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Chapter 9
How Do I Track My Research?
Research means to give each and every element its final value by grouping it in the unity of an organized whole.
PIERRE T. DECHARDIN
As you start to gather your information, you'll need a systematic way to organize it. What you want is an organized list of sources, a bibliography. You'll use this list to locate sources and, as you write your research paper, to document the information you used. In this chapter, you'll learn how to make a working bibliography.
Making Bibliography Cards
As you find each source on your topic, record the publication and location information. When you first start researching, you may just print this information from electronic sources and indexes. Later, you'll turn it into bibliography cards written in the appropriate format.
To do so, get a pack of 3Χ5 index cards. Use one card per source. These are your bibliography cards. Cards allow you to keep the most promising sources and discard the irrelevant ones at your convenience. Also, cards can easily be arranged

 

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in alphabetical order when the time comes to type a "Works Cited" page for inclusion at the end of your paper.
There are several different bibliographic styles, that is, ways of documenting sources. As you write your bibliography cards, follow the documenting style assigned by your instructor or preferred by the discipline in which you are writing.
• Use the Modern Language Association (MLA) style for research papers in the humanities, including literature, history, the arts, and religion.
• Use the American Psychological Association (APA) style for research papers in the social sciences, such as psychology and sociology.
For sample MLA citations, see Chapter 17.
Traditional Bibliography Cards
What should you include on your bibliography cards? Here are some models.
Books
On the bibliography card, note anything you are going to need to retrieve the book. Relevant information includes:
• Call number.
• Author/editor.
• Title.
• Place of publication.
• Publisher.
• Date.
• Library where you found the book.
This last detail is very important, since it can save you a great deal of time and effort if you are using more than one library.

 

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Example:
13504-0069a.GIF
Periodicals
On the bibliography card, include:
• Author.
• Title of the article.
• Title of the periodical.
• Date of the article.
• Volume number.
• Page numbers.
• Library.
You may also want to note if the article contained pictures or illustrations that you may wish to consult.
Example:
13504-0069b.GIF

 

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Electronic Sources
On your card, note:
• Medium (e.g., CD-ROM, on-line).
• Computer service.
• Date of your search.
• URL (electronic address).
Example:
13504-0070a.GIF
Interviews
On these cards, include:
• Name of the person interviewed.
• Person's area of expertise.
• Person's address and telephone.
• Date of the interview.
Example:
13504-0070b.GIF

 

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Warning!
If a catalog or index does not provide complete bibliographic information, leave blanks to be filled in later when you have the actual source.
Computerized "Bibliography Cards"
Some people prefer to make their "bibliography cards" on a computer. This method has several advantages. First, you can update, alphabetize, and correct your cards as you go along. Second, at the end of the project, you can rework this file to convert it to your Works Cited list of sources.
However, be sure to back up your "cards" on floppy disks. In addition, print out hard copies as you work. This way, you won't lose your material if your hard drive crashes or the file develops a glitch.
Developing a Working Bibliography
When you start your research, your teacher may ask you to prepare a working bibliography listing the sources you plan to use. Your working bibliography differs from your Works Cited page in its scope: Your working bibliography is much larger. Your Works Cited page includes only those sources you actually cite in your paper.
To prepare a working bibliography, arrange your bibliography cards in the order required by your documentation system (MLA, ALA, etc.), and copy the entries on a sheet of paper following the correct form.
Developing an Annotated Bibliography
Some instructors may ask you to create an annotated bibliography as a middle step between your working bibliography and your Works Cited page. An annotated bibliography is the same as a working bibliography except it includes comments about the sources. These notes enable your teacher to assess your progress.

 

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Example:
You might note that some sources are difficult to find, hard to read, or especially useful.
This chapter explained how to make useful bibliography cards so that you can track your research painlessly. In Chapter 10, you'll find out how to evaluate your sources—and why it's crucial that you do so.

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