Library catalogs and databases can't understand an entire sentence. So you'll need to break your topic down into the most important ideas - the KEYWORDS.
Example Topic: How do stereotypes affect female politicians during elections?
Keywords: stereotypes, female politicians, elections
Most words have synonyms that mean the same, or very similar, things. For each keyword in your topic, try to come up with at least one synonym. Not all keywords will have synonyms, but many do!
Example:
Keep an Eye Out
Sometimes scholars use terms that you might not be familiar with, or which might mean something very specific within the discipline. While searching, look for unfamiliar terms or words that show up a lot. Try searching for those and see if you find more relevant sources.
Most library databases have search tools built in. Try some of these:
Or look for an "advanced search" page to find these tools - and more!
Find out more about ESCAPE in our Evaluating Information Tutorial.
APA is the official citation style created by the American Psychology Association.
You will use APA when writing papers for psychology, some science classes, social science classes, and education.
APA Citation Guide (7th Edition) at Brenau University
APA Elements of Style (video)
MLA is the official writing and citation style created by the Modern Language Association.
As a student at Brenau University, you are able (and encouraged) to download a free copy of Office 365 for your schoolwork.
To download your free copy go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office?ms.officeurl=getoffice365?ms.officeurl=getoffice365
Office 365 works better with Canvas and other programs than Google Docs,
Your professors will thank you!
Proper, reference/bibliography citation.
A summary annotation that describes the source by answering the following question: what the document discusses. An evaluation part of the will answer the following questions in complete sentences: who wrote the document, when and why was the document produced, how was it provided to the public (eg. book, article, or online source), and why you think this source is reliable.
Wilson, F. (2017). Death in the countryside: Cozy murder programming and the English imagination. The Royal Journal of Mass Communications, 12(3), 156-163. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000126
This article, published in 2017 by a prestigious English journal, tried to describe why crime television has always been so popular in the United Kingdom and its territories. The author chose three popular television programs produce in the United Kingdom to explore the theme. The data used in the article includes population data, viewing statistics, streaming availability, and anecdotal evidence gathered from an online forum. I view this article as reliable because of the authors educational credentials and where the information was published.
