A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, Ninth edition - Kate L. Turabian 2018
Record your sources fully, accurately, and appropriately
Finding useful sources
Research and writing
Once you decide a source is worth reading, record all of its bibliographic information. Your first obligation as a researcher is to cite your sources accurately and fully so that your readers can find them.
3.5.1 Determine Your Citation Style
Most fields require a specific citation style. The two most common ones are described in detail in part 2:
✵ ▪ notes-bibliography style (or simply notes style), used widely in the humanities and in some social sciences (see chapters 16 and 17)
✵ ▪ author-date style, used in most social sciences and in the natural sciences (see chapters 18 and 19)
If you are uncertain which style to use, consult your instructor or advisor. Before you start compiling your list of sources, read the general introduction to citations in chapter 15 and then, depending on the citation style you are required to use, read the introduction to notes style (chapter 16) or author-date style (chapter 18).
3.5.2 Record Complete Bibliographical Information
To save time and avoid errors, record all the citation information you will need when you first find a source. Most of this information appears on the title page of a book or at the head of a journal article. The specific information you need depends on the type of source, but for each source, answer the following:
✵ ▪ Who wrote or assembled the source?
o ▪ author(s)
o ▪ editor(s) (if any)
o ▪ translator(s) (if any)
✵ ▪ What data identify the source?
o ▪ title (including subtitle)
o ▪ page numbers (if the source appears in a larger work)
o ▪ volume number
o ▪ issue number
o ▪ edition number
✵ ▪ Who published the source and in what context?
o ▪ publisher’s name
o ▪ place of publication
o ▪ name of the journal, collection, or other work in which the source appears
✵ ▪ When was the source published?
o ▪ year of publication
o ▪ season, month, or specific day (and, in some cases, time)
o ▪ for online sources, the date you accessed the material (whether or not you include this date in your citation)
✵ ▪ Where can the source be found?
o ▪ for online sources, a URL or the name of the database
o ▪ for physical items in a one-of-a-kind collection, the place that houses the collection
For your own use, you might record Library of Congress call numbers. You won’t include them in bibliographic citations, but you may find them helpful if you must consult the source again.
If you access a printed text online, record the URL and any other data for the online version in addition to the full bibliographic data for the original source.
If you scan or photocopy a passage from a book, also scan or photocopy its title page and the bibliographic information on the reverse side. Then add the library call number if you know it.
At some point, you’ll need to format this bibliographic information into your required citation style, so you should record your sources in that style now. (You can find templates and examples for notes style in figure 16.1 and chapter 17; for author-date style, refer to figure 18.1 and chapter 19.)
For many types of sources, you can copy and paste citation data online if you know where to look. And there are a number of programs that will help you collect and organize your citations and automatically insert them in your paper in the proper format. These are useful aids, but they are not perfect, so plan on double-checking your citations not only as you acquire them but also later, after they’ve been inserted in your paper.