Learning Tools
Tutorials
Searchpath
Take this Rutgers University Libraries tutorial to learn about library and Internet research. It consists of the
following six modules:(1) Starting Smart, (2) Choosing a Topic, (3) Using IRIS, (4) Finding Articles, (5) Using the Web, and (6) Citing Sources.
Each module can be completed in 20 minutes or less.
Introduction to the University Libraries
For an overview of Rutgers University Libraries tools and services, take a
short course about the library. This course consists of 8 short sections.
Each section can be completed in 5-10 minutes or less.
Subject Tutorials
Communication Com201 Tutorial
The purpose of this tutorial created by Rutgers University Libraries is to provide guidance for students doing research in communication studies.
Nursing Information Literacy Tutorial
This narrated, Flash-animated
tutorial was created by Rutgers University Libraries and Rutgers College of Nursing for all
nursing students. The tutorial takes roughly 25 minutes to complete and contains advice and
interactive activities.
The tutorial can also be used by anyone working on research in Nursing or related areas.
Indexes/Database Tutorials
IRIS, The Rutgers University Libraries online catalog.
To learn more about our online catalog, consult
the IRIS Guide.
CSA (e.g., ArtBibliographies Modern, Criminal Justice Abstracts, PAIS, Sociological Abstracts, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts)
Tutorials.
Clicking on the tutorials link will take you to interactive tutorials, a list of helpful guides with tips, strategies, and tools for searching the indexes/databases using the CAS search engine. Topical
Discovery Guides provide a starting point for ideas and background for research topics.
EBSCOhost Research Databases (e.g., Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, EconLit, CINAHL,
MLA International Bibliography)
Introductory Tutorial Basic Searching Tutorial and Advanced Searching Tutorial are interactive tutorials. Step by step guides for searching and using features available via the EBSCOHost search engine is available at
Help link available at the top right corner of screen when you access any of the EBSCOhost databases.
OVID Databases (e.g., ERIC, Medline, PsycINFO)
Getting Started Tutorial.
Also available via this link is a guide for Advanced Searching and for searching tips and features.
For specific indexes/databases, look for the HELP information on the RU Libraries' description page for each title and for the HELP link after linking to specific indexes/databases.
Plagiarism Tutorials
Writing and Citing Guides
APA Style Guide to Electronic References [Rutgers Restricted]
A revised and updated version of section 4.16, pages 268-281, of the fifth edition of the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.
Bedford St. Martin Research and Documentation Online (Website to accompany Diana Hacker's Research and Documentation in the Electronic Age, 4th ed.)
Provides information on citing sources in the humanities, social sciences, history, and sciences.
Cite Source Trinity College Library
Presents citation formats for the Chicago Manual of Style, The ACS Style Guide,
the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, and Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Citing Sources Trinity University
Instructions for using MLA (Modern Languages Association), APA (American Psychological Association), Chicago, ASA (American Sociological Association), or Turabian styles to cite standard and electronic sources. Also includes tips on using sources in a paper and creating an annotated bibliography.
The Owl at Purdue Purdue University
Provides a section "Research and Citation" that covers citation format information for
the American Sociological Association (ASA) style, Chicago Manual of Style,
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Citation Formatting Tools
RefWorks [Rutgers Restricted]
A web-based research management tool that allows you to import references from many electronic databases and catalogs, include citations in your paper, build a bibliography using a variety of citation styles, and create a bibliography in a choice of formats.
NCSU Libraries Citation Builder (APA, MLA, CSE)
Generates bibliographic citations in APA, MLA, or CSE format based on information you enter into a web form.
Son of Citation Machine (APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian)
Generates bibliographic citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, or Turabian format based on information you enter into a web form.
Zotero
A free, open-source research management tool that is a Firefox add on.
It enables you to collect, manage, and cite research sources.
To get started go to the
Zotero Quick Start Guide.
Other Resources
Rutgers Libraries Toolbar is a free web browser extension that provides a drop-down menu to library resources,
embedded library links on certain popular web pages such as Amazon.com, and new functionality to the "right-
click menu" of your mouse.
For online dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other quick-answer sources, go to our extensive list of
Electronic Reference Sources.
For overviews and background information on topics, good starting points are the
Gale Virtual Reference Library [Rutgers Restricted] and the
Sage eReference Encyclopedias [Rutgers Restricted].
For pointers on identifying scholarly articles, see
Popular Literature vs. Scholarly Peer-Reviewed Literature:
What's the Difference?
And the interactive tutorial
What Makes a Journal Scholarly?
For information and resources on searching in a major subject area, go to the
Subject Research Guides developed by Rutgers subject specialist librarians.
For brief course-specific library guides, consult the class guides at
Paul Robeson Library Guides and
Dana Library Class Guides.
