Research Help

• Getting Started with Library Research (video 3:58 min.)
  Overview of where to find research tools like the library catalog and databases on the COS Library’s web site and what each tool does best.
• Picking Your Topic Is Research (video 3:10 min.) from North Carolina State University
  Taking time to think through your topic idea will make researching and writing easier!
• From Idea to Library (video 2:28 min.) from North Carolina State University
  How information is turned into a journal articles that make their way into library databases.

General Searching Skills

• One Perfect Source? (video 2:09 min.) from North Carolina State University
  How to break your topic down into multiple searches since that "one perfect source" often doesn't exist.
• Keyword Searching Basics (video 5:19 min.)
  Explains what keywords are, why they are important, and how to choose them.

Ebook Central

• Downloading from Ebook Central (video 3:18 min.)

EBSCO: Academic Search, CINAHL (nursing), MasterFILE, and many more

• EBSCO Article Database Basics (video 6:13 min.)
  Overview of selecting a database, searching more than one database at a time, and important features such as limiting to full text and/or scholarly articles and the citation tool.
• Tips for EBSCO Databases (PDF)
• Tips for EBSCO Databases (Text Only PDF)

JSTOR

• Intro to JSTOR searching tip page
• Advanced JSTOR searching tip page
• Basic Searching in JSTOR (video 3:20 min.) from University of Alabama Libraries
  Overview of how to limit search results to articles, view/download articles, and use the citation tool. Ignore the first 38 seconds of the video; Siskiyous access to JSTOR is from our Articles & Databases page.

OverDrive

• OverDrive Overview (video 4:59 min.)
• Getting started with OverDrive web page with links to apps
• Get help with ebooks web page (including how to use OverDrive ebooks with a Kindle)
• Get help with audiobooks web page
• Getting started with Libby web page (Libby is the primary OverDrive app)
• Having trouble? web page for troubleshooting technical difficulties

SIRS Issues Researcher

• Using SIRS Researcher (video 1:52 min.) from Missouri State University Libraries
  Overview of how to browse for a topic, find articles, and use the citation tool.
• SIRS Knowledge Source database (PDF) from Seminole State College Library

• Library Catalog Basics (video 3:22 min.)
• Textbook Searching Using OneSearch (video 2:18 min.)

Academic Video Online

• Academic Video Online Searching and Filtering (video 1:50 min.)

Films on Demand

• Films On Demand Database in 1.5 Minutes (video 1:21 min.) from Seminole State Library
  Overview of searching for, playing, and citing videos, as well as video transcripts.
• Films On Demand Quick Tips (PDF)

Many of these resources focus on using the CRAP/CRAAP Test (CRAAP = Currency, Reliability/Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose).

• Evaluating Sources (video 2:16 min.) from Western University
  Covers criteria for evaluating sources using the CRAAP Test.
• Evaluating Sources for Credibility (video 2:16 min.) from North Carolina State University
  Explains why using credible sources is important and what makes a source credible.
• Using the C.R.A.P. Test to Evaluate Websites (video 4:40 min.) from Portland State University Library
  Applies the CRAP Test to evaluating a web site.
• The C.R.A.P Test in Action: Articles (video 2:22 min.) from Portland State University Library
• Evaluating Information - Applying the CRAAP Test (PDF) from CSU Chico

Scholarly Articles & Peer Review

• All About Peer Review (video 2:58 min.) from CSU Dominguez Hills
  Explains the peer review process for articles, as well as peer review’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Anatomy of a Scholarly Article (video 4:48 min.) from North Carolina State University
  A tour of the parts that make up a scholarly article and what you can expect to find in each part.

Primary & Secondary Sources

• Primary and Secondary Sources (video 5:51 min.) from Grand Valley State University
  Explains what primary and secondary sources are and how those definitions can vary between different disciplines like history, literature, political sciences, and biology.
• Primary vs. Secondary Sources (video 3:17) from Clovis Community College
  Brief overview of what makes something a primary or secondary source.

General

• Citation: A (Very) Brief Introduction (video 1:54 min.) from North Carolina State University
  Explains what a citations are and why they are important.
• Adding a Hanging Indent in Word (video 1:13 min.) from Concordia Library
• How to add Hanging Indents to Google Docs (video 0:35 min.) from Jen Jonson

MLA

• MLA Style, 8th Edition: Introduction (video 4:30 min.) from Raynor Memorial Libraries
  Provides an overview of how MLA citations work, MLA terminology, and examples; includes both in-text citations and end-of-work citations.
• MLA Citation Style (8th edition) (video 6:15 min.) from Santiago Canyon College Library
  Walks through an example of how to create an MLA citation with all the formatting and punctuation details.

APA

• APA 7th Edition Formatting Checklist (PDF)
• APA 7th in Minutes video series from Humber Libraries:
  • Formatting a Paper in Microsoft Word (video 7:31 min.)
  • Formatting a Paper in Google Docs (video 7:08 min.)
  • In-Text Citations (video 3:58 min.)
  • Scholarly Journal Articles (video 6:08 min.)
  • Books (video 6:18 min.)
  • Websites (video 3:58 min.)
  • Online Images (video 5:51 min.)
  • YouTube Videos (video 7:31 min.)