Ms. Grant's CGC 1D0
Citations in MLA 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 this can have dire consequences! We want to make sure you are ready for what lies ahead so let's get ready to practice!
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?
MLA 8 - The New Way to Cite in MLA
Creating a Works Cited Page in MLA Format
MLA 8 was designed to simplify the process, helping writers accurately and intuitively cite sources more easily, requiring that every source type follow the same format. This means that books, websites, periodicals, videos, photographs, and all other types of sources now use this same standard format.
MLA 8 requires researchers to locate the same “core elements” from their sources and place them in a standard order in order to create their citations.
The “Core Elements” of an MLA 8 citation, along with their corresponding punctuation marks, include the following (in this order):
- Authors.
- Title of the source.
- Title of container,
- Other contributors,
- Version,
- Numbers,
- Publisher,
- Publication date,
- Location.
The appropriate punctuation mark will follow each core element, unless it is the final piece. In this case, the punctuation mark would be a period.
Example of an MLA Eighth Edition Works Cited Page:
Patterson, James, and Chris Grabenstein. House of Robots. Little, Brown and Co., 2014.
Patterson, James, and Chris Tebbetts. Middle School: Get Me Out of Here. Little, Brown and Co., 2012.
Sparks, Nicholas. Dear John. Grand Central, 2007, p. 82.
– – – . A Walk to Remember. Warner, 1999.
Twenty-Eight Days Later. Directed by Danny Boyle, produced by Alex Garland, Fox
Searchlight Pictures, 2002.
Let's Practice MLA Citations!
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
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 geography that interests you. Please use the skills that you have learned to put together a perfect works cited page!