. Optimized for search and discovery, the Gale eBooks platform enables you to search through multiple nonfiction eBooks within a single search.
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new windowContains a variety of media rich content, including over 20,000 pro/con viewpoints, approximately 19,000 reference articles, interactive maps, infographics, and more. Cross-searchable with Gale In Context: Global Issues. National Debate Topics category provides quick and easy access to content on frequently studied and discussed issues. Educator Resources include a research toolkit with tips on analyzing issues with opposing viewpoints, distinguishing fact from opinion, evaluating information sources, and recognizing deceptive arguments.
FINDING BOOKS IN MILNE LIBRARY
To look for books in the Milne Library catalog, navigate to the library homepage and click on 'Advanced Search.' If you wish to only find online books, leave the search scope to 'Online Access' and change the 'Material Type' to 'Books'. Then enter your search terms. If you desire print volumes, change the search scope to 'Library Catalog', limit to 'Books', enter your search terms and click 'Search'. Once in the results list, click 'Held by Library' to limit to print volumes only.
If you are planning to take books out of the library, please see the library's Online Library Guide for information on the procedure for checking out books.
FINDING SCHOLARLY ARTICLES
Find scholarly articles by using one of the databases listed below. These can also be found from the 'Databases' link on the Library's homepage.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowFull text for about 8,500 periodicals including over 7,300 peer-reviewed journals across most areas of academic study as well as indexing and abstracts for more than 12,500 magazines and journals. Coverage is from 1887 to the present.
- Family Studies Abstracts This link opens in a new windowAbstracts related to family studies, including families, marriage, divorce, and family therapy. Contains over 50,000 records.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Interlibrary loan can be helpful if you are looking for resources the library does not currently own. This is a service free of charge to all SUNY Oneonta students and faculty. Digital documents, such as PDFs, can be delivered in as little as a couple of hours whereas physical items, such as books, can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, depending on availability. It is a good idea not to wait until the last minute to do your research in case you need to use ILL.
- Interlibrary LoanILL Login - Use your SUCO User ID and password