Why We Cite
There are plenty of reasons to use proper citations in your research. Here are just a few:
- Give credit where credit is due. (It's the right thing to do.)
- Enhance the credibility of your argument with supporting evidence.
- Point out the dialog you are having with other scholars and their ideas.
- Provide your reader with additional sources for further reading.
- Avoid plagiarism: unfairly taking personal credit for other authors' ideas.
Chicago Manual of Style
Historians typically use the Chicago Manual of Style to format their writing, preferring the notes-bibliography style for citations. (The author-date style of citations is used by some in the social sciences.)
The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition by Call Number: Z253 .U69 2017 Reference (1st floor)ISBN: 9780226287058Publication Date: 2017
- The Writer's Handbook: Chicago Documentation StyleFrom the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Chicago-Style Citation Quick GuideOverview of the Notes-Bibliography style of citations from the Chicago Manual of Style.
Citation Management
When working on larger research projects, especially over an extended period of time, it can be helpful to use a citation management tool. These allow you to store citation information from lots of sources, organize them into folders, add subject tags or research notes to help sort and organize your materials, and even create shared folders for group projects.
I recommend Zotero, a free and open source citation management tool. In addition to helping to keep your research organized, Zotero works with Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs to automatically generate citations and bibliographies in whatever citation style you need.
- ZoteroA free citation management system, use with your browser to track citations and create bibliographies. Requires registration.
- Zotero TutorialsWatch screencast tutorials on how to use Zotero.