Sara A Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hi there,So I'm doing an english extended essay comparing a rap artist's lyrics to a contemporary poet's poems and just comparing and contrasting. But I'm wondering a little with citations on how exactly I should go about some tricky aspects.I'd like to note that I am using the MLA format for my bibliography and citations.First of all, When putting citations, obviously for scholarly articles I put the author's last name and then the page number like this (Smith, 9) But I'm wondering if the comma should be there or not. I know it's a knitpicky thing, but I would hate to lose points on such a small aspect.Another question more important question,I have several poems, or songs, by one artist/poet. So when I quote a song for example, would i still put the singer's last name and then a line number like (Last name, line#)? Because if I have several songs, then how can one tell which song I'm quoting.. So would I put the song name and THEN a line number like (Songname, line#)? Or should I combine the two? So if anyone has any advice on this, I'd really appreciate it. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 On your first point, I doubt it matters much as it's very clear what you're on about - although all the ones I've usually seen would have the p for page in, so like (Smith p9). As for the second point (which is still about citations, right, not your bibliography?), why not just change all your citations to be "Last name, Song name, Line Number", even for ones where you use only a single song/poem? It'd make it look a whole lot neater to have it done the same way throughout and save you the problems. Although the EE people are extremely keen on proper academic formatting, page numbers and line numbers are ultimately extra touches for English because it's such a close-textual-analysis sort of subject. If there's no major formal convention for how you're meant to do something (and I dunno if there is for citing songs!), anything obvious which makes sense and is followed through in a formal fashion (so every citation in the same format) ought to look fine.For instance in mine I didn't cite anything at all and just went "according to [Last name] (2002)" and then included whatever text it was from the bibliography. Although there are a lot of conventions within how to write this sort of essay, I really wouldn't fret about making it absolutely perfect because you'll always find something for which conventions aren't quite formalised. Provided you use whatever you finally do consistently and without missing out any important detail, it'll all be cool 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara A Posted July 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Oh thanks so much, that's really great advice! I'll definately use the whole "Last name, Song name, Line number" format. It seems that's the best way to go, at least until I consult my supervisor Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetnsimple786 Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hey. Just wanted to stick my two cents in. Last year, my English teacher made a big deal about showing us how do do parenthetical documentation. He said the correct format is (Author's Last Name Page Number). For example, (Chavez 13-17). This is how everyone is supposed to do it for him, but I agree with Sandwich and don't think you'll get points off if you follow what she says. As for the song thing, when you do your bibliography, take the first word [author's last name] and then take the next original word [which might just be the song name!] and then cite the line number. I have no clue how you'd do your bib for songs, but if it was likeChavez, Marisol. "Sun fo' Yo' Money." LDN Records. 2002. Chavez, Marison. "Veracityyy." LDN Records. 2004.Then do (Chavez Sun 13-17). I think I had a bit too much fun doing this Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yashi Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 (edited) What's the difference between a bibliography and a Works Cited Page?I'm very familiar with MLA citations and I'm pretty sure I've done my bibliography correctly for my EE, but I just wanted to be sure..Usually for online journals the citation would be: Author's last name, first name. Title of journal article in quotes. Title of journal underlined. And then page numbers, rite?- Mahika Edited July 17, 2009 by Yashi Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Well the Bibliography and the Works Cited Page should be more or less the same thing - a list of every external source you used to help write your essay. I only asked which she was doing because I actually meant citations as in the citations you footnote throughout the essay. Many people put citations throughout the essay and then a more full and complete reference at the back in the Bibliography.As for the online journal thing, I believe you're also meant to try and find the date the page was originally published on, and then you also have to list the time and date of access in terms of YOU looking at the page - as webpages expire/can be altered it's a requisite that you put when you looked at it. At least that's how I was advised to do all my references to websites Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetnsimple786 Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 What I was told is that a bibliography is only when you're just using books [hence the 'biblio'], but a works cited is when you have other media in play. I kinda use it interchangeably though haha Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alix Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Hey Sara well on my WL1 Ms. Lacey told me not to use a comma, to just do it like, (Kafka 22). Good luck with your essay, mine is 10000 words. i know right, craaazy. see you at school Miss youuuu! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmak Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 Although my EE is in psychology and I'm using the APA format... I have the same question about the works cited/bibliography. My psychology course companion states: "Your list of references (bibliography) should begin on a new page, The list should be organized alphabetically by each author's last name. The reference list is a list of every work cited in the essay and only those cited." But when I've looked up EE formatting guides online, they seem to say that the bibliography includes every work that you've read and taken ideas from, but not necessarily cited in the essay. I even have a sample essay from my instructor that has a separate "notes/references" page with the works that were cited, then a more complete bibliography. Any help on this? Thanks!!! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 Technically you should go back through and credit all these influences within the essay. If an idea is from a particular textbook, for instance, you should find the section in your essay where you mention that idea and then see if you can put it in as a citation.That would solve the dilemma entirely, because everything you say would be cited. Really it all ought to be, as it's academically correct to give pretty detailed references. If you didn't end up using an idea from something (i.e. you read it but never really included it in your EE) there's no point in putting it in your bibliography, even if it led you onto a further idea of your own. Only if you used whole ideas or parts of ideas is it worth putting it in your bibliography. That'd be my take on it Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara A Posted August 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 No comma Alix?Well thank you Haha yes, see you at dreaded school!! actually i'll see yo face at orientation!Good luck with cutting down that word count. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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