Wiki Page, GOTT Clover II: Access and Use (5 of 5): Interpreting Citation Information

Wiki Page
2016-08-14T21:35:43-06:00

Once you've found a source you think you will be able to use, you'll want to make a note of some of the identifying citation information of the source, also called the bibliographic information, such as the title, author, date and publication.

You will use this information to cite your source in a bibliography, works cited, or reference page at the end of your paper. The format of the citation and the information needed will depend on which citation style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc) you use.

Interpreting citation information can also help you track down sources that are cited in other academic papers. But what does the citation actually tell you about the source and how to find it? Let's break it down:

Citations styles will look slightly different for each type of source, whether it's a journal article, a newspaper article, a book, a book chapter, online or in print, among other factors.

Usually, you can search for a source by author or title in a general IUS Library database or Google Scholar to find the full-text. You might also try finding a book or journal in print through IUCAT and locating the specific volume, issue, and page number of the article on the shelves.

Once you've found the information it's up to you how you use it to address your research question. Read the source and consider the evidence and arguments it presents. How can you make connections between what has already been said and what you have to contribute to the conversation around the topic?