WR 214: Writing in Business

Information Literacy

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:05:04 -0700

In Writing 214 you will learn about writing in the workplace, which includes resumes, letters, reports, and memos.

You'll need to define your task, consider your research strategies, locate and access information, use the information, synthesize what you've learned, and finally evaluate your final product.

To learn about using library research tools to explore your topic, look at the first part of the OSU Libraries Tutorial Exploring Your Topic

When you graduate from OSU you are expected to have the following Undergraduate Information Literacy Competencies.

Finding Books in the Library Catalog

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:05:04 -0700

OSU Catalog
The OSU catalog lists all the books held in the Valley Library or storage.

Summit
The Summit catalog lists books at other regional libraries that can be retrieved for you and delivered within 3-5 business days.

WorldCat
WorldCat lists books that are available at other libraries in the United States, and sometimes in other countries. If you find a book you want, fill out a form through interlibrary loan. This service usually takes 2-3 weeks for delivery.

Searching for Online Information

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:05:04 -0700

The Business and Economics Librarian, Laurie Bridges, maintains her favorite bookmarks for business using del.icio.us. del.icio.us is a social bookmarking tool that anyone can use to share their favorite bookmarks with friends, family, colleagues, or anyone in the world. You can search Laurie's business bookmarks by using keywords or "tags" in the right hand column. Here's an example of how to use the business librarian's del.icio.us bookmarks.

Citing Your Sources

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:05:04 -0700

For this assignment you can cite your sources using MLA style.

Printable MLA guide (from our librarians in Bend).

An online gude from Purdue.

Citation Machine (choose MLA on the left).

Tools for managing your research

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:26:03 -0800

MyEbsco - create an account and login from any EBSCO database.

Zotero - a free, open source citation manager that does more than manage your citations:

http://www.zotero.org/

Zotero tutorials

Zotero handout (opens in PDF)

Firefox 2 browser: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Finding facts & figures about government & the economy

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:10:40 -0800

U.S. Dept of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://www.bls.gov/

U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/

for more information about government statistics resources, see the Government Information Guide

DIY Research: Quick How-to's

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:58:26 -0700

Finding Articles and Reports

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:10:16 -0700

Journal Articles
Academic Search Premier
Business Source Premier
Newspaper Articles
LexisNexis Academic

Market Research Reports
Mintel To use this database you need to create an online profile using your OSU ONID email (only three people from OSU can be logged in at one time). On the Mintel Homepage you can browse by topic or use quick search

Industry Profiles

Business Source Premier

LexisNexis Academic

Resume Resources

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:19:01 -0700

A little research can help your resume get through different screening processes and in front of the people making hiring decisions. Use these resources to find out what you need to know:

Tips for Navigating the Online Application Process - It's all about the research
This workshop for developing scannable resumes from the Purdue University OWL (online writing lab) is very comprehensive. Warning! It opens in PowerPoint.
Online Job Search Library from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire has good sections on online, scannable and standard resume writing.
Boston College's tips for choosing Resume Keywords is an excellent primer on this important skill.

Find Non-Profit Information

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:48:20 -0700

Oregon Public Policy Directory - compiled by UO librarians, contacts links to non-profits across Oregon, as well as other groups that work with public policy

Idealist.org - provides listings of services and events for non-profit and government organizations nationwide. There is also a nationwide jobs database to search. To do more than 3 searches on the site, you will need to register, but there is no cost.

GuideStar - provides contact information and financial information about non-profits nationwide, you will need to register, but there is no cost if you use the basic version

Check if the non-profit you are interested in has a webpage. Start there and call their office. An annual report can often provide you with helpful information about their organization.