PART FOUR

HOW TO DOCUMENT THE INFORMATION YOU USE
REPORT ALL THE SOURCES OF YOUR INFORMATION

When you write your report, provide the source for every idea, creative work, or fact.

You are legally and morally required to give appropriate credit. The material you find electronically was put there by someone, and—just as you must do for other sources of information—your report must tell who supplied the ideas. On many Websites, you will notice a line from the author granting permission to reproduce the material for personal or educational use—but you still have to give that author credit. Aside from being fair, there are several reasons to give credit:

• You need the authority of the source as support for the quality of your research and the legitimacy of your conclusions.
• You will be adding to honest and intelligent discussion of your topic.
• The reader of your paper can consult your sources firsthand if desired.
• You’re likely to be discovered if you don’t give credit, since your readers have the same Internet access as you.
• The penalty for plagiarism is severe (failure of the course or expulsion from college; professional humiliation in the business world).

Avoid the temptation to reproduce huge chunks of electronic material. It is tempting to keep passages you have found in their original form—particularly because everything is already typed! As you were working, you should have kept clear records on all material that you copied—with the appropriate citation information. If you find a place where you are unsure, revisit the Website and print out the entire section you used so you can check to avoid plagiarism. If you don’t remember the website, submit a few long phrases in your paper, each in quotation marks, to several search engines. That’s what anyone checking your research would do.

Be sure that your thoughts dominate the report. Your paper should present your interpretation of what you have found—supported by the facts and opinions you cite. In other words, don’t just string your findings together without reacting to the information: Analyze and interpret the data, in a logical sequence, according to your sense of the most important points. Keep quotations to a minimum. Particularly when you are writing a report on the graduate or professional level, your own expertise must be clear.

Give credit for information in the body of your paper as well as at the end. Make certain that you place quotation marks around any phrases taken from another person’s writing or speech, and tell where you got those phrases.

All the documentation styles require that you indicate indebtedness to a source in the body of your paper while you are presenting information. However, you don’t need to clutter the body of your paper up with Internet addresses. Just give the briefest reference you can, so that interested readers can turn to the end of your paper to find the specific source.

Get permission to publish copyrighted materials. You may reproduce copyrighted audios, visuals, or graphics in a paper submitted for a class, but if you publish the paper—on the Web or in any public forum—you must get permission. In addition to giving all the information for the source, be sure to add a tag line, "reproduced by permission."

Give enough information that your reader can find your source. Even when material is in the public domain (available to everyone), you must identify both the original author and where you found the information. For electronic sources in particular, give as complete a description as you can.

The precise format for reporting electronic sources has been evolving—parallel to the popularity of the Internet and more particularly that of the World Wide Web for research. When in doubt, use as your guide the format your discipline requires for an article in a scholarly journal.

General Guidelines

Give all the publishing information for materials that first appeared in print. Follow the format required by your discipline, then give the electronic information. Do not give electronic information that directed you to a document that you then read only in print.

Underline rather than italicize titles. They are easier to read.

Give the date of your visit when citing electronic sources that can change (such as a Website, a regularly updated on-line resource, radio and television programs). The copyright date is sufficient for citing electronic sources that don’t change (such as films, CDs, computer programs or databases stored on CD-ROMs.

Give both addresses for discussion groups and mailing lists: the posting address (where the article first appeared) and the retrieval address (where the reader of your paper would have to go to read the article).

Break Internet addresses only after a slash. When listing addresses that are too long to fit on one line, give only as much of the address on each line as you can before a slash (/)—not after a hyphen. Do not insert a hyphen, spaces, or any other marks. The reader should be able to assume that, without the line breaks, the address is accurate.

If the academic research style you are using allows it, surround with angle brackets (< >) any addresses that occur at the end of a sentence before adding a period. Otherwise, end the sentence with the final character of the address (no period).

Do not separate your sources by type (books, articles, e-mail, CD-ROMs, and so forth) unless told to do so.

Follow the formatting requirements for your particular area of study. Consult a writing handbook or your teacher’s guidelines for the general format of your report. The discipline within which you are reporting determines the style.

Check the following chapters for your formatting options.

USE THE MLA (MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION) STYLE

The MLA style is used for courses in English, foreign languages, film, and literature.

FORMAT FOR CITATIONS IN THE BODY OF YOUR PAPER

With the MLA style, you give parenthetical citations after presenting information in the body of the paper. After the fact or quotation, give, in parentheses, the last name of the author of the source plus the page number where the fact or quotation appeared. The source is then listed fully at the end of the paper in the Works Cited.

However, electronic sources may not have numbered pages. If the paragraphs are numbered, give that number preceded by the abbreviation par. Otherwise, just give the author’s last name. If no author is listed, give the first main word of the title (or the first phrase, if the first word is common to other titles). Without a number for page or paragraph, you will not need a parenthetical citation for your electronic source if you identify the author in your sentence.

The reader of your paper could then turn to the Works Cited where you have listed the complete reference. (The second date is the date you viewed it.)

FORMAT FOR LISTING SOURCES AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER

Heading – Works Cited, centered —caps and lowercase, without underline, boldface, italics, or quotation marks.

Sequence – Make one list, not separated by type of source. Alphabetize by the last names of the authors. When no author is listed, alphabetize by the first main word of the title. Include a, an or the, but ignore these words when alphabetizing. Do not number the list.

Spacing – Double space the entire list with no extra space between entries.

Indentation – Start the first line of each entry at the left margin. Indent subsequent lines for that entry five spaces or half an inch. End each entry with a period.

Authors’ names – Reverse authors’ names: last name, first name. Give initials or Jr. if listed, but not M.D. or Ph.D. If the author is an organization, give its title without "the."

Jamiesen, Brendan, Jr.

National Coalition for the Homeless.

Reverse only the first author’s name if there are several. With four or more authors, list the first and then write et al.—meaning "and others."

Brooks, Veronica, and David Ennis.

Pond, Sarah, et al.

When the same author has written more than one work, give the author’s full name only for the work that is first in alphabetical order. Then use three hyphens and a period in place of the author’s name as you list each of the other works.

National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Joint Federal Policy Proposals. 19. Oct. 1999 <http://www.nhchc.org/hchjointprop.html>.

---. Why Are People Homeless? June 1999. 19. Oct. 1999 http://nch.ari.net/causes.html

Titles – Underline titles of main works—books, newspapers, Websites and CD-ROMs. Use quotation marks around the titles of shorter works that appear inside the larger ones—such as articles, stories, chapters and sections. Do not underline the end punctuation marks in titles.

Dates – List day month year with no commas. Abbreviate all months but May, June, and July. List both the date of the original copyright or posting as well as the date you viewed the source—unless you are certain that it is an unchanging source, such as a CD-ROM or video.

Internet addresses - Surround addresses with angle brackets (< >) with one space before the opening angle bracket and a period after the closing one.

GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC SOURCES

Standalone Database or CD-ROM

Author(if given). "Title." [or the heading of the material you read] Title and publishing information of original in print, if known. Title of the database. Publication medium. City of publication and Vendor (if relevant), electronic publication date.

Original Source in Print, but Viewed on a Website

Author or organization(if known). "Title of the article (if appropriate)," Title of the Complete Work. Publishing information for original print version (if known). Title of the Website where you viewed it. Date of original posting. Online publisher. Date of latest revision. Date you viewed it <Internet address>.

Jewett, Sarah Orne. The Country of the Pointed Firs. Boston: Houghton [c1910]. Project Bartleby. New York: Columbia U Academic Information Systems, July 1996. 4 Aug. 1999 <http://www.columbia.edu.acis/bartleby/jewett/100.html>.

National Institute of Mental Health. "Childhood Depression," Healthtouch. 1999. 28 Oct. 1999 1999<http://www.healthtouch.com/level1/leaflets/NIMH/NIMH020.htm>.

Article from a Newswire, Viewed on a Website

Cooper, Mike. "U.S. Confirms West Nile Virus Caused N.Y. Deaths." Reuters. 21 Oct. 1999. 26 Oct. 1999 <http://news.lycos.com/stories/science/19991021RTSCIENCE-HEALTH->.

Direct E-mail to you (not a discussion group)

Although MLA does not require it, indicating the person’s title or area of expertise in brackets lends authority to your citation.

Author [title or area of expertise]. E-mail to the author [that’s you] date.

Young, Sally, Ph. D [Professor of English, U of Tennessee]. E-mail to the author. 2 Apr. 1999.

Posting to a Discussion Group

Real name of author(if known). "The subject line of the article." Online posting. The date of the posting. The group to which it was sent—multiple groups separated by a comma. The date you viewed it <where the article can be retrieved>.

Works Cited

USE THE APA (AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION) STYLE

The APA style is used for courses in the social sciences—such as anthropology, economics, psychology, and sociology. The life sciences—such as biology, environmental science, medicine—use a similar style or the numbered system which is described beginning on page 00. Check the requirements for your report.

The APA style requires that the author’s name and the date of original publication be given as information is presented in the body of the paper. If the author’s name is given in your sentence, the date appears immediately afterwards, in parentheses. If you have not used the author’s name, both last name and date appear in parentheses after the information—usually at the end of the sentence. The respective sources are then presented alphabetically in the list of references at the end of the paper.

The rationale for the reference list is to provide the details so that the reader can read your source if desired. However, there are times when you will give the complete information for your source in your paper and no additional citation will be required in the reference list.

Personal communications - Private exchanges cannot be reviewed by your reader. In the body of your paper refer to information from an e-mail, letter, conversation, or interview as a personal communication. Use the phrase "personal communication" with the date in parentheses after the name.

An entire Website - When the address is given for a Website used as a general reference, no other information is necessary. In the body of your paper, refer to the title of the Website and give its address in parentheses.

Only direct quotations require page numbers. If the article appeared in print first, list those page numbers if possible—even if you read the material online.

Your References page will give this listing:

The "retrieved" date is the date you viewed it. Notice that you do not place a period after the Internet address.

FORMAT FOR LISTING SOURCES AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER

Heading – References, centered —caps and lowercase, no underline, boldface, italics, or quotation marks.

Sequence – Alphabetize by the last names of the authors. When no author is listed, alphabetize by the first main word of the title. Do not number the list.

Spacing – Double space the entire list with no extra space between entries.

Indentation – Start at the margin for the first line of each entry. Indent the subsequent lines five spaces or one half-inch from the left margin.

Authors’ names – Last name, initial(s). Give Jr. if listed, but not MD or PhD. Reverse all the authors’ names if there are several—up to six. With six or more authors, list the first and then write et al.—meaning "and others."

When the same author has written more than one work, give the full name of the author each time, and list the works in reverse chronological order—most recent date first. To distinguish two or more works by the author(s) for the same date, list them alphabetically by title, placing a after the alphabetically first work’s copyright date (e.g., 1997a), b after the second (1997b), and so on. Then in your parenthetical citations, the date plus letter will clearly identify the work.

Dates – For date of publication, list year, month day—with a comma after the year. Spell out all months in full. For date of retrieval, list month day, year—with no extra comma after the year.

Titles – Underline titles of main works—books, newspapers, Websites and CD-ROMs. Use quotation marks around the titles of shorter works that appear inside the larger ones—such as articles, stories, chapters and sections.

GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC SOURCES

Standalone Database or CD-ROM

Print Source Retrieved Online

A Specific Document on a Website

Author or organization(if known). (date of publication or last revision)."Title of the article." Title of the Complete Work Retrieved from the World Wide Web date at address of the Website

Cooperative Extension Service, Mississippi State University. (1997, June 24). "Fowl Cholera." Bacterial Diseases. Retrieved from the World Wide Web June 5,1999 http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/disbact.htm

An Entire Website

In the APA style, give the address of the Website in parentheses at the end of your sentence. Do not give the web address in your reference list.

Direct E-mail to you (not a discussion group)

(Also the Reference page for Part 4)

References

Council of Biology Editors. (1994). Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers. 6^th ed. Washington, DC: American Institute of Biological Sciences.

Gibaldi, Joseph. (1999). MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5^th ed. New York: Modern Language Association.

Gibaldi, Joseph. (1998). MLA Style Manual. 2^nd ed. New York: Modern Language Association.

Li, Xia, and Nancy Crane. (1996). Electronic Styles: A Guide to Citing Electronic Information. 2^nd ed. Westport: Information Today.

USE FOOTNOTES OR ENDNOTES

Use footnotes or endnotes for a general audience, for cross-disciplinary courses, and for courses in art, communications, dance, history, journalism, music, political science, and theater.

The footnote or endnote system is the least intrusive of all types of citations, but it is not as popular nowadays. Nevertheless, this classic system is still preferred by some teachers and publications, and it is ideal for a general audience. Consider using footnotes or endnotes when you don’t want to sound stuffy but still need to give some references—for example, for an article for a community newsletter or for your own website. However, use this system only if you are certain it is acceptable for the audience you are addressing.

FORMAT FOR CITATIONS IN THE BODY OF YOUR PAPER

When you use footnotes or endnotes, you give a superscript (raised) numeral each time you present information in the body of the paper. After the fact or quotation, the number cues the reader that there is a reference—at the bottom of the page (footnote), or at the end of the paper (endnote).

Computers simplify this system of presenting sources. In most word processing programs, indicate where you want the number to be inserted, specify whether you want a footnote or endnote, and then type the content of each note as you go through the documentation of your paper. The computer will keep track of your sequence of numbers and automatically format the notes. You may modify them if you wish.

Start numbering consecutively, beginning with the number one after the first presentation of research information. Use a different number for each presentation of information (regardless of whether the source is the same or different). In the body of your paper, it would look like this:

The reader of your paper could then look for the corresponding number (2) at the bottom of the page for your footnote, or turn to the endnotes at the end of the paper where you have listed the complete reference.

The bibliographical reference, alphabetized by authors’ last names, gives the same information in a slightly different format. Often you can omit this list.

FORMAT FOR LISTING SOURCES AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER

Check with your teacher. Since all of the information is in the footnotes or endnotes, a separate list is often superfluous. However, lengthy papers and those published on the Web should have a source list at the end.

Call your list of sources Bibliography. Follow the format on page 000.

USE NUMBERED REFERENCES WHEN REQUIRED

The numbered reference system is used for courses in mathematics, statistics, physics, and chemistry. It may also be specified for other courses in the sciences.

This system assigns a number to each source

• Sources are numbered according to their order of citation in the paper.
• The same number is then repeated whenever that source is credited for information within the paper.
• In the body of the paper, the numbers are raised (superscript) and placed right after the information.
• In the reference list at the end, the sources are listed in their numerical order.

When two sources are referred to in the paper simultaneously, both numbers are separated by a comma. In your paper, it would look like this:

Then at the end of the paper, your reader could find the sources for your information.

1. Abstracts from Files in info-mac/art as of 7/25/99.

   <http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive/Archive_Art_&_Info/00art_abs>.

2. <Muhenry@eastnet.educ.ecu.edu>

As of this writing, neither ACS nor CBE has issued format requirements for documenting material from electronic sources. Suggestions are given here, based on their requirements for journal articles.

Most of the time in the sciences, you will cite the print version of the source. These illustrations show material that is only available electronically.

FORMAT FOR LISTING SOURCES AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER

Heading – References, centered—caps and lowercase, in boldface.

Sequence – Make one numbered list, giving the sources in the order in which they were cited in your paper.

Spacing – Single space each entry. Skip a line between entries.

Indentation – Place the number in parentheses, aligned at the left margin without a period. Tab five spaces or half an inch to begin the entry. Align subsequent lines under the first letter of the author’s last name—to make a block format. End each entry with a period.

Authors’ names – Last name, first initial. List all multiple authors, all in reverse order with a semicolon between each. Do not give people’s titles, such as Dr.

Titles –

Dates – Give the year only. Boldface the year for journals but do not do so for books.

Note to compositor: Please don’t delete this number! It goes with the footnotes!