Understanding the Basics
* Direct Quotes: When you use the exact words of someone else, enclose them in quotation marks.
* Paraphrasing: When you summarize someone else's ideas in your own words, you still need to cite the source.
* Footnotes & Endnotes: These are used to provide detailed source information at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or at the end of the document (endnotes).
* Bibliography/Works Cited: This list appears at the end of your biography and provides full publication details for every source you used.
Common Citation Styles
* MLA (Modern Language Association): Popular for humanities subjects.
* Chicago/Turabian: Widely used in history and social sciences.
* APA (American Psychological Association): Preferred for psychology, education, and some social sciences.
How to Cite Sources
1. Keep Track of Your Sources: As you research, record all relevant information about each source: author's name, title, publication date, publisher, and any unique identifiers (like page numbers for direct quotes).
2. Choose a Citation Style: The style guide you follow will determine the exact format for your citations.
3. In-Text Citations:
* MLA: Use author's last name and page number in parentheses (e.g., (Smith 25)).
* Chicago/Turabian: Use a superscript number to refer to a footnote or endnote.
* APA: Use author's last name and year of publication in parentheses (e.g., (Smith, 2023)).
4. Footnotes or Endnotes: Provide complete source information in a numbered footnote or endnote.
5. Bibliography/Works Cited: Create a list of all sources used, alphabetized by author's last name. The format will vary depending on the citation style.
Examples
MLA
* In-Text Citation: "The famous author had a troubled childhood" (Smith 12).
* Works Cited: Smith, John. *The Life and Times of a Famous Author.* New York: Penguin, 2023.
Chicago/Turabian
* Footnote: ¹ John Smith, *The Life and Times of a Famous Author* (New York: Penguin, 2023), 12.
* Bibliography: Smith, John. *The Life and Times of a Famous Author*. New York: Penguin, 2023.
APA
* In-Text Citation: (Smith, 2023)
* References: Smith, J. (2023). *The Life and Times of a Famous Author*. New York: Penguin.
Tips
* Consistency is key: Choose a style and stick with it throughout your biography.
* Use citation software: Tools like Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley can help you manage your sources and generate citations in different styles.
* Double-check your work: Carefully proofread all your citations to ensure accuracy.
Let me know if you have any specific questions about how to cite a particular source, or if you need more information about any of the citation styles.