Getting Started

About this Resource Guide

This guide will help you find resources related to professional writing. The guide is divided into the following sections:

Search Tips

 
  • Review basic tips to help you search the library catalog and databases.
  • View a list of recommended databases for writing professionals.

Books

  • View a list of recommended electronic books.

Cite Your Sources

  • Access guides for citing your sources using APA and MLA format.

 

Contact a Librarian


Keith Cich
Librarian
Ruth A. Myers Library
218.879.0837
​keith.cich@fdltcc.edu

 

Search Tips

Just the Keywords

When searching the library resources, stick to the keywords you chose while reading your reference sources. We don't want to include extra words or type in full sentences like we're accustomed to with search engines.

Boolean Operators


Use boolean operators to combine multiple keywords to get more accurate search results. The venn diagram below shows your search results in orange.

Use AND between your keywords to narrow your search. This will give you a smaller number of results that are more specific to your topic.
Use OR between your keywords to broaden your search. This will give you a larger number of results and is helpful for including synonymous terms.
Use NOT between your keywords to exclude keywords from your search. This is helpful for weeding out irrelevant results.
A Venn diagram showing the functionarily  boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT.

Additional examples of boolean searches

honeybees AND migration AND "climate change"
honeybees OR "native bees" AND habitat
honeybees OR "honey bees" AND Minnesota NOT bumblebees
 

Filter Your Results

The vast majority of our library databases include the ability to filter your search results.
Database filters image 

Use the Full Text filter to only search for article you can immediately access in full text.
Use the Peer Reviewed filter to limit your search to articles from scholarly journals.
Use the Publication Date filter to limit your search to a specific date range. For nursing resources, you are often looking for information published in the last 5 years.

Additional filters are often available through the left side bar or by using the advanced search option.

Contact a Librarian


Keith Cich
Librarian
Ruth A. Myers Library
218.879.0837
​keith.cich@fdltcc.edu

 

Phrase Searches


Databases search for your keywords in any part of the article (author, title, body, etc). Put quotation marks around multiple keywords if it is important to find results with that exact phrase. This also works well for titles and names.

"Reservation Dogs"
"climate change"
"Linda LeGarde Grover"

Databases

Searching the Library Catalog

 

Search the library catalog to find books, journal articles, media and more. OneSearch searches the majority of the library's journal databases and ebook collections as well as the physical collection including books, DVDs and course reserves.

Professional Writing Databases

Business Source Premier (EBSCO) Scholarly journals and trade publications across all business-related subject areas.

Regional Business News Plus (EBSCO) Provides extensive coverage for full-text regional business publications from the United States and Canadian provinces. Scholars and academic researchers can access essential newspapers, radio and TV news transcripts, trade publications, magazines, newswires and videos.

Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) Provides full text articles from over 4,600 publications, covering a wide range of academic subjects.

ProQuest U.S. Newsstream U.S. news content as well as archives that stretch back into the 1980s from national and regional news sources including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, Chicago Tribune and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Advanced Search Options

Click the Advanced Search link on any database to get additional search options.
For professional writing, The Document Type and Publication Type options can are helpful for searching for specific types of resources (letters, reports, reviews). 




 

Contact a Librarian


Keith Cich
Librarian
Ruth A. Myers Library
218.879.0837
​keith.cich@fdltcc.edu

 

Cite Your Sources

APA Style Guides

Academic writing requires you to correctly format your papers and cite your sources. The field of nursing uses APA style.

See the library's guide on APA formatting for an overview of the most common citation skills you will need as a nursing student:
APA 7th Ed. Citation Guide | Ruth A. Myers Library (mnpals.net)


Purdue OWL offers a more extensive guide you can reference for more advanced citation questions:
APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition) - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

Library Databases Citation Tool

The library catalog and most of the library databases have built in tools to help you format citations for your works cited/reference page.
After finding an article, look for a "Cite" icon. Choose the whichever you are using (APA, MLA, etc.), then, copy and past the citation into your document. Always double check the format in case there are errors.

                  

Contact a Librarian


Keith Cich
Librarian
Ruth A. Myers Library
218.879.0837
​keith.cich@fdltcc.edu

 

Citing Websites and Online Sources

  • Citation Generators. These sites will help you create reference list or works cited entries for your essays. Be sure to choose the correct citation style when you use them.