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Citing & Writing Support
CITING + WRITING TIPS ... AND ONLINE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU
- Cite your sources. — The APA style is commonly used in the HIM field. Here are helpful online guides.
- Know what plagiarism is and avoid it in your writing ... Likewise, always use copyrighted materials ethically and legally.
- Proofread before submitting a final version of a paper, assignment, report, resume, etc. ... Review grammar and writing tips here:
- Follow good business and technical writing practices — as appropriate for healthcare settings.
General Research Tips
TOP QUICK RESEARCH TIPS ... WITH RESOURCE LINKS TO HELP
- Evaluate your sources -- quality matters.
- Use professional and scholarly resources, as appropriate for college and workplace projects.
- Scan all research tool options and select the best database for your topic and resource type requirements. Also, don't limit yourself to one database only. Searching a variety can be worth it.
- Try out common advanced searching techniques to save time and improve your database search results:
- Use database "LIMIT" features to focus your search. (e.g., limit to full text only, scholarly journals, specific dates, etc.).
- Use quotes to tell most databases to search your keywords as an exact phrase. (e.g., type "health information management" or "patient safety" with the surrounding quotes).
- Explore each database's "Advanced Search" and "Help" menus for additional search options and tips.
- Take advantage of other tools built into most database platforms (e.g., PRINT, EMAIL, CITE, and PERMALINK functions).
- Remember that refining (narrowing, broadening, refocusing) your research topic and keyword concepts — as you run test searches and evaluate the supporting resources available — is a normal part of the research process.
- If you get stuck, have questions, or would like research assistance, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the campus reference librarian team. We are here for you. Ask us.