Citations with Style and a Useful Feature or Two

Synthesizing your own thoughts with the thoughts of others is common in most projects at the college level. To avoid plagiarism, you must report the external sources of ideas and information by citing them. We have several resources available to you that help put your citations in the proper format (check with your instructor for his/her preferred format). This week, I'll cover the resources available at the University Libraries, as well as point out some helpful features of popular databases.

As part of our Virtual Reference Shelf, we have a short list of resources that cover citing sources in two standard formats: APA and MLA.

You may not be aware, but some of our databases have help for putting citations in the proper format, too. For example, Academic Search Premier's Help file has detailed instructions for not only APA and MLA citation formats, but for Turabian (Chicago Manual of Style) and AMA, as well. To access the Help file,

1. Click on the link labeled "Help" in the upper right corner of the main page. Then,
2. On the page that pops up, scroll down until you see the "Citation Styles" section on the left, and click on the help topic of your choice. (See the screenshot for details.)

Another database, CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature), illustrates a different example of how electronic resources can help you cite sources. When you run a search in CINAHL and click a title in the list of resulting articles, you have the option of printing or e-mailing the record to yourself. If you choose the e-mail option, CINAHL will let you pick the citation style you'd like to use. Take a look at the screenshot for more information. Note: This feature is also available in Academic Search Premier and other EBSCOhost databases.

A WORD OF WARNING: Contrary to popular belief, computers are dumb. They try their best to put these citations in the proper format, but goof up sometimes. Always double check that automatic citation-makers have put the parts of the reference (e.g., article title and dates) in the order specified by your instructor.

Window to Your WorldCat

If you're using library resources at a distance, you may find yourself wondering how to get an item that's not available in a full-text format from one of the University Libraries' many databases. Say you've looked up a book in CardCat that's just not available. You could request the item via interlibrary loan, but you live in Iowa and can't justify a trip to Muncie to pick up material from Bracken Library.

Did you know there's a quick and simple way to see if a local library has the item you need? Did you also know that many public libraries offer interlibrary loan services to their patrons? Read on about the wonders of WorldCat.

WorldCat allows you to search thousands of library catalogs (like CardCat) at once, providing you with a list of libraries that own the item you're looking for. The first screenshot shows an example of the number of options available when
searching WorldCat.

After clicking the Search button, you'll get an item record like the one displayed in the second screenshot.

By clicking the link for "Libraries worldwide that own item," you'll get a detailed list of libraries and their locations (see third screenshot). Notice that the list of locations starts with libraries close to Ball State's location, then spirals out from there.

WorldCat is a quick way to locate books anywhere in the country (or the world). You can even use the information in WorldCat records to fill out your interlibrary loan request forms.

Access WorldCat from the University Libraries' databases page under the W's. If you get stuck or need additional help, check out the Ask a Librarian services. And as always, remember you don't have to be in the library to use it!

Distance Learning blog is back!

Hello, everyone!

My name is Jason Fields, and I am the new Information Services Librarian for Distance Education at the University Libraries. I'll be updating the Distance Learning blog weekly either to draw your attention to new resources or to share a tip or trick with you regarding how to get the most out of Ball State's library services wherever you are!

So, let me start out with pulling back the curtain on two of our newest databases, PILOTS and CuminCAD.

PILOTS, or Published International Literature On Traumatic Stress, is updated monthly and deals specifically with the topic of post-traumatic stress and its effects. The range of literature dates back to 1871 and covers current information to date.

CumInCad, or the Cumulative Index of Computer Aided Architectural Design, gives you access to journals and conference papers in the field of computer aided architectural design. It's important to note that first-time users must create a new account with the "New users" link on the left-hand side of the page. The graphic shows you where to click the first time you visit.

Another new resource has been added to the Digital Commons under the E-Books node. From the resource's website: "Hebrewbooks.org was founded in order to preserve old American Hebrew books that are out of print and/or circulation. Many American Rabbis wrote seforim (Hebrew books) in the early part of the 20th century. They have long since passed away and in many instances so has their holy work.

Currently our mission has expanded to include all Torah Seforim ever printed. At Hebrewbooks.org you will be able to view and print the entire Sefer online."

And there you have it! Three new resources to try out when you have time, or need information. Remember, you don't have to be in the library to use it!

Until next week....