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National History Day: Evaluating and Citing Your Sources

Cite Your Sources

Annotated Bibliography Required

 

 

 

To be a responsible researcher you must give credit to your source of information in a citation and then put into your bibliography / works cited.

A citation is a reference to the source of an idea, information or image. A citation typically includes enough identifying information, such as the author, title, and publication format, for a reader to be able to access the original source.

 

Why Cite?

 

  • Give Credit to the Author or Creator
  • Locate Sources
  • Avoid Plagiarism
  • Stay Organized

 

As you read � Write it down now!

 

Citation Generator

 

OR 

Use this citation generator to create your MLA style citations for all your sources as well as their annotations.

Works Cited Document

   Title the document: (1920's Museum Exhibit)

   Times New Roman,   12 font,   Double Spaced

   ABC order

   Every line AFTER the first is indented.

   (Return - Tab:  to indent any line after the 1st)

Example of Works Cited 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when you use someone else's words or ideas and pass them off as your own.

Great site for all about plagiarism

Student Materials for plagiarism

Summarizing, Paraphrasing and Quoting

Quoting, Summarizing, and ParaphrasingThree common techniques used to work other people's words and ideas into your writing are quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing. What are they, specifically?

Quoting:

Using the author's exact words. Always cite it and use "quotation marks."

Tips on Quoting

Summarizing:

Condensing the author's words or ideas without altering the meaning or providing interpretation - you use your own words for this. Basically, presenting the original information in a nutshell. Always cite it.

Tips on Summarizing

Paraphrasing:            

Restating, in your own words, the author's words or ideas without altering the meaning or providing interpretation. Paraphrases are about the same length as the original. Always cite it.

Tips on Paraphrasing

Evaluating Information On The Web

FOLLOW THE 5 W's

Who: Who wrote the pages and are they an expert? Is a biography of the author included? How can you find out more about the author?

What: What is the purpose of this site?  What is the URL of the site and what might that tell you about its purpose?  What aspects of the site make it difficult/easy to use? (For example: typos, easy navigation, nice layout, images, too much advertising, etc.)

Where: Where is this information coming from?  Is there an "About Us" on the site to read about the publisher or who is responsible for the site?

When: When was the site last updated?  Does the site even have a date?  Does the currency of the information directly impact your subject?

Why: Why is this website useful for your research? Why should you use this information? Could you find the information through a better source?

Since anyone can put information on the web and it is not reviewed, always read the "About Us" section on the website to check for information about the author and the sponsor of the site.