According to Plagiarism.org: A "citation" is the way you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information necessary to find that source again. Typically this information includes (but is not limited to):
Proper citation is a hallmark of scholarship and a critical safeguard against committing plagiarism.
NoodleTools is new software designed to help you organize and properly format citations and assemble bibliographies. It also has a notecard feature and synchs extremely well with Google for Education Apps. You can access NoodleTools here.
Here is a handy tutorial for students and another for instructors.
The Chicago Manual of Style Online (CMOS)
Ellison Library is proud to provide a subscription to the Chicago Manual of Style's Online (CMOS) suite. In addition to containing an easily searchable electronic version of the Chicago Manual's 17th edition, the CMOS offers a plethora useful features such as the: Citation Quick Style Guide, Video Tutorials and a robust Q&A section. This product can be accessed remotely.
Citations are formatted according to styles devised by scholars working within specific academic disciplines. For example, the MLA style was created by the Modern Language Association and is commonly used by scholars studying English Literature.
Styles used regularly at St Albans School include:
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): As mentioned above, this Purdue University resource is perhaps the gold standard when it comes to offering sound, trusted writing and citation tips, tactics and best practices. The OWL offers support for all commonly used citation styles (MLA, Chicago etc.) as well as clear concise instruction in research and instruction basics.
Williams University Basics of Citation: Williams has also assembled a useful well-curated online resource full of information on citation styles and research fundamentals.
How do you know which article or piece of information you wish to include in your papers or presentations is reliable, accurate and credible? Evaluating information properly is a critical skill that once mastered will enable you to succeed academically here at STA and beyond.
Librarians at California State University put together a helpful, unfortunately named, test for evaluating information called the CRAAP test. CRAAP is an acronym for:
These are fundamental concepts behind the ability to accurately evaluate the information you encounter while searching. Refer to this cheat sheet if you are having questions about the quality and validity of an article or search result before including it in your project.