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Making
a List: Creating a Perfect Bibliography
by
Angela Cerrito Copyright ©
2005 angelacerrito[at]yahoo.com
[at]=@
After
conducting fascinating interviews and gathering exciting and
accurate source material, you have composed an amazing article.
You may wonder what to do about sources. How do you impress an
editor with your careful research? How much does an editor need
to know?
Cobblestone
Publishing requires “an extensive bibliography” for queries
to many of their magazines (CALLIOPE, COBBLESTONE, DIG, FACES
and ODYSSEY). Writer Carolyn P. Yoder, who is also Senior Editor
at HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN and Editor of CALKINS CREEK BOOKS,
checks for a bibliography before reading a manuscript. She
states, “It is the most important part of the submissions
package because it speaks to the author’s passion and devotion
to the subject. It shows me if the research is complete.
Complete research means a good story. It’s as simple as
that.” In these cases, a bibliography is a key component to
having your work taken seriously.
Even
if a bibliography isn’t required, it certainly won’t
disqualify your manuscript. Show the editor that you’re
excited about your topic and you’ve done your research.
Don’t just do it; do it right.
Acceptable
Sources
It may seem obvious, but the key to a professional bibliography
is the use of acceptable sources. Tim Loftus is an environmental
chemist; he has published professional articles and writes
regularly for children’s magazines including HIGHLIGHTS FOR
CHILDREN, NATURE FRIEND MAGAZINE and MY FRIEND. He offers this
advice, “The most important aspect in documenting sources is
to make sure the sources are legitimate. Search for publications
written by experts in their field or edited collections from
well-known and respected publications.”
Yoder
agrees. “At HIGHLIGHTS, I still receive non-fiction articles
that list encyclopedias, Internet sources and children’s books
as their only sources.” She writes in her response to authors
that HIGHLIGHTS prefers to see up-to-date and classic sources
–adult and children sources, primary and secondary. She also
suggests working with experts. “An expert can offer more than
answers to specific questions. They can lead you to the best
books on your subject and direct you to other experts.” Below
are her tips on finding experts:
1.
Go to your local historical society
2. Visit a museum. People there are eager to help children’s
writers find sources suitable to their audience
3. Find academic experts at a university
4. Attend lectures about your subject
5. Look at encyclopedia entries and secondary sources for
bibliographies
6. Read doctorate dissertations for detailed bibliographies
Complete
A partial bibliography won’t tell an editor the extent of your
quest to find information. Write down every source you used. Sue
Bradford Edwards is a freelance author and writing instructor.
Her work has appeared in THE CHILDREN’S WRITER’S AND
ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET, Institute of Children’s Literature
publications and children’s magazines including READ, LADYBUG
and YOUNG EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE. She advises against rushing the
research process. “Don't decide ahead of time that if you have
ten items on your bibliography, you've done enough research.
That's too artificial. Research until you’re done. Divide your
bibliography into categories –primary, secondary, web sites,
interviews, and so on. If all you have are secondary sources,
get something under that primary listing! Make a phone call and
do a mini-interview!”
Yoder
also suggests breaking a bibliography into categories and likes
to see annotated bibliographies. “I like to know the
author’s opinions of the selected books and articles. With an
annotated bibliography, the author takes a stance on the facts
and comes up with his or her own vision of the subject. He or
she is no longer a distant observer.”
This
is the place to mention the intricacies of your subject. Don’t
gloss over your hard earned knowledge with a few sentences in a
cover letter. An annotated bibliography is the place to discuss
your sources. If there are conflicting sources, list them here.
You’ve done the research; give your opinion. You are the
creator of the article.
Accurate
Of course, the main purpose of a bibliography is that editors,
and eventually readers, will be able to find your sources, if
they desire. Edwards advises, “Make certain that you have all
the information that you need for someone else to find this
source. Then make sure you have spelled it all correctly. Try to
locate your sources again using your own information, perhaps in
a library catalog. This can help you see if you've misspelled
the author’s name or written down a title wrong.”
Format
At first glance it can seem like a great effort to compile a
bibliography. Yet, writers already have the information needed
to do the job. The end result is only a matter of getting the
words in the right order with the correct punctuation. It’s a
little bit like writing, just not at all subjective. Therefore,
anyone who can create an article is also capable of writing a
bibliography.
The
Basics
Bibliography basics and intricacies can be found in the CHICAGO
MANUAL OF STYLE. A basic bibliography entry follows this simple
format:
Books:
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. Title in Italics.
City: Publisher, year.
Siever,
Ellen. LINUX in a Nutshell, 2nd ed. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly
& Associates, 1999.
This
book has additional information that can be included in the
bibliography. A longer citation would read:
Siever,
Ellen. LINUX in a Nutshell, 2nd ed. with the staff of O’Reilly
& Associates.
Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly & Associates, 1999.
Magazines
/ Journals:
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Article
Title.” Journal Name number (Date):
page number(s).
Rennie,
Doug. “Brussels, Belgium.” Runner’s World. (December
2003): 40-42.
On-line
Magazine:
Fazenbaker, Lynn T. “My Auxiliary Brain” In My Office. Kid
Magazine Writers, February 1, 2005.
http://www.kidmagwriters.com/workday/office.htm
Putting
it all together
Your bibliography is simply an alphabetical list of all sources.
If you choose to divide the bibliography into categories, each
category will have its own heading and an alphabetical listing
of sources. To annotate a bibliography, add notes after the
citation or start a new line after the cited source and begin
your notes.
What
if?
What if the author is an expert in the topic of the article?
What
if the author is the only source and the article is based a past
experience?
What
if a source is so unique that there is no set way to quote it?
What if the author has already written a book on this topic, can
it be cited as a source?
What
if a source is only published in a foreign language and was
translated by a friend of the author?
The
list of “What ifs” can be long. Too often these details
stall or halt a writer’s work. Don’t let a “what if”
keep you from citing a source, creating a bibliography or
submitting a manuscript.
What
if you are an expert in the field you are writing about?
First of all, that’s wonderful. Mention this fact in the cover
letter and gather more sources during your research. I’m a
physical therapist. If I were to write about physical therapy
for children, I need more than my opinion and experiences.
First, I must support my professional knowledge with research in
the field. This includes professional journal articles and
resource books for physical therapists. Next, I can talk with
other physical therapists. Additionally, I could interview an
expert in the field of pediatric physical therapy. Also, I can
interview parents whose children have participated in physical
therapy. Even still, I can interview their children.
Tim
Loftus provided this example when I asked him if he used his
photographs as sources. He said, “I have never cited my own
photos as a source. I’ve treated my photos in the same way as
my writing. I’ll find sources to backup the subject matter in
my photos. I will never send an editor a photo of a squirrel’s
nest, for instance, and call it a squirrel’s nest because I
saw a squirrel run in and out of it a hundred times. I will find
several other sources describing a squirrel’s nest before I
make that claim on my own.”
What
if the author is the only source and the article is based a past
experience?
Memoirs can make great articles. But, memories are not reliable
sources. If you’re writing an article based on your own
experiences, share it with people who were there. Make certain
your facts are accurate. Check dates and important events
against print sources such as newspapers or even personal
letters.
What
if a source is so unique there is not a standardized way to
quote it?
First, carefully check the CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE. Between the
pages of 594 and 754 you’ll find information on how to quote a
variety of sources including:
1.
When the Author is a Monarch or a Saint, page 648
2. When the author is anonymous, page 657
3. Pseudonyms when the author’s real name is known, page 652
4. Privately printed works, page 675
5. Sources where a publication date cannot be found, page 677
6. Electronic books, page 684
7. Interviews with people who wish to remain anonymous, page 706
8. Lectures, papers presented at meetings, page 708
9. Patents, page 709
10. Private wills and documents, page 709
11. Informally published electronic material, page 714
12. Classical Greek Latin references, page 719
13. Musical scores, pages 723 - 724
14. Audiovisual Materials, pages 724-727
15. Laws and Statutes, page 739
If
this still doesn’t pertain to a unique source, the CHICAGO
MANUAL OF STYLE is prepared for that too. Quoting directly from
page 643 of the 15th edition:
Writers
or editor who fail to find solutions here for rare or unique
problems in documentation –and no manual can cover every kind
of citation—are advised to consult the notes and
bibliographies of works in the field they are dealing with. If
no model can be found, an inventive solution is quite acceptable
as long as readers understand what is being cited and how they
might track it down.
So,
cite your source. Invent a solution. Some examples are given at
the end of this article.
What
if the author has already written a book on this topic, can it
be cited as a source?
To this question Carolyn Yoder answers, “Absolutely. It is not
uncommon that an author expands a magazine article into a book,
or writes an article on the same topic as a book he or she has
published. Include your work in the bibliography.”
What
if a source is published in a foreign language? What if it was
translated by a friend of the author?
Foreign language publications are discussed in the CHICAGO
MANUAL OF STYLE, page 660. Cite the source in its original
language and do not alter capitalization. If you are fluent in
the foreign language or if the work was translated, indicate
this in your notes.
In
conclusion and just for fun, I came up with a few
difficult-to-cite sources and cited them below:
A
conversation with my great-aunt when I was a child and I can’t
remember the exact date:
Elaine Lopez, personal conversion with the author, exact date
unknown (?1977 - 1982)
..........................
The unsigned diary of a teenage girl in the US who didn’t list
her town or state:
Personal diary, n.p. [USA], 1992.
..........................
Note on the inside of a matchbook:
Marsalis, Wynton. 1985. Personal collection of the author.
..........................
The set-list from a music concert:
Vinx. Set-list. Atlanta. November 10, 1994. Personal collection
of the author.
Bibliography
Carus
Publishing, “Cobblestone Publishing Writers’ Guidelines.”
Calliope, Cobblestone, Dig, Faces, Odyssey
Edwards, Sue Bradford, e-mail correspondence with the
author, January 2005.
Loftus, Tim, e-mail correspondence with the author, January
2005.
Pope, Alice., ed and Chrysler, Rebecca., ast. ed. 2005 Children’s
Writers & Illustrator’s Market Cincinnati: Writer’s
Digest Books, 2004.
University of Chicago Press. The Chicago Manual of Style,
15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Yoder, Carolyn, telephone conversation with the author, January
2005.
______________________
Angela
Cerrito is a writer and physical therapist. She lives with her
family in Northern Italy. Her work has appeared in Hand in
Hand, the newsletter for No Child Left Out and Saplings
Magazine. She was awarded the Kimberly Colen Memorial Grant
by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in
2005. This article first appeared in Kids Magazine Writers, February
2005.
If you would like to cite this article:
Cerrito, Angela. “Making a List: Creating a Perfect
Bibliography” Kid Magazine Writers, February, 2005
http://www.kidmagwriters.com/tekneek/facts.htm
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