Citation Tools

About the Use of Biblio-Makers

Do not trust biblio-makers! These citation robots are only as good as their programming, development, and data inputs. Seldom do they get an APA citation completely correct. This module will assist you in learning to cite sources using APA citation style. It is, however, difficult to avoid biblio-makers as they pop-up along with databases, library guides, proper citation searches, and some instructional materials.

A working bibliography can be created using biblio-makers, and the results can later be corrected using an accurate APA 6th edition handbook or similar resources. The more popular biblio-makers are:

  • Citation Machine
  • EasyBib
  • Cite This For Me
  • Citefast
  • BibMe
  • Bibomatic
  • KnightCite
  • Landmarks Citation Machine
  • OttoBit
  • Researchomatic
  • Zotero

Some students may have a “style sheet” provided to them by an instructor in high school or college. These style sheets are frequently good enough to use for that instructor, but seldom meet the specifications required for APA. Learning to do APA citation properly is a skill that you can use throughout your college career.

APA Resources

Crediting Creative Commons Photographs

When you use CC Licensed works, including images from Flickr and others, it is important to attribute the work correctly where you use it, and then to make a citation for it in your References page.

When it appears in your presentation, include the creator’s name and the license for the work. On the References page use this sample citation:

Author name. (Author role). (date). Title of work [Medium of work], Retrieved date of retrieval from: tiny URL. License.

USE Tiny URL.com (http://tinyurl.com/) to input the URL for any URLs that are over one line of characters. Just visit tinyurl.com and follow the directions to get a shorter URL.

Here is a sample of a CC Licensed work cited correctly including the attribution in the image and the citation for the reference page.

Weller, D. (Photographer). (2011). Baby monkey [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/ngcnjxj. CC-BY-SA-NC.

Intellectual Property Index

Did you know that anything you create is copyrighted? According to the US Copyright Law, any creative work fixed in time and space is protected from use, adaptation, and distribution by an entity or person who doesn’t own it. In this section you will learn a little bit about your intellectual property rights.

This is not intended to be legal advice. Your instructors are not lawyers. This is intended to be an overview of the concept of intellectual property as it affects you.

Readings

Tutorials and Films

Open Licensing

As discussed in the intellectual property section, under Title 17 of the US Code any creative expression that is fixed in time or space is a protected work. This means no one, aside from the person or entity who owns the copyright, can distribute the material without special permission. Some people want others to use their work freely, while still retaining some control over their work.

In this section you will learn about open licensing, or instances where the copyright law is loosened by copyright holders so that works can be shared and adapted. In this section you will also learn how to find images, songs, video, and other openly licensed works for use in your own videos. Don’t forget to cite/attribute the works correctly. Use the section on APA citations to find out how to do that.

Readings

 

Tutorials

Creative Commons: Skip the Intermediaries

Finding Creative Commons Licensed Images

http://youtu.be/iPY9O8hOa2g

Finding Creative Commons Licensed Music

http://youtu.be/Q1vGICHIb1c

Pictures you can legally use: