Identify the style of bibliography required for a research paper, such as APA or MLA, and gather all sources used. Update the bibliography with any revisions and consider an annotated bibliography if requested.
Before starting to write a research paper bibliography, it is important to find out what style the bibliography should follow. There are several styles of research papers, but the most common are those established by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA). These requirements should be clarified by the professor who assigned the article or by the editors of the publication for which the article is being written. In some cases, other style formats will be required. Other styles may include those that were established in the Chicago Manual of Style or the Bluebook: a uniform citation system, which is the text used to define what is commonly referred to as “Harvard style”.
Once the proper style for a research paper bibliography has been identified, the next step is to gather all the sources that were used to inform the content of the work. This can include a variety of sources, including print such as books and magazines, audio and video recordings, newspaper reports or online sources, website content, interviews, photographs and correspondence items. It is important to use the most up-to-date edition of the required style guide, especially if some of the sources that informed the research work were taken from a new type of media. An outdated style guide may not have information on how to cite a music video posted online.
A research paper bibliography is usually written after the work is completed. If the paper undergoes a round of revisions, the research paper’s bibliography should also be revised. During this review, any new fonts should be added. Also, if there are fonts that are no longer applicable to the paper, they should be removed.
In most cases, a research article bibliography is simply a list of all the sources that informed the article’s content. In other cases, professors may request an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography is a type of research paper bibliography where the writer summarizes their research as they connect to each source, and specifically how each source contributes to their thesis. Sometimes this type of research paper bibliography is written before the article is composed as an exercise to help the student organize their thoughts and prepare for the writing process.
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