The Libraries has a comprehensive guide devoted to helping you with all parts of your research projects. From deciding on a topic to citing your sources, it very helpful, especially if you haven't done academic research before now.
The UGA Writing Center is available to you to help with the writing process. Bring in your draft to them, and they will give you helpful suggestions to make it better!
During the move to online classes due to COVID-19, the Writing Center is offering Written Feedback for you papers in lieu of an appointment. You can begin signing up to receive writing support via email using our "Written Feedback" schedule at uga.mywconline.com.
More info can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L-zsi1Ye7Uua3J54uh6qx3cPuZPt8LjE/view?usp=sharing
Endnote and Refworks are the two citation managers we provide at UGA. They can be used to input citations into your Word documents and also to format your works cited page for your research papers all at the same time. The best part is they do this automatically for almost any citation style you could need!
Endnote is installed on one computer, and is downloaded directly to your computer. All of your research citations and affiliated filmes would be saved to that computer. If you like to keep all your research (including all pdfs, slideshows, etc) in one place (a laptop for example), then Endnote would be a good option. Because it is a downloaded software, however, it does have a steeper learning curve for first time users.
RefWorks is a web-based service which allows you to access all of your research from any device with access to the internet (mobile devices, computers, etc.). If you like the flexibility of the cloud and the ability to share your research with anyone, then RefWorks would be a good option. As it is a cloud based solution, RefWorks is slightly easier to learn. If you feel Endnote is too complex for you, RefWorks might be a better option.
If you want to learn more about either CMS, please take a look at our Citation Management Guide!
I am available to train you in either, so feel free to email or call me to set up a training session. Both softwares are incredibly powerful, and are indispensible research tools. I highly recommend integrating a citation management software into your research process.
Reading scholarly research can be hard. Here is a "bad" paper broken down by a scientist.
If you just want information on how a certain style is organized, the UGA Libraries keep Citation Style Guide web pages with examples of how to cite the most common types of resources using the most common styles (APA, Chicago, MLA, and more!)
If you would like to temporarily have access to the ebook version of a style guide, RedShelf has access to the MLA Handbook, APA Publication Manual, and the Turabian Manual.
RedShelf Textbooks: The UGA Bookstore has partnered with RedShelf to provide free e-textbooks from participating publishers to students and faculty. After setting up a free account with RedShelf, you can add up to seven of their books to a digital shelf. Access ends May 25, 2020.
If you're using the Chicago Manual of Style (Author-Date) or Footnotes, you can access the entire manual online through GALILEO: http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=mlal-uga1&inst=uga1
If you want a brief overview of Chicago, we have citation style pages which the Libraries' have made for quick questions about a style:
OWL @ Purdue has a great site about how to write an Annotated Bibliography
A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called "References" or "Works Cited" depending on the style format you are using. A bibliography usually just includes the bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.).
An annotation is a summary and/or evaluation. Therefore, an annotated bibliographyincludes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following.
Elements of a good Annotated Bibliography:
1) Bibliography according to the appropriate citation style (MLA, APA, CBE/CSE, etc.).
2) Explanation of main points and/or purpose of the work—basically, its thesis—which shows among other things that you have read and thoroughly understand the source.
3) Verification or critique of the authority or qualifications of the author.
4) Comments on the worth, effectiveness, and usefulness of the work in terms of both the topic being researched and/or your own research project.
Source: UNC Writing Center - Annotated Bibliography
A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area, and sometimes information in a particular subject area within a certain time period.
If you've never written a Literature Review, or would like a refresher, UNC's Writing Center has a great explanation of the process.
For help writing a good thesis statement for your papers, UNC's Writing Center provides a good website which explains how to do this.
When you use numeric datasets or a prepared statistical table you must cite where you retrieved the information. To cite data or statistical tables you should include:
Citing data in APA:
I. Data sets:
Author/Rightsholder, A. A. (Year). Title of publication or data set (Version number if available) [Data File]. Retrieved from (or available from) http://xxxx
The title of the data set should be italicized unless the data set is included as part of a larger work or volume
Example: United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2008).Indiana income limits [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.huduser.org/Datasets/IL/IL08/in_fy2008.pdf
Example of Table generated from an interactive data set (like in Social Explorer):
Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce (2013). U.S. Direct Investment Abroad, All U.S. Parent Companies 2009-2010. [Data file]. Available from BEA.gov/iTable
II. Table from a publication
Author. (Year). Title of entry. In Editor (Edition), Title of publication (pp. xxx-xxx). Retrieved from http:// OR Location: Publisher OR doi:xxxx.
Example:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2005). [Interactive map showing percentage of respondents reporting "no" to, During the past month, did you participate in any physical activities?]. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Retrieved from http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/gisbrfss/default.aspx
The title of the data set should be italicized unless the data set is included as part of a larger work or volume, as in the example above.
Citing tables in Chicago
Chicago doesn't specifically give you instructions on how to cite tables, so here are examples of how to do it based on other items you cite in Chicago.
You would use (Author Date) parenthetical citations like you normally would, make sure they match up with your bibliography.
1) If the info is from a website or database, you'll basically follow the documentation for that type, with the title of the table being the title in the citation. You may put information at the end of the citation about the table.
For example,
World Bank. An Author. "Really important table." Accessed August 25, 2014. URL.
2) If you are pulling a table out of a larger work, like a book or article, you would list the name of the title at the end of the citation.
For example,
Author, An. Title of book/article. Publication information, Year. Table 2.17, "Why everything is awesome."
3) If you get a table which was reproduced in a paper or book or website, and the author is NOT the person who originally compiled the data, you will have to cite both.
For example,
Author, An. Title of document where you found the information. Publication information, year. Table 3.1, citing the source as John Doe. Title of original data or table source. Publication information, year.
