How to Compile a Bibliography

What is a bibliography?

A listing of the sources you used and consulted to do your research.
Includes items such as: books, journal/magazine/newspaper articles, dissertations, theses, websites, book reviews, speeches, etc.
It is located at the end of an assignment.
It is arranged in alphabetical order - typically by the creator (such as author or editor).
It is judged by its content and form.

Why do I need a bibliography?

Follow-up: It allows readers to consult the sources you used to do your research.
Acknowledgement: To give credit to ideas or words created by someone else. If you fail to do this you are you are plagiarizing - this is a reality whether you are doing this intentionally or unintentionally.

How do I Create a Bibliography?

Find relevant sources
Once you have selected a researchable topic, use the following tools to locate relevant information:
- Library catalogue: use this to search for items avaialble at Memorial University Libraries (such as books, journals, videos, government documents, etc). It also tells you where these items are located. You can access this source via the Library Homepage.
- Article indexes: use these to search for articles, book chapters, or theses on a specific subject. These sometimes often include the complete text of the item. This type of source lists what exists on your topic, not necessarily what memorial owns. Access these by clicking 'articles indexes' from the Library Homepage.
- Bibliographies: these are great sources for seeing what research has already been done on a particular topic. if you find a book or article that looks useful, take a look at the bibliography for the item - it will likely lead you to other items on that topic.
Choose a citation style
While it may be hard to believe, there are hundreds of different citation styles in existence! Three styles often used at Memorial University include: APA, MLA, and Chicago (also known as Turabian). MLA is often used for the arts and humanities, APA for the social sciences, and Turabian/Chicago for History. While certain subjects often use certain citation styles, it is always best to ask you professor about which citation style you are expected to use. Whichever style you use, be consistent!

Handbooks and Guides

Copies of the below handbooks are available at the Information and Research Help Desk on the main floor of the Queen Elizabeth II Library. Each book is cited according to its own rules.

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (5th ed.) Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 6th ed. New York: Modern
Language Association of America, 2003.

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations 7th rev. ed.
Edited by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph H. Williams. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 2007.

An overview of the above sitation styles can be found at APA, MLA, and Turabian (or Chicago).

RefWorks

RefWorks is a product which allows you to collect references and automatically format a bibliography is any style (e.g. APA, MLA, Turabian/Chicago). RefWorks is free to students, faculty, and staff at Memorial University. To use RefWorks you will need to create an individual account, for more information, go to RefWorks at Memorial University Libraries. if you are working off-campus you will be required to complete the off-campus login. The following sources are useful to consult if you are constructing an annotated bibliography.

Annotated bibliographies

Writing an annotated bibliography? Check out How to Write Annotated Bibliographies for more information.

Help!

if you have any questions feel free to stop by the Information and Research Help Desk on the main floor of the Queen Elizabeth II Library. Please ask us for Help! The Writing Centre is also a great source for assistance with writing bibliographies.

December 15, 2008