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ENGL 201 (Diaz) FA25: Library

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MLA Guide Assignment
The Learning Centers Ask A Librarian

Creating Keywords

1. Start with your issue - Break down your topic into searchable terms.
Example: Flint water crisis → water contamination, lead poisoning, Michigan

2. Use "Quotation Marks" to keep important terms together.
Example: "environmental justice" OR "environmental racism"

3. Connect with AND/OR

  • AND narrows results (all terms required)
  • OR expands results (synonyms/related terms)
Example: "toxic waste" AND (community OR residential) AND health

4. Add location terms - Include geographic specifics when relevant.
Example: "Cancer Alley" AND Louisiana AND petrochemical

5. Grow your keywords with new terms in article abstracts, titles, and subject headings.

Finding Primary Sources

What Counts as a Primary Source?

Primary sources provide firsthand evidence about environmental justice issues. These sources can be original documents from the time or people directly involved.

Government & Official Documents

  • EPA reports and environmental data
  • City council meeting minutes
  • State/federal environmental impact reports
  • Congressional testimony transcripts
  • Court documents and legal filings

Corporate & Industry Sources

  • Company environmental reports
  • Press releases about incidents
  • Corporate sustainability statements
  • Industry response letters

Community Voices

  • Interviews with affected residents
  • Community petition texts
  • Social media posts during events
  • Local newspaper articles from the time
  • Protest documentation

Where to Find Primary Sources

Government Documents

  • EPA.gov: Search specific locations or companies
  • Google Search: Add site:.gov to limit results
  • State agencies: Search "[state] environmental quality"

News from the Time Period

  • Library databases: Use date limiters for contemporary coverage
  • Newspaper archives: Find reporting as events unfolded

Corporate Responses

  • Company websites: Check "News" or "Press" sections
  • SEC.gov: Search company environmental disclosures

Quick Test: Primary or Secondary?

Primary ✓

  • Flint mayor's 2014 water safety statement
  • EPA water quality test results
  • Resident's Facebook post during crisis

Secondary ✗

  • 2023 documentary about Flint
  • Scholarly article analyzing the crisis
  • Textbook on environmental racism

💡 Pro Tip: Check secondary source references. They often cite primary sources you can locate!

Citing Your Sources

MLA Formatting Rules

  • Author Names: Last Name, First Name (e.g., Smith, Jane).
  • Title Formatting: Use Title Case (Capitalize Major Words).
  • Italics vs. Quotes: Italicize book and journal titles; use quotation marks for webpages and articles.
  • URLs: Include the full link but remove "https://".
  • In-Text Citations: (Author Last Name Page Number) → (Smith 45).
  • Works Cited Page: Double-space, indent second line of each entry.

More details: MLA Style Center.