Help from The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue
"Ethics, copyright laws, and courtesy to readers require authors to identify the sources of direct quotations and of any facts of opinions not generally known or easily checked."
--Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition
(Chicago: Chicago Univ. Press), p. 594
When doing research, it is necessary to consult and gather information from a variety of places and authors. Therefore, it is important to cite the author (and the work) for a variety of reasons:
1. Credit the author and avoid plagiarism - Giving credit to the author or the work helps you to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting someone else words or ideas as your own. The university has a strict policy on academic dishonesty.
(more info about plagiarism).
2. Give credibility to your facts and statements - Readers are often skeptical of sources they do not know or cannot find. By letting the reader know where you got your facts (and check them if they wish), readers will be more willing to accept how you came to your conclusions. It will also demonstrate to the readers the depth and scope of your research.
3. Help readers extend their own research - Readers use citations to check facts and statements, but also to extend their own research by viewing the topic through a different focus.
The Find Images tab has info on how to cite images either from books, or from online databases and resources (like ARTstor).
When writing a research paper it is important to properly cite your resources. Our Citations LibGuide will help you with the writing of your research.
Consider using a citation management software, such as Endnote, to simplify the process of collecting, organizing, and formatting your citations. The Libraries offers group instruction or individual consultation for EndNote. See the EndNote LibGuide for more info.
MLA documentation style can be found in two sources: The MLA Style Manual, written primarily for undergraduates, and the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, written for graduate students and more experienced researchers. Both works contain complete information on citing both print and online sources.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th EditionCreating an annotated bibliography in MLA style
(More explanation, and an example)
Some annotations are merely descriptive, summarizing the authors' qualifications, research methods, and arguments. Your professor might also ask you to identify the authors' theoretical frameworks.
Many annotations evaluate the quality of scholarship in a book or article. You might want to consider the logic of authors' arguments, and the quality of their evidence. Your findings can be positive, negative, or mixed.
Your professor might also want you to explain why the source is relevant to your assignment.
Most of the Library article databases have an option to cite an article. Look for it, and save time. 