Librarians are available to answer your questions. Click on the Ask Us bubble for FAQs and contact options (chat, email, text, phone).
Top 5 Library FAQ's:
Quick Links
- Interlibrary Loan AccountLogin to your ILL account
- Databases A-Z ListA comprehensive list of databases that the library offers. Sort this list by subject area and select the database that offers content on your topic.
- Productivity ToolsThe library lends cameras, headphones, battery packs, chargers, short-term laptops, UV lights, cameras, and more at the Circulation Desk. Click for a complete list of tools!
- Michigan eLibrary (MeL)Request books and media from all participating Michigan libraries. Great for leisure reading!
Find Sources
While a quick google search can be incredibly useful for finding introductory material on some topics, these searches are often cluttered by unrelated links and it's not always clear how results are sorted past the first couple. Use the following links to become a more effective & efficient searcher:
- Library Basic Search (external)This is a walk through that will open a new window. It provides an overview of the Van Pelt & Opie's main search tool. It will take about 10 minutes to complete.
- Databases & Advanced Search Strategies (external guide)This is an overview contained within another guide that covers what Databases are, why you might use one, and advanced tricks for using them.
- Interlibrary Loan Tutorial (external)This is a walk through that will open a new window. It will show you the different ways you can access resources from other libraries.
Citation Resources
There are many resources on citations available. Below are some websites and tools you can use. Most databases have an option to generate a citation. This can be very useful, but always check the generated citation. Often authors' names are flipped, the capitalization of titles is jumbled, etc.
Good citations allow readers to track down references for more information and build your credibility as the author by highlighting the works you've built your thinking on.
APA Style
In general, the nursing field uses APA style for citations.
- Purdue OWL: APA StylePurdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a great place to reference citations in APA style. It includes many examples in detail. This link jumps to the section on Reference Lists.
- APA Style from apa.orgThe APA website has comprehensive examples and explanations of different situations you may experience when develop your citations.
- Publication manual of the American Psychological Association : the official guide to APA style.The library keeps a print copy of the APA Manual at the Circulation Desk.
Citation Management Software
Citation managers allow you to store, sort, and edit references to articles you find. They then connect to word processing tools in order to automatically generate citation lists for you. The library provides resources and support (guides, consultations, & workshops) for EndNote and Zotero.- Zotero Library GuideZotero is Open Source software. Users can download a browser extension to allow for quick saving documents to a Zotero library as they work. It works well with Word and has some functionality with Google Docs.
- EndNote Library GuideEndNote is available via the IT Download Center and is installed on most campus computers. The standalone program can be synced across computers via EndNote Web. It works very well with Word and the company has just released both an app (iOS only) and a browser extension.