Skip to main content
It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

WP 111: WP 111

WRITING FOR WHOM?

Young Woman before a Mirror, Chase (Wikimedia Commons); Siege of La Rochelle, Motte (Wikimedia); Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes; manga in the 60s, Pinterest<pinktentacle.com;Pinterest<Instagram<hijabjunkie

 

Think about Research Strategically

 

  • Looking up background information first can save you time later - use Credo Reference
  • Use terminology and facts learned from the background information to search for articles in MLA International Bibliography, Academic Search Complete,  and other databases at right
  • Search for books in any of Colby's catalogs, expanding your search with subject linking
  • Investigate the notes and bibliographies of every good source you find for leads to more
  • Think about what sorts of publications the information you need might be published in
  •  - encyclopedias or handbooks (for factual information) : Credo Reference
  •  - newspapers (for professional reporting of contemporary events) : Proquest Newsstand
  •   - popular magazines (for journalistic essays) : Academic Search  Complete, select Magazines in the sidebar
  •   - websites, YouTube (for personal opinions, multimedia, corporate promotions) : Google or your favorite
  •   - academic articles (for research and discussion backed by scholarly argument) : subject databases
 

Use Reference sources to look for...   

  • definitions
  • historical context
  • biographical information

To identify a scholarly journal article, look for...                                                                                                                    

  • an abstract
  • a bibliography

Scholarly journals...   

  • report original research in a specific discipline
  • typically contain peer reviewed articles

Use newspaper databases and the web to explore today's culture...

If you need help with anything, don't hesitate to contact me:                                        kjgillum@colby.edu

    

To look for ~

​     books, use : CBBcat

           worldwide: WorldCat     

                 when you know the title:           OneSearch

Sign up for ILL and request books and articles Colby doesn't own.

Find authorized background information online in:

Search for newspaper, magazine & journal articles in these databases. (Mouse-hover for brief descriptions):

More directions for databases in     

1-Minute Videos

 Subjects to Search in the Catalog

Websites
     

CITATION

Use MLA style to create citations in the humanities, APA style for social sciences.
 

      "What is the purpose of citations?"

Citations show the research path someone took to develop an idea, and they provide leads for other researchers to discover information in related resources.   

         "When do I need to cite?"

Of course you need to cite when you directly quote someone else, but it's also important to cite when you refer to another person's ideas or when you outline someone else's argument or line of reasoning.

 

EXAMPLE of MLA Style on a Works Cited page for an article retrieved from a database:

Stuart, Christopher. “William Maxwell's So Long, See You Tomorrow and the Autobiographical Impulse.” Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, vol. 47, no. 3, 2006, pp. 261–273. JSTOR, doi:10.3200/crit.47.3.261-273.

thus the formula is:

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Journal,  volume #, issue #, year, page numbers. Name of Database, DOI.

EXAMPLE of APA Style on a Works Cited page for an article retrieved online:

Scruton, R. (1996). The eclipse of listening. The New Criterion, 15(3), 5-13. Retrieved from: URL or doi.

MORE EXAMPLES and explanations at Purdue's OWL site:

Questions

Colby College on Twitter Colby College on Facebook Colby College on YouTube Colby College on Vimeo Colby College RSS Feed Search Previous Next