A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

elatively accurate in the sciences, but overall it is uneven and sometimes wrong. Never cite itas an authoritative source.Be similarly cautious about using magazine and newspaper articles. Some describe researchreported in secondary sources reliably, but most oversimplify, or worse, misreport it. Youwould, of course, treat such a source as primary if you were studying how it deals with atopic, such as gender bias in the Encyclopedia Britannica or hoaxes in Wikipedia.Once you understand kinds of sources, you can begin looking for them.3.2 Record Your Sources Fully, Accurately, and AppropriatelyBefore you look for sources, you should know how to cite the ones you find. Your readerswill trust your report only if they trust your evidence, and they won't trust your evidence ifthey can't find your sources. Your first obligation as a researcher is to cite your sourcesaccurately and fully so that your readers can find them.3.2.1 Determine Your Citation StyleMost fields require a specific citation style. The two most common ones are described indetail in part 2:notes-bibliography style (or simply bibliography style), used widely in the humanities andin some social sciences (see chapters 16 and 17)parenthetical citations–reference list style (or simply reference list style), used in mostsocial sciences and in the natural sciences (see chapters 18 and 19)If you are uncertain which style to use, consult your instructor. Before you start compilingyour list of sources, read the general introduction to citations in chapter 15, then depending onthe citation style you are required to use, read the introduction to bibliography style (chapter16) or reference list style (chapter 18).3.2.2 Record Bibliographic DataTo save time and avoid errors, record all the citation information you will need when you firstfind a source. Most of this information appears on the title page of a book or at the head of ajournal article. The specific information you need depends on the type of source, but for eachsource, record at least the following:Who wrote or assembled the source?author(s)editor(s)