Dr. W. Turner
Writing & Research Resource Page
Writing
Resources
Research Resources
and Topical Bibliography
"Notes on Notes, Papers, and Bibliographies"
Every idea, not just quotations, needs to have a notation explaining from where the information, which you are using, came. There is absolutely nothing wrong with lots of footnotes (or endnotes if you prefer). The difference between notes and references is easy to learn. A note gives the reader information specific to the idea that you are discussing. The reference, which corresponds to a note or group of notes, lists—like a catalogue—all of the places you looked for information about whatever topic you are currently writing. You might have lots of notes in your paper from different pages in the same book. The first time you make a note, include as much information as possible. All of the other times, you need only include as much information as necessary to make it clear that you are referring to such-and-such source again. When you put together your references cited page (or bibliography), you only list the book once.
Notes – Foot or End?
In your text, directly after a quote or idea or paraphrase, you place a note-number superscripted above the text line. Most computers will put in the numbers (automatically in order) for you. In Word click “insert”, “footnote”, “auto number”, “okay”. Or, if you want endnotes, just click “endnote” instead, just be sure to change the Roman numerals to Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3…). At the number put your note. If you are typing the paper, just turn the platen a half turn back and type the number. Standard notes include: author, title, publisher, date and page number. The information makes a kind of sentence. The title of the work is underlined or italicized.
Standard book entry. [No indenting
needed, just type from the number.]
First-name last-name, [comma] title [italicized],
[comma] [parenthesis] place of publication: [colon] publisher, [comma] year
of publication [parenthesis], [comma] page or pages. [period]
As an example:
1. Patrick J. Geary, Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1988), 225. (or, …Press, 1988, 225.)
You can make comments in the footnotes or endnotes.
For Example:
2. The book in note no. 1 was written by one of my professors. It is a great work on the making of the modern system of countries.
And, if you are using a source (book, article, or internet source) more than once, you do not need to put all of the information in every time. On the second entry you can shorten it to Author’s last name and page number. Some historians still use the latin, "ibid" (meaning "in the same place; typed in the note: "4. Ibid, 103.") if the note immediately following is the same as the one preceding it (with the possible change of the page number).
For Example:
3. See especially the Merovingian genealogy at the end of Geary’s book. Geary,
232.
4. Geary, 103.
or
4. Ibid, 103.
If you have more than one source from an author in your paper, you need to add (in the second and subsequent entries) a shortened title between the author and page number.
4. Geary, Before France and Germany, 232.
Articles:
Magazine, newspaper, and journal articles
are not much different. They still use the standard format with a
little more information.
Author’s name, “title of article,” [in quotes] in Title of Journal or other complex source [no comma] volume number (date): [colon] page numbers, edited by editor’s name, place of publication, publisher [if different from journal title]. [period]
For Example:
5. Scott L. Waugh, “Marriage, class, and Royal Lordship in England under Henry III,” Viator 16 (1985): 181.
Remember that you only put the one or two pages you are using in the footnote; you will put all the pages on the bibliography or references cited page. In the example below, the publisher was the same as the title and so not further information was necessary. If this had been an article in a book, more information would be included.
Internet sources:
If, when making internet citations, your computer
insists that “this must be a link”, do not leave the address typed in blue
and underlined, go in and change it! Be professional. Once changed
your system should not turn it back. To change it, go to “format” and
the “font” and click color, etc. until it looks normal.
For more information on citing internet
sources see:
J. Walker, “COS-Humanities Style (MLA-Style
Citations of Electronic Sources) Endorsed by the Alliance for Computers
& Writing,” The Colombia Guide to Online Style, 1997, rev. January
1999, http://www.cas.usf.edu/english/walker/mla.html, (6 July 1999).
In General for notes: name [first last], [comma] “title,” [comma] Larger Work, [comma] date document placed on the net, [comma] address, [comma] (date you saw it on the web). [period]
Example:
Manfred Davidmann, “History Speaks: Monarchy, Exile, and Maccabees,” The Works of Davidmann on Judaism, rev. 1995, http://www.solbaram.org/indexes/judais.html, (6 July 1999).
Bibliography or References Cited page:
Use either a bibliography or a references cited
page. Most undergraduate college papers only need a references cited page
but it is good to understand the difference. Bibliographies list all the
works you found on a given subject whether you used them or not; while, references
cited pages list only those works that you used.
Both of these lists are just about the same as your notes with one important difference. This time you are giving bits of information, rather than one flowing sentence. Notice in every case the periods and commas. The entries in your Bibliography or References Cited page are not numbered, they are in alphabetical order with reverse or hanging indentations. In Word Perfect: click on format (if I remember right), paragraph, and then hanging. In Microsoft Word: click and hold the bottom arrow of the top ruler bar and move it over half an inch.
Book Example:
Geary, Patrick J. Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation
of the
Merovingian World. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1988).
Article Example:
Waugh, Scott L. “Marriage, class, and Royal Lordship in England under Henry
III.”
Viator 16 (1985): 181-207. [The pages of the full article.]
Internet Example:
Davidmann, Manfred. “History Speaks: Monarchy, Exile, and Maccabees.” The
Works
of Davidmann on Judaism. Rev. 1995. http://www.solbaram.org/indexes/judais.html.
(6
July 1999).
Notice how in each instance the information has been separated into small pieces of data.
Conclusion
Every college paper, unless otherwise
suggested or assigned by your professor, should have a title page with
a title, the assignment, your name, class, date, and often your professor’s
name; either footnotes or endnotes; and a list of the references you cited
in your notes. This will impress your professors, make you look more
professional, and possibly improve your overall grade.
Remember to always footnote, even in short papers.
Ideas belong to someone. If you did not think of it, it is not yours.
If you copy it without giving credit to the author, you are stealing.
This is called plagiarism and you can be expelled from the university for this
type of theft.
General Books on the Topic of Research:
Benjamin, Jules R. A Student's Guide to History. 7th Ed. Boston: Bedford Books, 1998.
Mann, Thomas. The Oxford Guide to Library Research. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Understanding RACE: See http://www.understandingrace.org/home.html
Topical Bibliography:
forthcoming
