Write and Cite Your Sources Using APA

Writing assignments can be time consuming. Get a head start on papers due later in the semester by keeping track of good information sources. If you include a quote in a paper you need to make a reference to the author. There are many styles of writing references and citations but on our campus you only need to learn one: APA Style. You can find lots of information about this style from the American Psychological Association online, but we have some tips for you to get started.

Make a reference to an author

Use the author's last name followed by the date of publication

Example:
One author Wind power can be an efficient and low cost source of alternative energy (Jones, 2003).
Two authors Solar power is a growing energy sector in Ontario (Jones & Brown, 2010).

Quote an author

Quotes should include the author's last name, year of publication and the page number.

Example:
According to Green (2009), "People are happy when it is sunny outside" (p.102).

Ready, Set, Go ! Welcome to Campus

Congratulations, you are a student again. Now for the hard part - getting down to work in the summer. These links are here to help you and so are the library staff.


Here are the highlights from our Monday session:

1. Your library website @ Ridgetown

Find books, articles and online help.

2. Course Guides and Links

Terminology, Surgery, Hematology, Communication and new guides for
sources online and in the library to help with your courses this semester.

3. Time Management and First! the website for new students at Guelph


4. Citing sources and making references in your assignments - use APA Style and follow the OWL at Purdue University for tips.



Give us your feedback ! Ask us !

Study, Study, Study - It's Exam Time

Be Prepared - Set Goals:

Know where you are at in the course. What marks do you have so far ? How much is the exam worth? This helps to set the amount of time you need to spend on the exam to reach your goal in the course and in your program.

Review Material

1. Edit class notes
2.Put class notes together with course readings on each topic.
3. Summarize important concepts and information in your own words.

What You Don't Understand Is What You Need to Know

Use flash cards or create a concept map (look it up on wikipedia) to find your weakest areas of knowledge. Make a list of the concepts you need to know. Use your instructor, Peer Helpers and your classmates to help you find answers.

Make A Study Plan

Use short periods of time to study and give yourself a break (10 minutes per hour). Eating and exercise prime your brain for learning. Short active breaks and small frequent snacks will keep you focused. Prioritize your exams and the material you want to learn.

Use the 3Rs - Read, Write, Recite

If you read the material out loud you can improve the amount you remember. Re-organize and write out the information you need to know. Teach the material to someone else. This is one of the best ways to learn it yourself. At home or in a study group you can discuss or debate course topics.

For more information on study tips and exam practice see the Guelph First website.

Keeping up to date online - search alerts & RSS

You may be developing an interest in one topic or have your eye set on a job and want to learn more about that career. You can create a space online to collect information instead of going out to search for stuff regularly with the same search string of keywords.

Current awareness services at the library help students and researchers in keeping up-to-date with current literature in particular subject areas.

Current awareness services are provided electronically and take various forms, such as:

* Table of Contents : when a new issue of a particular journal is published, its table of contents is emailed to the subscriber; links to full-text articles may be provided if an electronic subscription exists;

* Saved Searches alerting services: receive timely notification about research topics you care about and have searched and saved in a database.

* Web Feed or RSS-based services: avoid spam and email clutter by having journal alerts, table of contents and other new content sent to a separate reader which you can then browse online, like Google Reader.

If you would like to set up an alert or RSS (really simple syndication) feed. We can help at the library or you can do it yourself.

http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/resources/journal_articles/current_awareness/