Become a Writing Pro: Use a Writing Instructor

You may already know and love them, but if not, let me shine a light on our fantastic writing instructors within the Cannon Memorial Library.

Meet Angel Jimenez and John David Harding, who are both here to assist you with how to properly write your research papers. 

   John David Harding      Angel Jimenez    

Both writing instructors have extensive writing knowledge. Angel earned his BA and MA degrees in English Literature from the University of South Florida. John David earned his BA and MFA in Creative Writing from Louisiana State University.

Do you have a problem with your writing? Don't fret because our writing instructors have a solution!

Students' Main Problems Questions about the assignment Thesis statement Transitions Citations Grammar Punctuation Spelling	Writing Instructors' Solutions Review the assignment guidelines  Communicate with student on their background knowledge Share and review learning materials Provide rules and give practice exercises

·  Start early for reflection and revision 
·  Use academic sources as models for your writing.
·  Talk about your writing with your peers to help ideas flourish 
·  Write in a natural way. John David states "Many writers feel pressure to sound smart, which can lead to imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing."

·   Sign up at the Circulation Desk
·   Email the writing instructor
·   Call the writing instructor
·   Complete a request form 
·   Walk-in appointment if available

·  Meet in person
·  Communicate through email
·  Talk on the phone
·  Blackboard Collaborate 
·  Skype 

Angel Jimenez (352) 588-8269 angel.jimenez@saintleo.edu Request Form Sunday: 11-8pm Monday: 9-6pm Tuesday: 9-6pm Wednesday: 11-8pm Thursday: 9-6pm Friday: OFF Saturday: OFF

John David Harding (352) 588-7576 john.harding@saintleo.edu Request Form Sunday: OFF Monday: OFF Tuesday: 11-8pm Wednesday: 8-5pm Thursday: 11-8pm Friday: 8-5pm Saturday: 10-7pm

If you feel lost or overwhelmed with your writing, make sure to make an appointment with either John David or Angel. They will help to put you on the right path and improve your writing for future papers to come! 

Also, check out the Writing and Research Support LibGuide and the Writing (Formatting, Templates, and Writing Samples) Help LibGuide for additional writing support.

-Theresa Whitehead, Distance Learning Librarian

Attention Business Majors and Business Enthusiasts

The Cannon Memorial Library has many business resources which can assist you with your studies, as well as provide you with business-related entertainment.

Electronic Books

• Here is a sample at the types of business-related books we offer. If you want to read any of these electronic books, just click on the image to open the book within our library catalog.

Websites

• Faculty and Librarian recommended websites. Includes websites within the following topics: Business and Human Resources; Finance and Accounting; Career, Study Abroad, and Internship; and Business Directories

Business, Finance, and Marketing Recommended Websites

Videos

• Watch informative videos which will help you locate a great number of business resources.

LexisNexis: Introduction video on how to search for news, business, and legal research.

Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage Database: Learn how to search for company information.

SWOT Analysis: How to find a SWOT analysis on EBSCO, ProQuest, and Standar and Poor's NetAdvantage Database.

LibGuide

• View this libguide for further information and links within the following categories: Online Databases/Articles; Ebooks; Selected Websites; Print Books; and Print Periodicals

Business Subject Guide LibGuide

Please contact us if you need further assistance on how to locate business-related books, information, or resources.



-Theresa Whitehead, Distance Learning Librarian

Reliable Websites at Your Fingertips

Did you know that the library compiled an extensive list of reputable websites within a variety of subjects? If not, you should take a look at the Recommended Websites page.

Save yourself the time of endlessly searching the web for something that may not even be reliable and use the recommended websites that faculty and librarians found for you.

• Art
• Business, Finance, and Marketing
• Career information and Job Prospecting
• Computers and the Internet
• Criminal Justice and Legal
• Education
• English, Literature, and Poetry
• Government on the Web
• History and Geography
• Humanities
• Information Literacy Links
• International Studies
• Math
• Medicine and Healthcare
• Military and ROTC
• Psychology and Educational Psychology
• Religion, Theology, and Values
• Science
• Social Services

If you have any questions regarding finding reliable websites for any of your courses, contact the reference desk.

- Theresa Whitehead, Distance Learning Librarian

Phrase Searching for Precision

When searching online, do you find yourself locating way too many unrelated articles and feel overwhelmed by the number of results? If so, you may need to narrow your results with the use of phrase searching.  

Phrase Searching:

• Put quotation marks around phrases
• Keeps phrase together within search results
• Retrieves articles with phrase rather than individual words = precise results

You can use phrase searching with any type of phrase:

• Titles: "The Wizard of Oz" 
• Commonly used phrases: "close but no cigar" 
• Topics: "global warming"

Phrase Search 1

• No quotation marks around working mothers
• Retrieved 118,942 articles
• Many of the articles have nothing to do with the topic even if they contain the words - working and mothers

Phrase Search 2

• Quotation marks around working mothers
• Retrieved 2,873 articles
• Only found articles that contain the words working mothers together and in that order

For your next research paper, remember to use phrase searching to narrow your search results for retrieval precision. If you have any questions on phrase searching, contact the reference desk. 

-Theresa Whitehead, Distance Learning Librarian