Research and Citations

Researchers save a great deal of time to START with a reference source that has been professionally edited and written by experts– in either:

• the databases or
• on the library’s non-fiction shelves (reference books not available in our databases.)

Citations are MLA for English and the Humanities, while Science uses APA. Because the guidelines for citations are constantly changing, here are our recommendations:

• Books: Use Google Citations or citations in Destiny.
• Databases: Use the provided citations.
• Websites: Copy and paste the site into Zotero for easy to use citations.

**A note on Wikipedia**

Visiting Wikipedia (which is “open source” and can be edited by anyone) is sort of like “going to the village square” to chat with others about the topic.  Not all of Wikipedia contributors have expertise. Furthermore, sometimes salespeople, tricksters or politicians with an agenda are skewing the information or misinforming at Wikipedia pages. You can “taste” your topic at Wikipedia and consider where it might go… and even explore the links to more authoritative content.

HBW’s library recommends that if you want to use Wikipedia, use it for quick info, definitions, or to get a look at a bibliography.  However, in preparation for college work where Wikipedia is generally not considered an acceptable source, do not CITE Wikipedia in scholarly papers.