English 101 - Zamora - Immigration

OneSearch Library Catalog Tutorial

This Fall 2022 Semester, the library is offering a new online OneSearch Library Catalog Tutorial.  The tutorial is available in our library catalog, in many of our library research guides, and on our library website.

Upon completion of the OneSearch Library Catalog Tutorial, library patrons should be able to:

1. Find the OneSearch online library catalog.

2. Search for and locate books and e-books, videos, articles, digital media, and more in the library's collection.

3. Request items from other LACCD libraries.

At the end of the tutorial, there is a short online quiz, which provides users feedback.

Creating a search strategy involves brainstorming for keywords and phrases that writers might use when discussing your topic. The best places to gather the frequently used jargon of your topic are broad tertiary sources such as:

• Course textbooks 
• Class reading assignments
• Encyclopedias / Dictionaries
• Reports
• General comprehensive articles

Possible terms for this assignment:

• Migration
  • Immigrant(s) 
  • "Immigration policy"
  • "Emigrating from Mexico"
  • Mexican immigration
• U.S. Politics
  • Biden
  • Obama
  • Trump
• U.S. Law Enforcement 
  • Border patrol
  • Border security
  • Homeland Security
  • Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)
  • Police
• Undocumented immigrants
  • Asylum seekers
  • Ethnic minorities
  • Hispanics
  • Latinos
  • Refugees
  • Undocumented entrants
• Miscellaneous terms and searches
  • "Crossing n3 border" (EBSCO proximity search)
  • Journey
  • Mexico AND agriculture AND (immigration OR migration OR emigration)
  • Mexico AND Conditions
  • Mexico AND "rural economy"
  • Mexico AND "United States AND Relations
  • Risks AND (immigration OR migration OR emigration)

WLAC subscribes to databases that provide the full text of books that are available for checkout to students for reading on a computer or other digital device. 

E-BOOKS:

Methodical Approach to an Essay Assignment 

• Segment 1 - Prepare
  • Topic selection
  • Background reading from tertiary sources such as textbooks & encyclopedias
  • Draft a thesis statement
  • Create an outline
  • Gather keywords and phrases
  • Create search strategies combining terms and operators 
  • Determine useful database(s)
  • Create a note card template (space to include search terms that located the source; bibliographic info.-- author, article title, journal title, page range, DOI [Digital Object Identifier]; page number of quote [for in-text citation]; space to paraphrase the relevant section; space to copy exact quote; space to comment on how it’s relevant)
• Segment 2 - Research
  • Perform keyword and/or subject searches in relevant databases
  • Scan results for relevant titles
  • Scan articles for relevant sections (if your search terms are not highlighted by the database try Control+F to find them in the article, also try reading the "discussion" and/or "conclusion" of the article if present).
  • Use relevant results to refine search for more articles by using relevant subject terms listed in the brief records
  • Based on your readings, refine the outline
  • Fill out note cards as relevant information is located.
• Segment 3 - Stop researching.
  • Write a rough draft based on outline with in-text citations and Works Cited sheet
  • Ask for help editing from a friend, tutor, instructor, or other.
  • Re-write.

AVOID Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is a serious offense both in the world of academia and the world of publishing.

Many students do not plagiarize intentionally. They may do it in haste, or in ignorance of exactly what it is.

The Plagiarism detection service, Turnitin, cites these ten types of plagiarism as the most common:

1. CLONE:
An act of submitting another’s work, word-for-word, as one’s own.
2. CTRL-C:
A written piece that contains significant portions of text from a single source without alterations.
3. FIND–REPLACE:
The act of changing key words and phrases but retaining the essential content of the source in a paper.
4. REMIX:
An act of paraphrasing from other sources and making the content fit together seamlessly.
5. RECYCLE:
The act of borrowing generously from one’s own previous work without citation; To self plagiarize.
6. HYBRID:
The act of combining perfectly cited sources with copied passages—without citation—in one paper.
7. MASHUP:
A paper that represents a mix of copied material from several different sources without proper citation.
8. 404 ERROR:
A written piece that includes citations to non-existent or inaccurate information about sources
9. AGGREGATOR:
The “Aggregator” includes proper citation, but the paper contains almost no original work.
10. RE-TWEET:
This paper includes proper citation, but relies too closely on the text’s original wording and/or structure.

These measures can help you avoid unintentionally plagiarizing:

• Create an outline for your essay. Planning what you will write will guide your research, reminding you which aspects you need to cover, and when you are finished with your research.
• Create PQC note cards to record the relevant segments of your sources as you find them. Include bibliographic information for in-text citations (author name and page number of quote) and Work Cited page (author, article title, journal title, volume and issue, page range, DOI [Digital Object Identifier]. Paraphrase the quote you like. Write out the Quote itself. Comment on why the quote is relevant to your paper. Many people also use a word or two to classify where the quote belongs in their paper. Using the search terms that brought the quote up might work for this. Note cards ensure that you give thought to the readings and have all the details needed for citations.
• Stop researching before you begin writing. This helps in resisting the urge to pour over your sources while you write and copy them into your paper verbatim. 
• Know the citation style required for the assignment. The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is an excellent resource for citation rules and examples.  As you insert your direct and paraphrased quotes, create the citations immediately. If it is a direct quote surround it with quotation marks.

Spring 2024 In-Person Hours (Feb 6 - Jun 2)

Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM - 8:00 PM

Friday: Closed

Saturday: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Sunday and Holidays: Closed