What: Simply put, a bibliography tells readers the sources you used to do your research in an expected, organized way.
Why: A bibliography is important, because it offers readers a reason to trust you. It shows how much research you did.
A bibliography is also important because it gives other authors and creators credit for their work and ideas. It provides a map so that people interested in your topic can retrace your steps and find the information for themselves.
To learn more about giving people credit for their work, watch the "Understanding Copyright, Public Domain, and Fair Use" video below.
There are many ways or styles that can be used to create a bibliography. At LMS we use the MLA Style. Below is a a basic guide to some of the most common sources you might encounter.
For each of these examples you should include as much of the information below as you possibly can, but sometimes a source won't list an author, or a date, etc. If that happens, it's okay! List everything else that you're able to.
To print this guide, click on the link to the right.
The basic idea at the core of copyright is that if you work hard to create something, you deserve credit for it. Watch the short video below to learn more about copyright, public domain, and fair use. Test this.
If you are trying to figure out how to list a source that isn't on the guide, try the link below!
When in doubt, ask Ms. Hinrichs or a teacher!
