Understanding Bibliographies

What is a Bibliography?

• A bibliography is a list of sources consulted and cited in a research paper or project.
• It's Greek in origin, with "biblio" meaning "book" and "graphia" meaning "writing."
• It gives credit to the original authors, preventing plagiarism.
• Modern bibliographies include various sources like books, journal articles, websites, films, and social media.
• Every research paper or project needs a bibliography.
• Bibliography titles vary by citation style (e.g., "Bibliography," "References," "Works Cited").
• Bibliographies also help establish a writer's credibility, showing evidence supporting ideas, influences on the work, and consulted sources.

Types of Bibliographies

• Enumerative/Systematic: A standard list of cited sources, ordered alphabetically by author's last name.
• Annotated: Includes detailed summaries (approx. 150 words) of each source, explaining its content and value to the research. Used early in research projects.
• Working: A preliminary, evolving list of sources. Not polished, may not be alphabetized, and changes as research progresses.
• Period: Focuses on sources from a specific historical period, aiding historical research.
• Subject: Concentrates on sources about a particular subject.

How to Write a Bibliography

• Placed after the main text but before appendices.
• Includes all consulted sources, and their bibliographic details.
• Essential information includes author(s), title, year of publication, publisher, journal/newspaper, website location (where applicable), and other relevant info.
• Various citation styles (Chicago, APA, MLA) govern formatting and ordering.
• Online citation generators can help but consult a style guide for correct application.

Chicago Style Bibliography

• Used in humanities fields (History, Anthropology, Religious Studies).
• Titled "Bibliography."
• Includes footnotes/endnotes in the main text to cite sources.
• Basic order: author's last name, first name, title, location, publisher, year.
• URLs included for internet sources.

APA Style Bibliography

• Used in social sciences and some natural sciences.
• Titled "References."
• Year of publication appears after the author's name.
• Sentence-style capitalization for titles (except journal/newspaper titles).
• Includes DOI (digital object identifier) if available.
• Italicized volume numbers, issue numbers in parentheses, and page ranges.

MLA Style Bibliography

• Commonly used in English, modern languages, cultural studies, and film.
• Titled "Works Cited."
• Similar to Chicago Style in structure but with some key differences.
• Uses abbreviations like "pp." (pages), "vol." (volume), and "no." (number)
• Publisher names kept concise (usually one or two words).

This quiz explores the concept of bibliographies, their significance in research, and different types such as enumerative, annotated, and working bibliographies. Learn how bibliographies help credit original authors and establish credibility in academic writing.