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You can ask a librarian questions in a number of different ways. Don't ever be afraid to ask a question; that is what we are here for. You can:
- Stop at the Reference Desk on the 3rd floor (main floor) of the library.
- Call the Reference Desk at 401-456-8125 during the hours the Library is open.
- Ask us any question about the library, its resources, services and activities. We will respond via email or text.
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RIC Writing Center Research Assistance
The Writing Center, located in Craig Lee Hall, helps students to learn about the writing process as they work through the writing assigned in their classes. Because students are usually more comfortable working with other students, the staff is comprised of peer tutors, who are extensively trained. The Center also provides tutorial services to staff and faculty and supports writing initiatives throughout the academic community. The director of the Writing Center also maintains a writing resource library for faculty, staff, and students and is available as a resource to anyone at Rhode Island College.
The Student Resources page gives extensive guidance in using several citing sources, MLA, APA and Chicago Manual of Style.
Library Hours
Fall and Spring Semesters
Library Hours
Mon to Thu 8 am - 10pm
Fri 8 am - 5 pm
Sat 11 am - 5 pm
Sun 1 pm - 9 pm
Click on calendar for updates to when the Library is open or closed.
Introduction
Why cite sources?
As an academic writer, you must document fully any borrowed ideas and words. The academic citation--author, page number, and bibliographic entry--establishes two things beyond your reliability and credibility:
- A clear trail for other researchers to follow if they also want to consult the source
- Information for other researchers who might need to replicate (reproduce) the project
When you provide an academic citation, you've made it clear who you've read, how you used it in your paper, and where others can find it.
Lester, James D. and James Lester, Jr. Writing Research Papers. New York : Pearson Education, 2005, p. 92 (REF LB 2369 .L4 2005)
Components of a Citation
Elements necessary in any citation:
|
|
Books |
Periodical articles |
Web sites |
|
Author |
All authors named; editor(s) usually considered author |
All authors named |
All authors named, personal or corporate |
|
Title |
Complete title and complete subtitle |
Complete title of article (e.g. "Life and Times of George Copway") |
Title of web site/page |
|
Publication information |
City, publisher, year of publication |
Title (e.g. Journal of American History), volume, issue number (when available) and date of periodical; page numbers of article |
URL, date retrieved or used |
Source: List, Carla. An Introduction to Information Research. Dubuque, Ia.: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 1998, p. 129.
The style for citing sources for a research paper differ according to field of study. For example, a research paper in English requires using the MLA format; a paper in Psychology requires the APA format. The following pages of this guide explain the different formats used for writing a research paper.
Missing Details?
Are you missing details for a citation (e.g. author's name or the page numbers or the year)? Type all the details into Google. Look for someone else's citation to the same item.
Or ask a reference librarian to help you find the complete citation in another resource, such as a database.
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