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 sources 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." 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

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1 "How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography." Leslie J. Savage Library Western State College  July 16, 2004
            <http://www.western.edu/lib/guides/annbib.pdf>  11 May 2005.
           

Sample Annotated Bibliography with MLA Style Citations

Boeree, C. George. "An Introduction to Buddhism." 2000. Shippensburg University.
       6 Apr. 2003. <http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/buddhaintro.html>.

       This attractive web page covers the basics of Buddhism. It is intended for students of religion, philosophy and psychology. The author, who holds a Ph. D. in psychology, is a professor in the psychology department of Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. The author of the page cites his sources and includes some original work. Although some of the additional links are "dead links," a reading list is also provided.

Senauke, Alan "Right speech in a world of mirrors: scattered reflections." ReVision 
       Spring 2002:7+. Expanded Academic ASAP. INFOTRAC.  College of the Sequoias Lib., Visalia.
       6 Apr. 2003 <http://web3infotrac.galegroup.com/>

       This article discusses "right speech" basic to the "Eight Fold Path" of Buddhism. The author is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest, and he explains the concept of "right speech" in relation to the age of e-mail, spamming, and the electronic mailing lists of the Internet. This article is helpful to Buddhist practitioners and those who seek to understand the principle of "right speech" in today's terms. The article is published in ReVision, which is subtitled " a journal of consciousness and transformation," and it is a refereed journal.

Smith, Huston, and Philip Novak. Buddhism: A Concise Introduction. New York: Harper Collins, 2003.

       The book is an overview of the central teachings of Buddhism, the schisms within the religion, and up-to-date coverage of its development in the West especially the United States. Huston Smith is an internationally known expert and author on world religions. Philip Novak, a previous student of Smith's, is a professor of philosophy and religion and also a practicing Buddhist. The authors bring conciseness and clarity to a complex subject in a work that is scholarly et very readable.

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Date Last Updated:11/19/07
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