A citation is a reference to a source of information. A citation typically includes enough identifying information, such as the author, title, and source, for a reader to be able to locate a copy of the item.
Example:
Bolgiano, Chris. Mountain Lion: An Unnatural History of Pumas and People.
Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1995.
The ability to interpret citations or references to various sources of information is a fundamental research skill. In order to be able to locate an item from a bibliography at the end of an article or book or from a database printout, you need to be able to determine what type of source the item is. A partial list of types of sources would include:
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Following are examples of the most common types of sources students find in bibliographies and in databases:
Note: Check the VSC Library Catalog by author or title to determine whether a VSC Library owns this book.
Note: To determine whether Castleton Library owns a magazine, go to Journal Holdings and type in the title of the magazine, not the title of the article.
Note: To determine whether Castleton Library owns a journal, go to Journal Holdings and search for the journal title, not the title of the article.
Note: To find out whether a VSC Library owns a document, search the VSC Library Catalog.
Note: To find out whether a VSC Library owns this item, look for the title of the book in the VSC Library Catalog, not the title of the article.