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Welcome to the DCTC Library's Administrative Support Capstone course guide. On this page you will find helpful information about the research and writing process, including links to help you evaluate and cite your sources.
The 2nd page has information about the resources in our library and how to find them using our catalog.
The 3rd page is a gateway to the Library's best online resources and web sites for this course, including some tutorials for these resources.
Let's get started!
Abraham Lincoln famously said you shouldn't believe everything you read online. And 82% of all statistics are made up.
There's a lot of misinformation out there. Digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield developed the SIFT method to help students evaluate information and make better decisions about what sources to trust:
Stop
Investigate the source
Find better coverage
Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context
Here are more guides to help you evaluate sources of information:
- Criteria for Evaluating Information (Otis College of Art and Design)
- Evaluating Information (Johns Hopkins University)
- Evaluating Resources (UC Berkeley)
- Evaluating Sources of Information (Purdue University)
- Online Verification Skills with Mike Caulfield (YouTube)
There are different styles for citing the sources you use in your assignments. Your instructor will let you know whether to use APA, MLA, or some other style. Here are some introductory guides to these styles from the Purdue and Excelsior Online Writing Labs:
- Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide
- Excelsior OWL: APA Style
- Excelsior OWL: APA In-Text Citations
- Excelsior OWL: APA Side By Side
- Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide
- Excelsior OWL: MLA Style
- Excelsior OWL: MLA In-Text Citations
Our catalog and databases provide citations for the books, videos, and articles you find in them. Just look for a link that says Cite or Citation, then select the appropriate style. It's easy to copy and paste citations into your bibliography!
"Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials."
This definition of plagiarism comes from page 1 of DCTC's Student Code of Conduct.
Citing your sources like this or in a bibliography is an essential part of the research process. It allows others to verify your information and gives credit to previous researchers and writers for their work.
The Center for Student Success offers tutoring to all DCTC students, including help with writing your paper and citing your sources. You can schedule an appointment by calling 651-423-8420 or visiting room 2-101.
Use our catalog, OneSearch, to find the books and videos on our shelves, plus ebooks and streaming videos.
The best way to begin your search is to enter one or two keywords on your topic. To narrow your results, use the Modify My Results options on the left side of the screen. You can also click on a relevant title and click on one of its subject headings to focus your search on that particular topic.
Please ask a librarian if you need help locating anything you find in our catalog.
If we don't have the book, video, or article you're looking for, you can request it via interlibrary loan (ILL) and it will come to you. It's easy! E-mail library@dctc.edu to let us know what you're looking for and we'll do the rest.
We have lots of books and videos relevant to administrative work and workplace ethics in our collection, but they're not all shelved in one convenient location. Books about ethics in general can be found in the BJ call number range, while books about business ethics in particular will be under HF5387. Some books about medical office work can be found at R728, while books about law office management are in the KF318-322.5 range. So as you can see, the books you need could be in several locations. Don't hesitate to ask a librarian if you need help finding anything.
Here are just a few of our books about administrative work and workplace ethics:
We have print issues of OfficePro from the past three years, plus online coverage from 10/1/1997 to the present. OfficePro is published by the International Association of Administrative Professionals and covers office politics, the latest software, and more.
Reference books and online resources like Access Science, Britannica Academic, Gale eBooks, and Salem Online are great for improving your background knowledge on almost any topic. These resources also provide images and videos, which you can use to liven up your papers and presentations.
Films On Demand offers lots of videos about workplace ethics, such as these:
- Ethics and Responsibility in Management (27:22)
- Protection: Privacy, Safety, and Standards-Ethical Issues in Nursing (20:42)
- Working Together: Professionalism 101 (28:14)
- Eliminating Workplace Bullying (13:56)
- An Introduction to Business Ethics (19:04)
- Best Practice Workplace Checklist (14:44)
- Workplace Relationships: Playing Your Part (20:13)
- The Case for HIPAA Risk Assessments (38:05)
- The Auditors Are Coming: How to Prepare for an OCR Audit (28:41)
- Documentation and Legal Apects for CNAs (37:05)
- Confidentiality Obligations by HR (7:08)
- Q&A: Ethical Behavior (13:05)
- Workplace Rights and Responsibilities (28:15)
- Doing the Right Thing (56:39)
There are millions of full-text articles in our EBSCO, Gale, and ProQuest databases. The best way to begin your search is to enter one or two keywords on your topic. Each database is different, but there will be ways to limit and focus your results so that you find the most relevant and useful articles available.
Our EBSCO databases are an excellent place to start your search for magazine and journal articles.
Our Gale databases are another great place to find magazine and journal articles.
Search hundreds of U.S. newspapers, newswires, and news sites with ProQuest U.S. Newsstream.
Please visit the Library or e-mail library@dctc.edu if you have any questions about our online resources or if you'd like help finding articles on your topic.
Opposing Viewpoints features information and opinions on more than 400 social issues and current events. For each topic, you'll find viewpoint essays; reference information; full-text articles from magazines, academic journals, and newspapers; primary source documents; statistics; images; videos; audio; and trustworthy websites.
- International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)
- IAAP Code of Conduct
- NALS... the association for legal professionals
- NALS Twin Cities...the Association for Legal Professionals
- HIPAA for Professionals (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
- HIPAA and COVID-19 (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
- Minnesota Law and Legislative Documents (Minnesota Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes)
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
We have online access to OfficePro from 10/1/1997 to the present. OfficePro is published by the International Association of Administrative Professionals and covers office politics, the latest software, and more.
Here are just a few of the ebooks about administrative skills and workplace etiquette you'll find in our EBSCO eBook Collection:
OnBoard: All You Need to Know About Starting Out in Work Today
Alph Keogh, 2020
The Marvelous Millennial's Manual To Modern Manners: Professional Success and Happiness with the Help of Business Etiquette
Jessica W. Marventano, 2019
Faster, Fewer, Better Emails: Manage the Volume, Reduce the Stress, Love the Results
Dianna Booher, 2019
Mastering Business Letter Writing Skills: A Practical Approach
Nana Yaw Oppong, 2016