Library 103    Fourth Session


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Bibliography and Citation

A bibliography is a list of books, articles, web pages and other sources of information on a specific topic. This list follows a certain format called a citation:

        citation: noun: A quoting of an authoritative source for substantiation.
                                                                    The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 4th Ed.

A citation is a brief description of one particular source of information. Each citation is made up of parts giving specific information about the source; as a result you can usually tell what type of source is used by looking at the format of the citation. Citations allow the reader of the work to find the source the writer is referencing. Citation information and format varies according to the particular style manual followed. Generally, at the community college level, one of two style manuals is used. English classes and other humanities classes generally require the MLA  ( Modern Language Association ) style of citations. Sciences and social sciences generally use the APA  ( American Psychological Association ) publication manual.

Compiling An Annotated Bibliography

According to the Web page: How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography, the purpose of an annotated bibliography is to "inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy , and quality of the sources cited." "An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and reports that focus on a central theme or topic. Each citation is followed by a brief descriptive and evaluative paragraph to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited." 1

The steps in compiling an annotated bibliography are as follows:

  • Finding information on your topic using a variety of sources

  • Actually looking at the specific source

  • Evaluating each source to determine if it is appropriate for your topic

  • Citing the source in the required format and style


______________________________________________________________________________________________
1 "How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography." Leslie J. Savage Library Western State College.  2009.
            Web.  7 Oct. 2009.
           

 

Sample Annotated Bibliography with MLA Style Citations

Olds, Clifton C. Japanese Gardens - Overview. 2008. Bowdoin College. 27 Aug. 2008.
        Web. 7 Oct. 2009. 

This well illustrated web page presents an overview of Japanese gardens. It includes the fundamental elements and the history with emphasis on the historical gardens of Kyoto along with a bibliography and glossary. Additional links are provided with annotations. Very few of the links are “dead links”. The web page is current enough for the topic. The author is Professor Emeritus of History and Criticism of Art at Bowdoin College which hosts this page.

        Allen Carlson.  "On the Aesthetic Appreciation of Japanese Gardens.” British Journal of  
       Aesthetics 37.1 (1997): 47-56. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 7 Oct. 2009.
 This article discusses Japanese gardens from an intellectual perspective with the conclusion that with the blending of the essence of nature and design elements Japanese gardens are conducive to contemplation and serenity. The author is a professor emeritus from the Department of Philosophy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has published widely in the field of environmental aesthetics. This article appears in a scholarly journal published by Oxford University. The article is footnoted. The article is not recent, but for this type of discussion, it is current enough.

        Hayakawa, Massao. The Garden Art of Japan. Trans. Richard L. Gage. New York:
      Weatherhill/Heibonsha, 1973.
This book gives an historical view of the Japanese garden as well as the types and elements of the gardens. It is well illustrated. It is part of a 30 volume set of works on Japanese arts and crafts. There are no footnotes or bibliography, but the author is an architecture graduate from the University of Tokyo. this book is an historical overview, so the publication  date is current enough; however, there are many newer and practical books in print currently.

 

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