Source Cards. Establishing a Works Cited List

Source Cards: Establishing a Works Cited List As you conduct your preliminary reading, be sure to take preliminary notes from each source that you investigate. You will need to complete a SOURCE CARD for each source that you investigate. Writing a SOURCE CARD is simple. Following the MLA quick-reference guide that I have given you, you will fill out a source card on EACH source that you come across that has information on your topic. Number each source card at the top right hand corner of the card. A sample source card for Source #1 – a book source - may look like the following example: source # 1 title of book author Duncan, Carolyn. The Truth About HIV. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Inc., 1994. Publisher Place published Date of Publication Each source card must reflect the correct MLA citation according to the source type. A book source, for example, will look differently than an internet or periodical source when written up properly on the source card. (Source types are classified on your MLA Quick Reference Sheet.) You may also find that the website “easybib.com” may be most helpful in writing your source citations in proper MLA format. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU COMPLETE ALL INFORMATION THAT THE MLA FORMAT REQUIRES FOR YOUR SOURCE CARDS AT THE TIME YOU ARE GATHERING INFORMATION. ONCE IT'S TIME TO WRITE YOUR WORKS CITED LIST AT THE END OF YOUR PAPER, THE BOOK MAY NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY FOR YOU TO CHECK OUT OR OBTAIN THE INFORMATION FROM! QUESTIONS? SEE ME! Taking Notes Although you have written six or seven research questions about your research topic, you’ve still got a long way to go! You must now look for more information that will clearly define and develop your thesis statement – in other words, you must find the answers to your research questions so that you know what you’re to be writing about. Note taking will also help you establish a way in which you can easily retrieve information that you have researched. There are many ways in which to take notes. Remember, the better the note taking, the better your paper. If you avoid "padding" your paper with long quotes or extensive quoting, your paper becomes more enjoyable and informative to the reader. Summary notes take more time and effort, but they save time in the long run, since they can be incorporated, verbatim, into your final paper. When taking summary notes, read your source at least once, digest it, look away from the source, write the summary in your own words, and then check it again for accuracy. Remember: You can use these summaries in your actual paper with credit given where credit is due. Please refer to the notes below on “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing” for help. Please refer to the sample note card below for help in formatting each card. Remember - you must have AT LEAST 6-8 note cards for each source, and you may only put one piece of information on each note card. ONLY TAKE NOTES ON INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP YOU DEVELOP YOUR THESIS – THAT WILL ANSWER YOUR RESEARCH QUESTIONS! While other information may be interesting, if it's not going to help you prove your point, you'll be better off to leave it out! Once your thesis has been reached and your outline written, you may then decide to discard any notes and sources that do not support your thesis. You may even find you’ll have to write MORE note cards to flesh out your outline! [GROAN…] Once you have written the source card for the source, you are responsible for taking 6-8 note cards on your topic from that source. You should write the SOURCE NUMBER (not the card number) in the top right hand corner of the card. In the top left hand corner of the card will be the topic of the note (what the note is about). In the bottom right hand corner will be the first word(s) of your source card entry and the page number that the note came from (if applicable), and in the middle of the card you will write your information. On the back of the card, write the research question the note on the card is attempting to answer. A sample note card answering the question “How does someone contract HIV?” may look like this one: source # Topic of Note Contracting HIV 1 Although many people fear catching HIV from using infected people's toothbrushes and eating or drinking after a victim of AIDS, studies have shown that most people contract the disease from direct contact with infected blood or body fluids, as through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions, or sharing IV drug needles. NOTE (Duncan 45) First word on bib card page # Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve many purposes. You might use them to: • • • • provide proof or credibility to your own writing refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing give examples of two or more points of view on a subject add depth or breadth to your writing What are the differences between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing? Quoting Quotations must match the source document word for word, and must be attributed to the original author: "That Americans are getting heavier is especially hard to deny the day after Thanksgiving. But America's weight problem has less to do with holiday binges than with everyday choices and circumstances," a New York Times editorial states. Paraphrasing Paraphrasing is putting the ideas of another person into your own words using your own sentence structure. A paraphrase simplifies a selection, it does not necessarily shorten it. Paraphrased material must also be attributed to the original source: In the New York Times editorial on youth obesity, the writer explains how the poor's choice of cheap, high-calorie food versus affordable, fresh, nutritious food may have a greater influence on obesity than genetics. Summarizing To summarize, you must put the main thoughts or ideas into your own words, but it is only necessary to include the "main points." Summarizing cuts a selection down to about one-third of its original length. Its purpose is to shorten a passage without sacrificing its basic meaning. Once again, it is necessary to attribute the ideas to the original source: A New York Times editorial describes how choice and circumstances influence America's problem with obesity more than overeating. Paraphrased material is often somewhat shorter than the original, and summarized material usually significantly shorter. When to Cite Sources Remember that citing your sources gives credit to the ideas of others and adds veracity (truth) to your research and readings. When to cite • If you quote an author, even if you are only borrowing a single key word, you need to tell your reader the origin of the quotation • You also need to cite a source: o if you restate an idea, thesis, or opinion stated by an author o if you restate an expert's theory or opinion o if you use facts that are not common knowledge o if you need to provide an informational or explanatory note When do you NOT have to cite a reference? • If the information is well and widely known and indisputable, including mathematical and scientific facts: The Republicans succeeded in winning the majority in both the House and Senate in the November elections. AIDS is a disease that is managed but not cured. • Statistics and information that can easily be found in several sources and are not likely to vary from source to source: The population of the United States is 281 million. Parenthetical Citations What is the format for parenthetical citation? This in-text referencing system directs readers to a "Works Cited" list at the end of a research paper or accompanying a research project. The text reference usually includes an author name and location in the text being cited. How to do parenthetical citations The purpose of parenthetical references is to give credit to sources that you use. • • • Cite direct quotations, paraphrases, ideas peculiar to an author, case studies, statistics, and graphics, such as maps, charts, diagrams, and scientific research results. Place citations directly after the quotation or paraphrase. Include only the author's last name and page number(s) in parentheses at the end of the sentence: (Smith 145) • Use the name of the source as listed on the works-cited page if no author or editor is credited: (Webster's Dictionary 1990) • If the author's name appears in the same sentence as the cited material include only the page number: (145) • If more than one work by the same author is cited, use the author's last name, key word(s) from the title, and page number(s) in parentheses: (Smith, Journey Home 145) Examples of parenthetical citations • Native peoples have little to lose by adopting these practices (Johnson 113). [Author's last name and page number(s)] • Viviano sees advantages in this line of defense (3-4). [Cite only the page number if the author's name appears in the same sentence] • According to police reports, there were no skid marks indicting that the distracted driver who killed John and Carole Hall had even tried to stop. (Stockwell, 'Man' B4). [When more than one work by an author is cited, also include key word(s) from the title.]