Library Tutorials
When searching for scholarly sources, a database is the place to go. But you don’t search a database the same way you use Google. Whether you are new to the academic research process or just need a refresher, this module will help you:
- Understand what a database is
- Identify which database to use and how to access it
- Recognize the basic layout of a database
- Execute a search in a database
Letting others know where your inspiration, ideas, and evidence comes from is an essential part of research and writing, but knowing when and how to cite your sources can be complicated. Correctly citing your sources helps your audience see all of the valuable effort and time you put into your research, and acknowledges the hard work of previous scholars. This module will help you:
- Understand when and why to cite sources
- Identify the parts of a citation
- Explore different citation styles
- Determine how to integrate citations into your own research
Copyright rules can be confusing. While we are librarians and not lawyers, we can still help you understand some of the rules and best practices around copyright law. From fair use, to creative commons, learn what you can use and when. It’s always best to cite your sources! This module will help you:
- Generalize the applications of copyright, intellectual property, fair use, and creative commons
- Determine the proper use of licensed materials.
Sometimes condensing your topic into a few short words or phrases to use in your database search can be tough. Different orders, combinations, and small variations can get you totally different results. This module is here to help you:
- Understand what a keyword is and why we use them
- Identify how to brainstorm keywords
- Recognize how to combine keywords in a search
Sometimes when writing a paper you need to let your audience know what knowledge already exists about your topic. You might want to let readers know where your ideas fit in the existing scholarly conversation. This is where a literature review comes in. So you can craft an amazing lit review, this module will help you:
- Understand what ‘literature’ is and why you conduct a literature review
- Identify sources to use in a literature review
- Strategize how to organize your sources to write a literature review
College research requires more than a single search. You need to go from generating ideas, to discovering sources, to synthesizing information and data. This process is not a straight line and can feel a bit like a maze at times. This module is here to help you navigate by:
- Explaining the complexity of the research process, including various moves and habits a researcher might employ
- Summarizing the process for and impact of locating previously synthesized works, original, and lateral sources
- Suggesting ways to create a plan to synthesize the ideas presented in sources
Wheaton Domains is a project and platform that allows you to design, create, and manage your own website. Whether it’s for an assignment or something else, this module will help you get started with Domains, give you the basics of WordPress, and get you ready to create your own amazing site. Sections include:
- Getting started with Wheaton College Domains
- Understanding content management systems (CMS)
- WordPress basics: Organizing and preparing content
- Choosing a theme
- Selecting and adding images
- Using documentation and how to find help
Are you a first year student just starting out on your academic research journey? Are you an upperclassman who wants a quick refresher on the basics of finding information? This module is for you.
- Explore information landscape of academia
- Discover the services and resources available to you through the college and library
- Create effective search strategies for finding a variety of information
- Examine different types of information and their uses
- Find tools and methods for tracking and organizing research
Are you a first year student just starting out on your academic research journey? Are you an upperclassman who wants a quick refresher on the basics of documenting information? This module is for you.
- Understand citations and their role in the scholarly conversation and academic writing
- Identify the components of a citation
- Explore different citation styles and why the may be used
- Learn to incorporate sources into your own work and avoid plagiarism
- Examine the creation of citations using style guides as well as recommended citation generators and managers