Off The Shelf
Need help writing, citing that research paper?
Deb Diller
Issue date: 10/7/09 Section: News
Both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) released new, extensively revised editions of their popular style manuals this year. Any printed resource that was created before mid-summer 2009 almost certainly has the old APA guidelines, and might have missed the spring release of the new MLA guidelines, as well. All citation resources, print and online, should be used with caution and results and recommendations should be checked against the new guidelines.
If you normally rely on citation generators (RefWorks, Knightcite) or your favorite writing guide (any of the Diana Hacker style guides, for example) to help you create your citations and bibliographies, you'll need to double-check, and probably correct your results.
Online citation generators, both paid and free ones, are working to implement the changes, but the results have been uneven. At press time, RefWorks had not updated for either MLA or APA; Knightcite had updated for MLA, 7th ed., but had not updated for APA.
MATC Libraries online periodical and reference databases are also playing catch-up in updating their "cite this source" features. EbscoHost and Gale have not corrected for either guide; Credo Reference appears to have implemented MLA.
For up-to-date links and citation help, check the MATC Libraries Citation Help Research Guide at http://libguides.matcmadison.edu/citation
Look for print copies of the new style guides in the MATC libraries' reference sections:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.
808.027 G437 2009
Online resources are a big addition to each guide's new edition. The MLA materials are only accessible via an access code-check with the librarian to obtain access to the online resources.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed.
808.02 P976 2010
The online APA materials are not restricted and include tutorials on the basics and what's new in the 6th ed. See: http://www.apastyle.org/
If you normally rely on citation generators (RefWorks, Knightcite) or your favorite writing guide (any of the Diana Hacker style guides, for example) to help you create your citations and bibliographies, you'll need to double-check, and probably correct your results.
Online citation generators, both paid and free ones, are working to implement the changes, but the results have been uneven. At press time, RefWorks had not updated for either MLA or APA; Knightcite had updated for MLA, 7th ed., but had not updated for APA.
MATC Libraries online periodical and reference databases are also playing catch-up in updating their "cite this source" features. EbscoHost and Gale have not corrected for either guide; Credo Reference appears to have implemented MLA.
For up-to-date links and citation help, check the MATC Libraries Citation Help Research Guide at http://libguides.matcmadison.edu/citation
Look for print copies of the new style guides in the MATC libraries' reference sections:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.
808.027 G437 2009
Online resources are a big addition to each guide's new edition. The MLA materials are only accessible via an access code-check with the librarian to obtain access to the online resources.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed.
808.02 P976 2010
The online APA materials are not restricted and include tutorials on the basics and what's new in the 6th ed. See: http://www.apastyle.org/
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Essay writing experts
posted 12/20/09 @ 9:59 AM CST
Thanks for the very useful information.
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