Somers Middle School Library
Works Cited
What does it mean to "cite" a source?
It means that you show within the body of your text, that you took the words or ideas from another place. Failure to acknowledge these sources can be considered plagiarism.
What must be cited?
a) direct quotes
example: "Despite the evidence for vitamin D's star power, many kids are not getting the recommended dose" (Weir, 11).
b) sources you paraphrase or summarize, or from which you obtained ideas
example: Avatar's alien world mirrors our own (Jozefowicz, 4).
c) ideas or facts that are not common knowle?dge
example: Ten percent of tornadoes in the U.S. are spun off by hurricanes (Fraser, 8).
What does not need to be cited?
Information that is common knowledge.
example: Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States.
What is the list of Works Cited?
Most of the teachers at our middle school do not require students to include the source within their text (this is called a parenthetical citation). However, it is important for researchers to list the sources from which they got their information. This allows the reader to see how you did your research and also provides him/her with materials if they want to learn more about the topic.
It is important that the sources are listed in a certain order and format. There are a few formats but at SMS, we follow the MLA (Modern Language Association) format:
Works Cited - MLA Format
What does it mean to "cite" a source?
It means that you show within the body of your text, that you took the words or ideas from another place. Failure to acknowledge these sources can be considered plagiarism.
What must be cited?
a) direct quotes
example: "Despite the evidence for vitamin D's star power, many kids are not getting the recommended dose" (Weir, 11).
b) sources you paraphrase or summarize, or from which you obtained ideas
example: Avatar's alien world mirrors our own (Jozefowicz, 4).
c) ideas or facts that are not common knowle?dge
example: Ten percent of tornadoes in the U.S. are spun off by hurricanes (Fraser, 8).
What does not need to be cited?
Information that is common knowledge.
example: Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States.
What is the list of Works Cited?
Most of the teachers at our middle school do not require students to include the source within their text (this is called a parenthetical citation). However, it is important for researchers to list the sources from which they got their information. This allows the reader to see how you did your research and also provides him/her with materials if they want to learn more about the topic.
It is important that the sources are listed in a certain order and format. There are a few formats but at SMS, we follow the MLA (Modern Language Association) format:
Works Cited - MLA Format
Exciting News!
Word 2007 has a feature that will automatically and correctly list your sources once you enter the detail.
Instructions for creating a Works Cited using Word 2007:
1. Open a new document and File Save As to name your document.
2. Create a heading with your name and your teacher's name.
3. Create a title.
4. Click the Reference Tab.
5. Look in the box Citations and Bibliography. Change the Style to MLA.
6. Click Manage Sources.
7. Click New and enter the information about your source. Enter all the sources you used. They will be listed in the box on the right Current List.
8. After all your sources are entered, close the page (button on bottom right).
9. Go back to the Citations and Bibliography box and click Bibliography then click Create Bibliography.
Instructions for creating a Works Cited using Word 2007:
1. Open a new document and File Save As to name your document.
2. Create a heading with your name and your teacher's name.
3. Create a title.
4. Click the Reference Tab.
5. Look in the box Citations and Bibliography. Change the Style to MLA.
6. Click Manage Sources.
7. Click New and enter the information about your source. Enter all the sources you used. They will be listed in the box on the right Current List.
8. After all your sources are entered, close the page (button on bottom right).
9. Go back to the Citations and Bibliography box and click Bibliography then click Create Bibliography.
