Please find four sources about ancient Mesoamerica.
Any combination of print and/or online sources will do.
- Write your assignment in Microsoft Word or in Google Docs and then convert it to Microsoft Word (.docx).
- Title your work as follows: Initial Reference List, [Your Name].
- Cite each source using the Chicago Manual of Style or CMOS (18th ed.). The manual is available online.
- From the CMOS homepage, click CITATION QUICK GUIDE and then Go to Author-Date Style. You will see a list of sample citations for common media such as books, book chapters, e-books, and journal articles.
- For source types not covered by the Quick Guide, see CMOS 18 Contents, Chapters 13 and 14.
- A citation's first line is left-margin justified. Subsequent lines employ a hanging indent.
- Reference list entries should be single spaced with double spaces between citations.
- If cited properly, I will be able to tell which book, book chapter, journal article, and primary source you are citing.
- If citing the digital analog of a printed book or an online journal article, include a DOI or stable URL.
- CMOS reference list entries are sorted alphabetically by author, and, if the author/artist is unknown, by title.
- Do not break the flow by labeling entries "primary source," "article," etc. The citation itself is sufficient.
- Do not use bullet points or center your citations on the page.
- I recommend RefWorks to easily generate your Initial Reference List. Build it by hand if desired.
Scroll to page 18 of the Author-Date Sample Paper, Purdue Owl, to see a properly cited reference list.
Now describe beneath the four citations and in no more than twenty sentences (about two paragraphs) your research process. I would like to understand your approach to finding and evaluating sources for college-level work. Include in your description the physical steps manifested by your approach. Examples (you don't have to use these):
- "My Google searches produced many results, but I couldn't tell which of those results were most useful/relevant."
- “I thought to use _____ database, which in turn led me to look at _____.”
- "I tried _____ as a search term in Library Search but it did not return the results I expected."
- "I was confused by several of the fields that described the book. For example, what is an ISBN?"
- "I felt the process was easy [or hard] because the relevance ranking of search results worked well [or poorly]."
- "I found some relevant-looking sources but could not tell if they were appropriate to include in my Reference List."
Do not feel obligated to use librarians' jargon (e.g., "abstracting and indexing" database). Try your best to find relevant and high quality sources. What clues are related to relevance and quality? In other words, start thinking about how to evaluate sources. At this stage there is no right or wrong research tool, method, or resource. Simply describe how you would normally proceed when confronted with the task of finding information. You will not be graded on your research skills or knowledge, but I do expect proper CMOS citations and a clear indication of effort expended to find relevant, high-quality sources. While there are no right or wrong responses, please give me more than "I used the search box on the library's homepage to find my sources."
Outcomes: This assignment helps students to reflect on the research process. It is the first stage of the culminating research paper.
Due date: February 13 (upload to Canvas before midnight)