Concordia University - researchtips

What is an annotated bibliography?
--Annotated Biblography Guide (Cornell University)
--Annotated Bibliography Guide (Purdue University)
--Annotated Bibliography Guide (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
How can I make sure I am correctly citing my sources?
- Citation Style for Research Papers (OWL at Purdue) - (a guide for basic citation information with examples)
  - MLA Style Guide (OWL at Purdue) - Incorporates information from the newest editions of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed., 2009) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd ed., 2008).
  - APA Style Guide (OWL at Purdue) - Incorporates information from the newest edition of Publication Manual of the American Psychological Associaion (6th ed., 2009).
- APA Style Guide (print book)
- APA Style Guide to Electronic References - (pdf document, available electronically, a supplement to the APA Style Guide)
- Chicago Manual of Style Quick Guide - Common examples of materials cited using The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition.
- More information about citing Electronic Resources
How can I create an electronic portfolio?
eFolio: Create an electronic portfolio that showcases your achievements, education, and work history. See the eFolio video for a basic introduction to using the MN eFolio.
How can I make sure I'm using reliable web pages?
Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages (Cornell University)
What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
Primary vs. Secondary Sources (Bowling Green State University)
Where can I find an overview of the research process?
Library Basics (Bowling Green State University): Word vs. Subject Searching, Boolean Operators, Truncation and Wild Cards, Magazines vs. Journals, Primary vs. Secondary Sources, Evaluating Print Sources, and Evaluating Web Pages.
Research 101: An interactive, online tutorial covering research basics.
Target Your Topic: A worksheet (PDF) to help you brainstorm topic ideas, focus your topic, and develop keywords.
Tips for Finding a Research Topic: PDF handout listing ways to develop, narrow, and broaden a topic.
How long will this assignment/research project take to complete? What tasks are involved?
Assignment Calculator (University of Minnesota)
Where would I find instructional tutorials for library tools, Mind Mapping, and the research process?
Library Tool Tutorials: A mix of web pages, PDF documents, and Flash tutorials. If you do not already have the free Adobe Flash Player installed on your computer, you can access this free program here.
Open Mind 2.0 Tutorials: Learn how to use Open Mind 2.0 (a program already loaded onto your laptop) for brainstorming, organizing your thoughts, and managing projects.
Research 101: An interactive, online tutorial covering research basics.
What is a scholarly journal?
How to Distinguish Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals or Magazines (South Texas College)
How can I search library resources and link to key library resources without bookmarking a lot of pages?
Download the library toolbar. This toolbar includes a searchbox which allows you to search CLICnet, Journal Finder, and BearHunt. It also links to several important library pages such as our databases pages and help resources. Download the Toolbar
What is a tool I can use to manage my research sources?
Zotero, a Firefox extension, can help you organize your sources, maintain bibliographic information about each item, and add notes for them.
What are "clickers" (audience response system)?
The clickers are devices which allow an audience to respond to questions posed through a power point slide. The clickers allow for an immediate response to the question and an automatically generated chart reflecting the responses to the question.
Also, feel free to contact us at reference@csp.edu with any of your questions!
How is the Dewey Decimal system organized?
DeweyBrowser: OCLC's prototype provides a visual interface for the Dewey Decimal System. Use this tool to find a Dewey number for a topic and then browse our library's shelves and/or catalog.

Research Tips