M'L'A' Citation and Research Strategies

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M.L.A. Citation and Research Strategies

• Vista Murrieta High School Library
• Mrs. Jacobs
• Library Media Teacher

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M.L.A. What is It?

• Modern Language Association
• Provides commonly agreed upon rules for
  documenting quotations, facts, opinions, and
  paraphrases that simplify the task of preparing
  research documents
• Learning the rules of the MLA will help you
  become a writer whose work deserves serious
  consideration.
• Knowing an author is supposed to use sources is
  essential to judging a texts reliability

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M.L.A. Citation

• Information Needed
• Most documents in databases were previously or
  simultaneously published in print form.
• Citations begin with publication information for
  print version
• Continues with facts about the electronic
  publication

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Why MLA Citations?

• the goal is to have your reader be able to locate
  your source again, so that a reader can go back
  to your references and learn more
• or check his/her reading of the author against
  what you say in your paper

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Compiling a Working Bibliography

• Keeping Track of Your Sources
• As you discover information and opinions on your
  topic, you should keep track of sources that you
  may use for your paper
• Will frequently change during your research as
  you add titles and eliminate those that do not
  prove useful
• Will eventually evolve into the list of Works
  Cited that appears at the end of the Research
  Paper

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Working Bibliography

• If prepared with care and attention will be
  invaluable to you throughout the preparation of
  your paper or presentation
• Functions as an efficient tool for finding and
  acquiring information and ideas
• Provides all the data you will need for your list
  of Works Cited

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CITATION MAGAZINE

• Authors Last Name, First Name ___________________
  _______________.
• Title of Article _____________________
• Name of Magazine___________________.
• Date of Magazine____________________
• Pages_________. for example 57-59

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Recording Essential Information

• Publication Information
• The information recorded depends on the type of
  sources used.
• Bibliography cards provided by library for each
  type of source
• Fill out AS YOU USE THE SOURCES
• Completed cards provide exact information in the
  correct format for your final product
• Research Paper
• PowerPoint Presentation Publication Information

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BOOK CITATION ONE AUTHOR

• Authors Last Name, First Name
• __________________________________.
• Title of Book _______________________.
• Place of Publication_________________________
• Publishing Company__________________,
• Year of Publication___________________.

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Online Citation Resources

• http//www.easybib.com/
• Son of Citation Machine

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START HERE!
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KEYWORD SEARCH SCREEN BOOLEAN SEARCH TERMS

• NOT
• EXCLUDES TERMS
• VIOLENCE NOT PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

• AND
• COMBINES SEARCH TERMS FOR ALL
• VIOLENCE AND HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
• OR
• COMBINES SEARCH TERMS FOR AT LEAST ONE
• VIOLENCE OR SPORTS

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Choosing and Evaluating Sources

• Not all sources are equally reliable or of equal
  quality
• You should NOT assume that something is truthful
  or trustworthy just because it appears in print
  or is on the Internet
• Some material may be based on incorrect or
  outdated information or poor logic
• May be biased or too limited
• Focus on the authorship, accuracy and currency of
  the sources you use

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Authorship

• When ever you consult a source, print or
  electronic make sure that the author of the
  document or the person or group responsible for
  the publication or site is identified.
• Once the author is established look for his/her
  credentials
• What makes them an expert on the subject
• You may find credentials by following a link to
  the Home Page or to a page labeled About Us
• Search the internet for information about the
  author

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Web Addresses

• URL address can be indicator of the types of
  information found on that web site
• .com commercial web site
• Newswire services
• Subscription databases
• .edu educational web site
• .gov government web site
• .org non-profit organization
• .net network

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Text

• If you are working with historical documents or
  literary texts that exist in various versions,
  make sure you use reliable editions
• Example versions of Shakespeares plays
  published during his lifetime and shortly after
  his death sometimes differ drastically

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Editorial Policy

• Take note of the entire work or site you are
  using, even if you are interested only in a
  particular document within it.
• In a Journal or Web Site, look for the statement
  of mission or purpose
• Evidence that the document underwent consultant
  review

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Publisher or Sponsoring Organization

• Like the name of the author, the name of the
  publisher is normally evident in print
  publications
• Similarly the names of the publisher or
  sponsoring organization of an Internet site
  should be clearly stated
• Preferably with information about the
  organization

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Accuracy and Verifiability

• If you are using scholarly material check to see
  that the works sources are indicated so that
  its information can be verified
• Sources should appear in a Works Cited page

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Currency

• The publication date of a print source tells you
  how current the authors scholarship is.
• Although online documents and sites have the
  potential for continual updating, many remain in
  their original forms, and depending on the
  subject, may be out of date.

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Wikipedia Not a Citable Source

• Welcome to Wikipedia,
• the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
• 1,413,387 articles in English
• Who is responsible for the articles on Wikipedia?
• You are! Actually, you can even edit this very
  FAQ! As there are more than 2.34 million
  (2,340,000) other Wikipedians, this is a
  collaborative effort. Thousands of people have
  contributed information to different parts of
  this project, and anyone can do so, including
  you. All you need is to know how to edit a page,
  and have some encyclopedic knowledge you want to
  share. The encyclopedia provides users with a
  certain amount of freedom.

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Online Encyclopedia

• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition is
  one of the most comprehensive, authoritative
  information databases on the Internet. The search
  and retrieval database is designed for your use
  in pursuit of knowledge on a variety of topics.

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Searching The E-Catalog

• E- Catalog
• Catalog of all holdings books, periodicals,
  internet sites, audiovisual
• Search several ways
• Author Authors full name
• LAST NAME 1st
• Title Provides a list of all works the library
  has with that title
• Subject Produces a list of works about the
  subject
• Keyword looks for individual words regardless
  of their location in a name, title, or subject
  heading.
• Boolean Using and, or, not to refine
  search

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Keyword Strategies

• Print
• Use Broader terms
• Cars
• Table of Contents
• Index
• Ford, Henry
• Last name always 1st as search term

• Online
• More specific terms
• green cars
• Environmentally friendly cars
• Broaden or narrow with use of
• And
• Or
• Not
• Henry Ford
• Use quotations for specific phrases

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Periodical Research

• What is a Periodical?
• Something that is printed on a regular basis
• Monthly or weekly magazines
• Daily newspapers

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Types of Periodicals

• Popular
• People
• US Weekly
• Sports Illustrated
• Car and Driver

• Scholarly
• English Journal
• Scientific American
• U.S. News and World Report

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Full Text Databases

• EBSCO
• Articles from periodicals
• Newspapers - 200 United States and International
• New York Times
• Wall Street Journal
• Magazines 2000 magazines
• Time
• Newsweek
• Scholarly Journals over 3000 journals
• Oxford University Press
• Cambridge University Press

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Online Reference Books

• E-Books / Online Reference Works

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SIRS Online Database

• http//www.proquestk12.com/
• Researcher is a highly acclaimed reference
  resource containing thousands of full-text
  articlesmany accompanied by charts, maps,
  photos, diagrams, and illustrationsexploring
  current and enduring topics. 

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Checklist Web Evaluation
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Summing Up

• Evaluate all sources you use for research
• Focus on
• Authorship Accuracy Currency
• Ask the following questions
• Who is the author and what are the authors
  credentials for writing and publishing this work?
• When judged against your previous reading and
  your understanding of the subject, is the
  information furnished by the author correct? Is
  the information presented with logic and without
  bias?

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Summing It Up

• Questions
• Are the authors sources clearly and adequately
  indicated so that they can be verified?
• Are the authors sources current, or are they out
  dated?
• Who is the publisher or what is the sponsoring
  organization of the work?
• Is the work peer-reviewed
• Has it been read and recommended for publication
  by experts?

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VMHS Library Web Page

• Valuable Resources
• Links to Online Databases
• MLA Formatting Instructions
• MLA Citation
• Webliographies for Research Topics

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Works Cited

• Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of
  Research Papers. New York Modern Language
  Association of America, 2003.

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QUIZ

• Why is it important to know something about the
  author of your source?
• What types of sources do you find in EBSCO?
• What types of sources do you find in E-Catalog?
• What is the difference between search strategies
  for the Web/EBSCO and books?
• Brainstorm and write 3 keywords that you can use
  to search for your subject.