Ms. Grant's CLU 3M0
Citations in APA and Researching Using the Databases
The Task
Today you are going to learn how to properly cite your work in the Library Learning Commons at Louise Arbour Secondary School! This is an very important skill to have as you prepare to go to university. Errors in citations can lead to plagiarism, and at the university level, this can have dire consequences! We want to make sure you are read for what lies ahead so let's get ready to graduate!
Be wise....don't plagiarize!!
When to Cite - A Checklist
file:///G:/Downloads/AvoidingPlagiarismChecklist.pdf
I now know when to cite my work.....but how do I do it?
APA Citations - The Sixth Edition
Creating a Works Cited Page in APA Format
On the Library Learning Commons MyClass page, under Class Resources, we have a number of tools that you can use to help you track your sources and create a proper works cited page. You can also use the databases to help you complete your works cited page by clicking on SourceIt. This database is Peel Board approved in terms of being a great tool to help you.
One of the easiest tools to use when creating a works cited page is Citation Machine. If you go to www.citationmachine.net , you can input your book, magazine, website, film or other resource and the citation will be created for you! Please keep in mind that if some parts of the citation are missing, you can easily fill them in using Citation Machine.
Finally, many of the databases create the citation for you! When you are in a database and you are looking at an article, look to the top or the left of the article to find a citation tools like (in some databases it will look like a check mark). If you click on that link and select APA formatting, the citation will be created for you and then you can copy and paste it into your works cited page.
When completing your works cited page, there are a few key things to remember:
- It should be in alphabetical by author's last name. If there is no author, then it should be in alphabetical order by whatever letter comes first in the citation.
- The second line should be indented. You can do this by pressing "Enter" and then "Tab".
- You do not have to number your citations.
- You do not have to put your list of citations into categories (i.e. books, magazines, websites, etc.).
- You should only include resources that you actually used in your research. If you looked at it, but did not use it, it should not be included in your works cited.
WORKS CITED EXAMPLE – APA FORMAT
Works Cited
Atwood, M. (2003). Oryx and Crake. London: Bloomsbury.
Harris, J. (2002). Five quarters of an orange. Boston, MA: Harper.
Packer, A. (2003). The dive from Clausen's Pier. New York: Vintage Books.
Policy.ca. (2000-2006). Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.policy.ca.
Westerfeld, S. (2005). Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse.
Let's Practice - Citing Your Work in APA format!
Research - Books in the Library Learning Commons
- Go to the applications page and click on the "Library Catalogue - Louise Arbour"
- Go to the Library Learning Commons MyClass page and click on the Library Catalogue (You can access this one from home as well).
Once you are at the main page, enter the subject/keywords of the topic that you are searching for. Keep in mind that spelling is really important! If you spell the word that you are looking for incorrectly, the system will assume we do not have it. Book resources can be limited as they can only be accessed by a few students at a time so I always recommend that you look for books first when doing your research.
Doing Your Research - The Databases
Sometimes books on your topic can be hard to find because your subject area might be really new or really specific. This is where databases will become your best friend! There are two ways to get to the databases:
- Go to the applications page and click on "Library Catalogue - Louise Arbour". Then click on Library eResources. Click on eResources. Click on Intermediate/Secondary. Then you will find all of our databases.
- Go to the Library Learning Commons MyClass page through your BYOD. Click on BYOD login. Click on MyClass (the green icon). Click on the Library Learning Commons MyClass icon. Click on databases from home. Then you will find all of our databases.
Keep in mind that if you are accessing the databases from home, you need to go to the Library Learning Commons MyClass page and click on the "Lock" icon. Once you click on the lock icon you can click on the database passwords link. You will need these passwords to access your databases from home.
The Databases - Finding the Information You Need!
- Britannica Online School Edition - this database is great for getting background information about many topics.
- The Canadian Encyclopedia - also a great source for background information but from a Canadian perspective
- Canadian Points of View - this is an excellent database for finding relevant, Canadian content
- Global Issues in Context - although this course will focus mainly on Canadian geography, you might want to look at other databases that focus on a world perspective.
- Canada in Context - another great database that is a primarily Canadian database
- Points of View - excellent database(s) for getting different perspectives on a variety of topics
- LegalTrac - This will be one of your best sources for information about Law and the legal system in Canada.
All of the databases are great sources of information. Although these have been recommended as places to start, you can try other databases if you are not finding the information you need. They are better than a random search on a website because you can find a lot of information here that has been written by experts in the field. Many of the databases are specific to certain topics! Below are some examples of what the database icons look like. You cannot access the databases from here! But you can access the databases from the Secondary eResources link just below!
Practice Time!
1. a non-fiction book
2. a fiction book
3. a database
4. a website
Your works cited page should be about a topic in Law that interests you. Please use the skills that you have learned to put together a perfect works cited page!