Summary
Highlights
Vivian Stewart, a librarian, introduces the final video in a series on completing writing assignments. The video will recap previously introduced resources and present new ones available through the library, emphasizing the importance of having pen and paper ready to jot down notes.
The video revisits the library's homepage (www.southwest.tn/library), highlighting SOAR (Southwest Online Academic Resources) and the databases page. Users are reminded that their Southwest username (not email) is required for remote database access. The current events section, topic finders like 'Pro and Con,' and a video on evaluating information, are mentioned as helpful tools for research.
The Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) is highlighted for brainstorming, particularly its 'topic finder' with tile and wheel views to visually explore and branch out from a topic. A new feature, 'search alert,' is introduced, allowing users to receive notifications when new information on their topic is added to the database.
The video covers grammar resources, specifically Grammarly (premium version available through the school), and recommended websites like 'Academic Writing Guide for College Students.' Various citation generators and standard reference tools (dictionaries, thesauruses) are also mentioned. A document titled 'Research Help' developed by the librarians is presented as a quick review guide for the writing steps.
The video reminds viewers about the availability of print versions of style manuals in the library and introduces the 'Thesis Builder' which helps develop thesis statements and organize thoughts. Multimedia resources like streaming media collections and image quests are also mentioned as alternative resources.
Academic OneFile is revisited as a helpful tool not only for gathering information but also for narrowing down broad topics using its 'subject guide search' feature.
Students have access to Office 365 applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) through their Southwest email. The 'Southwest A to Z link' is a quick way to find pages, including the Academic Support Center, which offers in-person or online tutoring appointments.
The library's YouTube channel is presented as a resource for videos on how to use databases and other tools. 'Smart Thinking' is highlighted as an online tutoring service available within online classes, allowing students to upload papers for proofreading and feedback.
Various ways to get assistance from librarians are detailed: 'Research Coach' for 15-minute consultations on information gathering, live chat (with specified hours), text messaging, Facebook chat, direct phone calls, and an 'embedded' librarian in online classes. Bomgar for remote assistance and the departmental email address are also noted, along with a 'report a problem' option.
The video introduces an 'assignment calculator' from the University of Minnesota Libraries, which helps students stay on track with deadlines. The calculator breaks down a writing assignment into steps with suggested completion dates and time percentages, from understanding the assignment to writing the final draft. For example, it suggests understanding the assignment and selecting a topic by March 19th (8% of time) and writing the first draft by April 23rd (20% of time) for an April 30th deadline.
The video concludes, expressing hope that the shared resources will be helpful to viewers and encouraging them to share the information with others.