When you log into Noodle, you’ll be on the “List” page. Click one of your lists and it opens you to the “Bibliography” page. This is where you’ll enter the information about each of the sources you are using for the research project.
From the drop-down list, choose the type of source you’re using and click CREATE CITATION. Remember to read all the green questions AND the answer choices and select the best answer. I think this is the most difficult part for students: taking the time to READ these questions AND the answers !!!
However (I wanted to start with “But,” but I figured English teachers would have a stroke!), if you really understand what makes a magazine a magazine and not a journal …. if you understand that a Web site has many Web “pages” … if you really understand that a book that has no author will most always have an editor … if you understand that when you use bits and pieces throughout a book you need to cite the whole book and not just one chapter … if you understand that the more you understand the smarter you are and the EASIER this whole process will be !!! Now, read this really long post and all the others on Noodle and go forth and be smart.
Web Sites vs. Magazine & Journal Articles
Web sites are most always FREE unlike the journal articles you find in Academic Search Premier. Our state legislature pays for your subscription to EBSCOhost through the MAGNOLIA site, so the journal and magazine articles you locate through these sites are considered subscriptions. Web sites are FREE. Journal and magazine articles are not Web sites !!!
Web Sites
If you’re using a particular page on the Internet, you need to cite that page giving the title of that Web page and the name of the Web site. Look around the page and see if there’s a link to “home” … you need to cite the main Web SITE if your page is part of a bigger site. So, let’s say you have a Web page and it’s part of a bigger Web site. You’ll list the author and title of your Web ‘page” and you’ll also list the name of the Web “site” and list the author or organization responsible for the entire Web “site” … clear as mud? Thought so. If you are using multiple parts of a Web site, then cite the Web “site.” When in college, check your MLA manual!
Unique URLs
A Web site that you find through Google, Yahoo, Ask or other search engine is going to have it’s own Web site address. That’s a unique URL, so check that box for Web sites.
Magazine or Journal? Which is it?
You have to choose between journal and magazine before you click CREATE CITATION. A simple way of deciding is to ask yourself if you can buy it at Wal-Mart. More than likely if you can buy it at Wal-Mart then it’s a magazine. Journals are more professional. They’re usually geared toward one subject area. They’re more “scholarly” and educational-type. Magazines are geared more toward pop culture, sorta.
For Magazine and Journal Articles
Make sure you do read the questions folks, especially the one that asks if publication info (like page numbers & date of publication) is provided. Look at your article and see. More than likely that info IS available. For the question or print or online … if you are using the magazine or journal itself, if you have a copy of the whole magazine/journal in your hands, then you’re answer is PRINT !!! If you’re using EBSCOhost (going through MAGNOLIA) to get your article, then your answer is ONLINE. Your magazine/journal is online which covers one this is only available online but also one that is in PRINT but also available online.
Books
Part or Whole: Before you can cite the book you need to know if you’ll be using bits and pieces throughout the book or if you’re only going to be using one chapter.
Whole book: You need to cite the author and if there’s no author you’ll need to cite the book editor. If you have an author, don’t worry about the editor (for high school purposes-for college purposes consult your MLA manual.)
Part of a book: Ok. If you’re using just a chapter or part of a chapter and there’s no book author but there is a chapter author, cite the editor of the book and the author of the chapter. Include the title of the chapter in your citation. When in Noodle or other citation maker, MAKE SURE you choose to create a citation for using “part of a book” and not an “entire book.” Otherwise, Noodle (or other citation maker) won’t ask you for the chapter/article title and there’ll be nowhere for you to enter the author of that chapter.
Multiple chapters: For high school purposes, when you’re using several chapters from a book, cite the book as the “entire book.” For college, consult your MLA manual!
Publication city: When multiple cities are listed, use the first city for high school purposes.
Publication date: Use the most recent date when multiple dates are listed.
Encyclopedias: Juniors and Seniors are not allowed to use encyclopedias as a source on their research paper. However, if you use a specialized encyclopedia from the reference section, that is an allowed source. For example, several medical reference books are part of an “encyclopedia” set of four or more volumes. When you cite those special encyclopedias, make sure you choose encyclopedia from the drop down list to create your citation. Also, pay attention to the page where you enter information. You most likely WILL have a volume number and sometimes you will have an “edition” listed. Read the title page of your book carefully so that you include all relevant information for that source.