Research
Responsible research and writing implies that we respect the intellectual property rights of others: this is the essence of academic integrity. The links on this page will take you to information on how to avoid plagiarism (i.e. the presenting of others' words or ideas as your own) in your writing, and how you can responsibly copy and properly cite your research sources whether these are in print or online. If you have questions about these issues, please ask a librarian, who will be pleased to offer assistance.
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, US Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One specified condition is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
OTC Library reserves the right to refuse a request for a photocopy if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the request would involve violation of copyright law.
I have read, understand, and will comply with these restrictions.
Take the Test! How much do you know about the proper use of others' work? Work through this online tutorial and see if you can pass the self-test. Powerpoint on Plagiarism at Plagiarism.org.
Citation and Style Guides
What are Style Guides? Proper citation is important for all scholarly work. Style guides, or style manuals, provide detailed information about how to use a particular citation style for various media formats. The following list is a selection of citation style guides. The electronic guides do not include all the rules and formats of the citation style. For a complete and comprehensive guide to citation style, please access a print copy of the guide.
Electronic Guides to WritingAPA Style Guide
APA Style Guide Examples
APA Citation Guide
MLA Style Guide
EasyBib
Son of Citation Machine
Strunk's Elements of Style
The Writing Center at UNC
Citation Builder
Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of research sources (e.g. Books, articles, etc.) with a concise summary of the content and an assessment of its relevance. Annotated bibliographies are often assigned at the beginning of a larger project.
How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
How to Write an Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliographies
How to Write Annotated Bibliographies
Compare and Contrast Essays
A compare and contrast essay is simply an essay that takes two topics and shows how they are alike and how they are different.
Comparison / Contrast Essays
Writing Comparison / Contrast Essays
Comparison and Contrast Essays
A Brief Guide to Writing a Comparison / Contrast Essay
Research Essays
A research essay requires the writer to read material in a specific area of focus. This essay style requires the writer to compare their ideas and thoughts with those that they have synthesized from the source material.
Research Papers
Writing Research Papers : A Step by Step Procedure
Planning and Writing a Research Paper
Literature Papers
Online Library Learning Center
http://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/