Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to obtain materials ISU does not own. ILL does not require payment from you and can be used to request books, articles, or other materials for academic work. If you need to use ILL, PLAN AHEAD. It takes time to locate and obtain the materials from other libraries.
APA Academic Writer is an authoritative resource offering you a complete digital environment for teaching, learning, and writing academic papers.
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) APA provides an introduction and a formatting and style guide using the 7th edition of APA.
The ISU Writing Center is available to offer help with your writing. You may schedule an appointment in advance (recommended) to meet in-person or online. The Writing Center also offers group appointments. Information on appointments and scheduling can be found on the ISU Writing Center website.
Graduate level writing involves a higher level of research and synthesizing material than undergraduate level writing. Check out the sources below to help you develop graduate level writing skills.
Evaluating a source can help you determine if that particular source is a good fit for your assignment or research. Reviewing the date of publication determines if you have up-to-date information on the topic. Checking the authority and purpose makes sure the author has the experience and/or credentials to write about the topic. Examining the purpose of the article can help you determine if the article is persuasive or biased on a particular topic. Review the publication information--is the article published in a scholarly journal or website? Was the article peer-reviewed?
It is important to take a few minutes to review the sources you want to use--particularly if you are using a source from the internet.
If you have questions about the validity of a source, check with the Social Work Librarian.
Social Work Research: The Basics page provides information to assist you in starting your research and/or graduate writing. Remember the guide was created as a tool to assist you with your research; you are responsible for locating additional resources on your topic.
If you need assistance, contact the Social Work Librarian.
Click on the link to access the approved list of social work journals.
You can use the Find e-journals, eBooks, and other media by clicking on the link below. Remember to use the title of the journal, not the title of the article to find the resource. You can also check the library catalog to find print issues of journals.
Remember to use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to access journal articles our library does not subscribe to.
Reviewing background information on a topic can help you prepare a research plan. Background information (usually found in an encyclopedia) can provide the historical context on a subject.
Encyclopedias can provide a timeline of events, relevant terminology, issues or concerns about the topic, and provide the researcher with a basic understanding of the topic.
Key Word Search;
Type one or more words of the title, author, subject, or series or song titles. Keyword search results are usually grouped by relevance to bring the most likely titles to the top of the list. For example:
twain huckleberry
harry potter goblet
dylan tangled blue
If you aren't sure of how to spell something, use '*' for 1-5 characters, '**' for open-ended truncation, or '?' to replace a single character anywhere within a word. For example: polic*, comput**, wom?n
Author Search:
Type all or part of the author's name (last name, first) or the name of an illustrator, actor, director, composer, performer or organization. For example:
Steel, Danielle
Carle, Eric
Madonna
Depp, Johnny
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Title Search:
Type as much or as little of the title as you know, beginning with the first words of the title. If you don't know the exact title, do a keyword search. For example:
sound of music
to kill a mockingbird
harry potter
Creating a List:
To make a list that can be printed or emailed as you search the catalog, select items by marking the box to the left of a title and then clicking on Save to Marked List. Items can also be added to a list from an individual item record by clicking on the Save to List button.
Once you have created a list, use the View List button and then select Export Saved List to choose your print or email choices. To print, select Send List to: Screen and print from your browser.
Using the "advanced search" option provides assistance in focusing your search.
