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Study Aids - Citing Sources When you begin writing a paper that is based upon reading and/or research, you should keep the following rules in mind: If you are not sure how to cite a particular source, you can consult a style manual for directions, or you can ask the instructor. The required style manual for all students in History courses at Florida State University is The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, a copy of which is located at the Reference Desk in Strozier Library, call number Z 253.C57. |
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Footnotes: Once you have begun writing your paper, you will find that you sometimes use the ideas or words written by another historian. Whether you use an idea, the exact words, or paraphrase, you are required to give that author credit for his creation; failure to do so is academic fraud and can be prosecuted under the Academic Code as plagiarism. While you are in the process of writing the draft of a paper, you may find it easier to put the source and page number in brackets at the end of a sentence, like this: Giovanni's legal assistants tried to stall for time (Brucker, 61). This sentence is a paraphrase of what Brucker actually says on page 61. If you use the exact words of another historian, you must enclose those words in quotations marks, like this: "Giovanni's procurators pursued their strategy of procrastination." (Brucker, 61) By placing the author and page number in brackets at the end of the sentence, this will make it easier for you to rearrange material while you are revising your paper. This method (known as the MLA Style) is what is taught in most English classes, but it is not the same as the one used in History classes. If you usually use this style, please convert your notes to the Chicago Manusal of Style "humanities" style for footnotes, as explained below. When you have finished crafting your paper, you should convert in-text notes to footnotes. In your text, you indicate that the reader should look for a note by using a series of superscript numbers, like this: Giovanni's legal assistants tried to stall for time.2 At the bottom of the page, a footnote would give the reader the information he needs (see the example below). According the Chicago Manual of Style, the first reference to a book should include the author's full name, the full title of the book (or short title if you have a bibliography), place and year of publication, and the page(s) from which you drew the information. After the first reference, you may simply use author's last name, a short title, and the page number(s). I prefer that you use footnotes (not endnotes) in your papers for class because it makes it easier for me to read them. For further footnote guidelines, see the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition. Bibliography: Your bibliography contains a detailed list of all the works you consulted in writing the paper, whether you cite material from those books and articles or not. A bibliography is placed in a separate section, at the paper's end, and is labeled "Bibliography" so that the reader can clearly identify it. Very short papers (2-3 pages) from only one or two books assigned for class do not need a bibliography. All longer papers should have one. Your bibliography should be arranged alphabetically by the last name of the author, like the example below. (Note that titles here are italicized, you should underline them in your paper). For further bibliography guidelines, see the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition. If you still aren't sure about how to cite sources correctly, in either the creation of a bibliography or endnotes/footnotes, please consult the instructor or one of the style manuals listed on the "Writing Papers" page. Footnote example below. Sally Hadden Courses | Study Aids | Research | Bio All Contents © Sally Hadden
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