Library Hours
Monday 8 am – 8 pm
Tuesday 8 am – 8 pm
Wednesday 8 am – 5 pm
Thursday 8 am – 8 pm
Friday 8 am – 12 pm
Saturday – Closed
Sunday – Closed
Need Help? Talk to our Team!
Cori Gil, Librarian
corinne.gil.staff@trinitycollege.edu | Schedule an appointment
Mrs. Betsy Holloway, Director of Library Services/ Resource Center
betsy.holloway.faculty@trinitycollege.edu| Schedule an appointment
Research & Writing
Developing Topics, Locating & Evaluating Resources, Formatting Papers, Proper Citations
Writing & Citation Guides
- APA Style
Review APA guidelines for formatting papers, in-text citations, and references.
VIEW APA GUIDE - MLA Style
Review MLA guidelines for formatting papers, in-text citations, and works cited pages.
VIEW MLA GUIDE - SBL Style
Review Society of Biblical Literature guidelines for biblical and theological writing.
VIEW SBL GUIDE - Turabian Style
Learn how to format papers, footnotes, and bibliographies using Turabian style.
VIEW TURABIAN GUIDE - Citing the Bible
Find examples for citing biblical passages and different Bible versions in Turabian style.
VIEW BIBLE CITATION GUIDE
Research Process
Five steps to help you complete your academic research.
1. Choose and Narrow Your Topic
Start with a broad subject related to your assignment, then narrow it into a focused research question. Consider your assignment requirements, available resources, and the scope of your topic.
Example:
- Broad topic: Christian Leadership
- Narrowed topic: Servant Leadership in the Local Church
- Research question: How does servant leadership influence discipleship within the local church?
2. Develop Search Terms
Identify keywords and related terms from your research question. Try different combinations to improve your search results.
Example: For a topic about servant leadership in the church, try searching for:
- Christian leadership
- Servant leadership AND discipleship
- Church leadership AND spiritual formation
Search Tip: Use AND to combine concepts, OR to search for related terms, and quotation marks to search for an exact phrase.
3. Find Scholarly Resources
Use the library catalog and academic databases, including EBSCO, to locate books, journal articles, and other research materials.
Search Tips:
- Begin with a few keywords.
- Use filters to narrow results by publication date or source type.
- Look for peer-reviewed articles when required.
- Review article abstracts to determine relevance.
4. Evaluate Your Sources
Not all sources are appropriate for academic research. Before using a source, consider:
- Authority: Who is the author, and what are their qualifications?
- Accuracy: Is the information supported by credible evidence?
- Relevance: Does the source address your research question?
- Currency: Is the information current enough for your topic?
- Purpose: Is the source intended to inform, persuade, or promote?
5. Cite Sources & Avoid Plagiarism
Academic writing requires acknowledging the ideas, research, and words of others. Cite your sources when quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing information.
Use the appropriate citation style required by your instructor, such as APA, MLA, SBL, or Turabian.
Learn More: Understanding Plagiarism
Have a question or need help finding resources? The librarian is here to assist with research, locating books and articles, using databases, citations, and other library-related questions.
