Writing a Research Paper?

If you need to locate books and academic articles on politics or political science for a course assignment, start with the parameters of the assignment, paying attention to:

Source types - Are you required to use scholarly or peer-reviewed sources? What types of source are you prohibited from using? Knowing these parameters will help you narrow your search results to the source types you need for the assignment.

Number of sources - How many sources are you required to cite in your paper? You won't likely find all selected sources useful, so consider selecting double that number.

Number of pages - How long does your paper need to be? If you aren't required to cite a certain number of sources, aim for around one source per page. If your paper needs to be 5-7 pages, plan on citing 5-7 sources.

Required citation format - For your political science courses, your papers should follow the APA format. Sources you select from most FC Library databases will provide the source citations, but they are not consistently accurate. Copy the citation in the required format, then make necessary corrections using the APA References Guide.

Office 365 & NoodleTools

As an FC student, you have access to NoodleTools and Office 365, online tools that will help you create a References page and write your paper.

NoodleTools - FC Library subscribes to this tool that you can use to add and import citations from OneSearch, annotate, take and organize notes, and export your References page to MS Word. 

1. You'll find the NoodleTools link in the Databases tab on the homepage > Full Database List > N > NoodleTools.
2. You'll be directed to a Microsoft log-in screen. Use your campus email, which is your 8-digit student ID number followed by @fullcoll.edu, e.g., 12345678@fullcoll.edu.
3. Select "work or school account."
4. Use your MyGateway password.
5. Click the "+new project" button in the top right corner.
6. Name the project, select APA citations, and the advanced citation level
7. If you get logged out, log back in by clicking the Microsoft 365 icon.

Office 365 - FC subscribes to this online version of Microsoft Office, including Word and Outlook to access your student email. As a student, you also get 5 free installs of MS Office on your home computer or mobile device. Access Office 365 at office.com. As with NoodleTools, log in with your campus email and MyGateway password.