Library
RESEARCH HELP
Citing Sources
Giving Credit - Cite those Sources!
Whenever you work on a project and use other people's ideas and words, you must let everyone know where you found your information. It is an important step in your research process. You need to include a Bibliography or Works Cited Page in your project. A bibliography shows that you are a responsible user of information.There are a variety of accepted citation formats. Use the one recommended by your teacher. Please ask your teacher or the librarians if you have any questions.
- Giving Credit FAQs
- Bibliographies
- Bibliography Hints
- Citing Images Informally
- Parenthetical Notation
- What is Plagiarism?
- What does Copyright mean?
Giving Credit FAQs
Is it OK to get help on a paper?
Is it wrong to use the words and ideas of others?
Is it OK if my mom or dad writes part of my paper?
Isn't information on the Internet free? Why do I need to cite information that I find there?
Yes, if the help includes brainstorming ideas for your project or editing your work.
Is it wrong to use the words and ideas of others?
No. It is a good idea to quote from your sources. You just need to cite the exact location of the quote.
Is it OK if my mom or dad writes part of my paper?
No. You must write your own work.
Isn't information on the Internet free? Why do I need to cite information that I find there?
All material on the Internet, as well as printed material, is copyrighted. It is the property of its author, even if you do not know who the author is. You must cite where you find your information.
Bibliographies
As you research, use Pike's Bibliography Templates which are based on the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed., New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2009) to gather information for your bibliography.
Your bibliography is an alphabetical list of all the sources you used for your project. It needs to follow a specific format.
Your bibliography is an alphabetical list of all the sources you used for your project. It needs to follow a specific format.
| Formal Bibliography Guide | Sample Works Cited |
Bibliography Hints
What if the author's name is missing or if there is no article title?
How do I organize my bibliography?
What if I need to cite an interview or video? What if I just need help?
Can I get help online?
If some information (like the author of an encyclopedia article) is not available, just skip over it.
How do I organize my bibliography?
Bibliographies and works cited pages are arranged alphabetically by the entry's first piece of information (usually the author's last name). Second lines of an entry use a hanging indent, which means they are indented under the first line. For more information about bibliography formats check out Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab, OWL at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html.
What if I need to cite an interview or video? What if I just need help?
Check out Writer's Inc.: A Student Handbook for Writing and Learning (Write Source, 2001) or ask a teacher or librarian for help.
Can I get help online?
There are web sites that help you format your bibliography. You provide the information and the site shows you the correct format. Try Citation Maker at http://openc.k12.or.us/citeintro/.
Citing Images Informally
Images are copyrighted material; therefore, you must credit any pictures you use in your project. You have two choices:
Picture of Great Zimbabwe ruins, slide 1- www.lib.ohio-state.edu/bslweb/BookofDays2.html
Map of Tigris River, slide 2 - http://www.mrdowling.com/603mesopotamia.html
http://www.theodora.com/flags/geographic/canada_flags.html
- create a “picture credits” list to be included in addition to your bibliography, or
- write the source information directly under the image itself.
Picture Credits
Picture of Great Zimbabwe ruins, slide 1- www.lib.ohio-state.edu/bslweb/BookofDays2.html
Map of Tigris River, slide 2 - http://www.mrdowling.com/603mesopotamia.html
http://www.theodora.com/flags/geographic/canada_flags.html
Parenthetical Notation
When you use a scholar’s idea or a direct quote, you must credit your source. In addition to a bibliography, you need footnotes or parenthetical notation. Parenthetical notes are set within the text using parentheses. Click below for more detail.
| Using Parenthetical Documentation |
What is Plagiarism?
- Plagiarism is using the ideas or words of others as though they are your own.
- Plagiarism is using the ideas, images, or words from a book or website without citing the source.
- Plagiarism is paraphrasing materials without citing the source.
- Plagiarism is stealing.
- Plagiarism is against Pike's Acceptable Use Policy.
What does Copyright mean?
Anything that is published - in print or on the Internet - is protected by the copyright laws of the United States whether the copyright symbol © is present or not. These laws are complicated but all students and teachers need to be aware of the basics.
A simple test to determine copyright infringement is to ask the question, ”Does this take potential profit away from the author or creator?” If the answer is yes, you are probably in violation of copyright laws.
Students and schools may take advantage of special exceptions to the copyright regulations; these are called Fair Use.The statute covering Fair Use is short and covered in the United States Code, Title 17, Section 107 (http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html).
If you want to learn more about copyright, please visit Copyright Kids for an interactive tutorial.
Last updated: January 2007
Created and maintained by Pike librarians Linda Griset and Fran Mellin
A simple test to determine copyright infringement is to ask the question, ”Does this take potential profit away from the author or creator?” If the answer is yes, you are probably in violation of copyright laws.
Students and schools may take advantage of special exceptions to the copyright regulations; these are called Fair Use.The statute covering Fair Use is short and covered in the United States Code, Title 17, Section 107 (http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html).
If you want to learn more about copyright, please visit Copyright Kids for an interactive tutorial.
Last updated: January 2007
Created and maintained by Pike librarians Linda Griset and Fran Mellin
