Do you feel a panic attack coming when you have to add the bibliography to your paper? Do you know where to look when you want to cite a tweet or a blog post?
The volume of citation-related questions in virtual reference proves that the message has reached Rutgers students: you must cite your sources and you must cite them right.
Although every student gets the poll on plagiarism right in any library instruction session, the road to citing right is long and winding, not mentioning bumps such as completing the task quickly and accurately––for all formats, including images, web resources, and tweets, in addition to scholarly articles.
Rutgers Libraries are there for you to help with citation management tools and thematic research guides created by expert librarians on topics such as general writing and citation formatting for your electronic resources, various citation styles (MLA, APA), and grammar and citation manuals. Other guides can also walk you through the whole process as you learn how to make your life easier with citation management apps, such as RefWorks, EndNote, or Zotero. Check out some practices and tips on citation and avoiding plagiarism by learning about the different types, or find the basics on one page.
In a fun workshop the Books We Read team recently hosted for the Work/Study Students Professional Development Series, we covered the basics in a few steps.
- Why citations matter––you want to give credit to your source and allow trace-back for verification (and avoid plagiarism).
- The elements of citation: author(s), title, journal name, publication date, volume/issue, and page numbers––or anything similar that allows verification.
- Citation formats, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. all pull data from above elements, but display them differently.
- No need to remember all the commas and spaces! Citation generators and helpers are available in QuickSearch, databases, and standalone citation managers for larger projects.
- Need special formats or examples? ––> Remember the OWL, the Online Writing Lab from Purdue.
- Need an image for your presentation? ––> Search for usage right with Google Image Search.
- Already have one and can’t decide? ––> Use TinEye for reverse image search.
- The group exercise was fun for all: finding cute animals to use in an imaginary presentation is the best Friday afternoon learning activity!
Stay tuned for more about finding the correct version of a quote from your favorite book and using it in a pretty image on social media––the topic of our next workshop, a total stressbuster on December 11, the last day of the semester.
We would love to hear from you!
Did you find some pet pictures? A cute puppy? A typical sloth? That kitten with a head tilt? Upload your image for the ultimate stressbuster, a virtual pet therapy slide show before our next session on December 11.
“Cite Right” Series
- Part 1: Cite Right – Workshop in the Library
- Part 2: Cite Right – Confessions of an Edition Ignoramus
- Part 3: Cite Right – Phantom References
- Part 4: Cite Right – Resources from RUL
- Part 5: Cite Right – Misquotes
- Part 6: Cite Right – Images
- Part 7: Cite Right – Predators of Science
Brought to you by Books We Read at Chang.