Books often provide a broader treatment of a topic or issue. A book on the issue you are studying can provide background and a base of knowledge. A research project always needs some sort of background or context before discussing the focused issue.

In order to place a request:

• Start your search in OneSearch.
• When you locate an item you want to request, click the "Get it through CSU+" link, which will prompt you to sign in with your CSUSM credentials in order to place the request.  
• If the CSU+ link is not visible, that means that a CSU library doesn't hold the item, but you can still request it through ILL by clicking the "Get it through Interlibrary Loan" link.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) enables CSUSM Library to borrow materials from libraries all over the world.  ILL can take slightly longer than CSU+ for materials to be received (up to 7-12 days).

I need to find specific materials that I can't always find in OneSearch - no CSU has them.  How will I find them and request them?

If you cannot locate materials you need in OneSearch, try WorldCat.  WorldCat is a database of library books and materials held at thousands of libraries worldwide.  When you find a book you are interested in through WorldCat, use the "GetIt! @ San Marcos" link to check if the item is available at CSUSM, or the "Request through Interlibrary Loan" to send the item information to CSUSM's ILL system to place the request.

Important note: Off-campus, you must use the link to WorldCat from the Library's Research Databases by Title list and login as a CSUSM user when prompted in order to seamlessly place requests from WorldCat through CSUSM ILL.  This is because when you are on campus, WorldCat knows you are a CSUSM user; but off-campus, you will need to login in order to be identified as a CSUSM user and see CSUSM's custom ILL links in WorldCat.

You can also directly fill out a request form for any items you need using the Library's ILL request form.

Finding Books in the Library

1. Search the catalog to find a book.
2. Make sure the item you want is available.
3. Write down the call number (e.g. HQ 342.29 2007).
4. Find the location of the book.
5. Proceed to the location of the book (e.g. REF, 4th Floor Stacks). Look for the call number labels at the end of each row of bookcases, near the top.

You can use the item in the library OR check it out at the 3rd floor Check Out Desk with your student ID.

Searching for books by Subject Headings

• Subject headings are words and phrases specifically created to tell you what a book is about.
• They are the controlled vocabulary of the catalog.

One way to search by subject headings is to begin with a keyword search in the library catalog.

• Locate a relevant item and click details to view the record.
• Click one of the links under "Subjects" to view a list of other items that have been assigned the same subject heading. 

What's the difference between searching by keyword and searching by subject headings?

Keyword Searching

• Searching by keyword will return all results that include your search terms anywhere in the item record.
• It is a more broad, less focused search.

Subject Searching

• Searching by subject will only return those results that have been tagged with that specific word or phrase as a subject heading.
• It will result in a more focused search.

National

• Explore Census Data
  • Census 2010
  • Historical Census Reports
• Statistical abstract of the United States.  A compilation of social, economic and political statistics about the U.S. Available Online, or in print at the library (Reference call number: HA202 .S73, or Goverment documents call number: C 3.134)
• FedStats
• USA.gov
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Bureau of Justice Statistics

Local

• San Diego QuickFacts Census Bureau
• San Diego Public Records
• SANDAG: San Diego Association of Governments Demographics and Other Data
• California Quick Facts: U.S. Census

Health

• County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (A Service from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• National Center for Health (CDC)
• Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC)
• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 
• World Health Organization (WHO) Statistical Information System
• World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Atlas
• The Office of Minority Health
• California Department of Public Health 
• California Department of Health Services
• Healthy City (California-specific)
• San Diego Community Health 
• San Diego-Health and Human Services Agency

Mental Health

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• NIMH Statistics
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• World Health Organization Mental Health Atlas

Children/Youth

• Child Welfare Information Gateway   Includes useful statistics and other child welfare resources.
• Childstats.gov: Forum on Child and Family Statistics
• Administration for Children and Families
• National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
• Kidsdata (California-specific)
• National Juvenile Court Data

Education

• National Center for Education Statistics 
• National Education Association
• School District Demographic System
• Schools and Staffing Survey
• State Education Data Profiles
• UNESCO Institute for Statistics-Education Data

Gerontology

• Agingstats.gov
• Aging Integrated Database
• Administration on Aging
• Administration for Community Living
• AARP Research Center

Crime

• FBI Crime Statistics
• United States: Uniform Crime Report   Statistics by state from 1906-2005.
• Crime and delinquency in California  Provides access to data about crimes, arrests, dispositions, adult corrections, criminal justice expenditures and personnel for the State. From the Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice.
• San Diego Police Department Crime Statistics
• National Juvenile Court Data

Cultures

• US Census 2010 briefs
  • Briefs are broken into population groups (for example, The Older Population, The Hispanic Population, etc.).
• Latin American Network Information Center

Cultures and Health

• Population Groups Health
• Multicultural Resources for Health Information
• Ethnomed
• AHRQ Health Care: Minority Health

General Funding Resources

• Pivot - *CSUSM only.* Pivot contains information on available grants, awards, fellowships, from federal/non-federal, corporate/private foundation, and international funding sources.
• Federal Grants - Find and apply for federal grants at grants.gov.
• Book: The Foundation Directory  Location: Library Reference (3rd Floor)  AS911.A2 F65
• Book: Annual Register of Grant Support  Location: Library Reference (3rd Floor)  AS911.A2 A67
• Foundation Center  Use this resource to find funders. Locate basic information by organization name, contact information and 990 IRS returns. Contains statistics on foundation and grant activity, search for RFP announcements for calls for grant applications. 
• The Grantsmanship Center  Lists funding sources by state.
• Guidestar  Use this website to find foundations and non-profit organizations that are interested in programs like yours. You will have to go separately afterwards to the organizations' websites to see what granting opportunities they offer. To find relevant foundations and organizations, click on "Take Action for Your Favorite Causes" and select the issue your program deals with.

Local Funding Resources

• The San Diego Foundation - Grant Resources

Education-Related Grants

• U.S. Department of Education Grants  Includes formula grants and discretionary grants.
• California Department of Education Grants
• National Endowment for the Humanities  Grant Search

Health-Related Grants

• National Institutes of Health   Use this page to search NIH Grants and application information.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality  Click "Funding Opportunity Announcements" to view calls for applications and program announcements. 
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health  Listing of currently available grants.
• No Kid Hungry: Child Nutrition Program Grant Opportunities  This page provides a useful summary of funding opportunities for child health programs.

Citing sources is expected in scholarly communities and is almost always required in research papers. Scholars cite:

• to give credit where credit is due;
• so your reader (professor) can find the source that you mentioned in your assignment;
• to add credibility to your research - shows you did the work;
• and to avoid plagiarism!

Not sure where to start? Review this Flow Chart of the citation process before you continue!

APA Style

APA stands for the American Psychological Association. This is the preferred citation style of many of the social and behavioral sciences. Always remember to check your assignment guidelines or ask your professor which citation style they prefer for your work.

Please note that the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association was released in October 2019.  The American Psychological Association expects students and professors to transition to this new edition in the spring of 2020 or thereafter.  The CSUSM library is awaiting the delivery of the new guides and the transition of other reliable sources to the 7th edition before updating its own citation guide. If you are required to use the 7th edition prior to our updating our APA page, please go directly to the APA's Style and Grammar Guidelines website or contact a librarian directly for assistance.

Official APA Style Manual Resources

• APA Style Manual (BF76.7 P83 2010)  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: the most current APA style manual is available at the University library. Click on the above link to find a copy. 
• The official APA website  Off campus or need APA guidelines right now? Access the official APA website for citation help by clicking the above link. This site has useful tutorials and up-to-date facts about citing in APA.  

Helpful Online Resources

• Purdue Owl: Reference list for online sources  Explanations and directions for citing online sources in your reference list.
• A brief introduction to APA Style   Created by Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
• Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)   More examples of APA-style citations and paper formats from Purdue University's famous OWL website. Use the left-hand menu to find the category of item you are trying to cite.
• Legal Citations in APA Style (CSU Stanislaus)   Examples for the most commonly cited federal and California legal documents.
• Citing Government Sources (Washington and Lee University)   Guidance on how to cite many different kinds of government documents in APA style.
• Citing Business Sources (CSUSM Library)   A guide to the most common APA citation formats needed for business sources, compiled by the CSUSM Business Librarian and COBA faculty.

Also Helpful: Citation Generators

• Zotero  Zotero is a tool for storing citations and generating bibliographies using data collected from the library catalog or websites such as Amazon or Google. For more information on using Zotero, see our Zotero Guide. Always double check your results with citation generators, they are not always perfect!
• KnightCite Citation Service   This citation generator formats your citations for you. This can be a convenient tool, especially if you have a lot of sources to cite, but it is NOT 100% accurate. ALWAYS check an additional resource like the APA Manual or Purdue OWL to make sure that the citation is formatted correctly!

Sample Papers in APA format

• Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)