AHS Subject Guides: History: Long

Introduction to Citations, References, and Note-taking with NoodleTools (updated RFM 3-2022)

Information literacy topics:

-Taking notes

-Organizing source citations

-References

-Using technology tools

 

Objective: To understand and define the concept of a research “citation”, and to use a web citation generator (NoodleTools) to create citations and bibliographic references, and organize notes.

 

1: Find the activities for this class, follow links from Amity Library (Google Search).

 

Part A: Understanding and Creating Citations

 

2. Discussion: “What is a citation? Can you give a DEFINITION?”

3. Presentation: 

Option 1: View the video, “NoodleTools Tutorial Introduction”. 

Option 2: Instead of the video, class discussion using Google presentation.

 

4. Discussion: Look at the citation below: “What kind of source is it?”

 

Mead, Karen. "Reign of Terror." World at War: Understanding Conflict and

     Society. https://worldatwar-abc--clio-com.

 

5. Open NoodleTools.

- Sign into Google Drive or Gmail with your @amityschools.org  

- Find the “waffle” in the upper right, click on the NoodleTools little figure.

.

 

- Under “My Profile” UPDATE your account to the High School, and make sure your first and last names are complete.

6. Create a project to begin citations.

6.a. Click on “New Project”.

6.b. Enter a “Project Title”.

6.c. Choose “Chicago/Turabian” style (lNoodleTools is 17th edition).

“Advanced” citation level for full functionality. 

6.d. Click “Submit.”

6.e. Click “Sources” to cite your research sources

 

7. Create a citation for a database article.

7.a. Go to article “Reign of Terror” from the ABC-Clio database World at War. 

7.b. In NoodleTools “Sources”, click on “New Source”.

7.c. Answer the question “Where is it?”. (“Database”.)

7.d. Answer the question “WHAT is it?”. (“Original Content in Database” because the citation shows it was written for this database.)

7.e. Start filling in as much information as you can, copying from the article, and adjusting the text as needed. Notice the pop-up hints.

7.f. Click “Submit”.

- Did you notice what information WASN’T available?

- Did you use the HOME page URL since the article URL was so long and complicated?

 

Mead, Karen. "Reign of Terror." World at War: Understanding Conflict and

     Society. https://worldatwar-abc--clio-com.

 

8. Create a citation for a database article. 

8.a. Go to this article titled: “The Fall of Robespierre”, from the EBSCO publishing company’s database History Resource Center.

8.b. Back in NoodleTools, click on “New Source”.

8.c. Answer the question “Where is it?”. Once again choose “Database”.

8.d. Answer the question “WHAT is it?”. Choose “Magazine” because this is an article in a magazine called “History Today”. 

8.e. Start filling in as much information as you can, copying from the article:

-DOI (Direct Object Identifier): there is none listed

-URL: find the "permalink" on the right, because it does not change. But better to just use the simplified “domain.”

-Name of database: find it

-Database accession number: find it

-Author: find it

-Article title: find it

-Pages: find it

-Name of magazine: find it

-Volume: find it

-Issue: find it

-Publication date: find it

8.f. Click “Submit”.

8.g. Compare your finished citation to the citation below. 

 

Jones, Colin. "The Fall of Robespierre." History Today, August 2015, 39-44.

     https://web.s.ebscohost.com. 

 

9. Create a citation from a web source.

9.a. Go to this article entitled “Women and the Revolution”, from the website: 

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution, a joint project of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (George Mason University) and American Social History Project (City University of New York) 

9.b. Back in NoodleTools, click on “New Source”.

9.c. Answer the question “Where is it?”. Once again choose “Website”.

9.d. Answer the question “WHAT is it?”. Choose “Web page” because this online article is really a page in the larger web site. 

9.e. Start filling in as much information as you can, copying from the article:

-URL: find it

-Date of publication: find it; if none, leave it blank.

-Most recent date of access: today

-Contributors: if none with article, look for site authors, editors, web page producers (bottom of main page, or “About”)

-Web Page or document/article title: Find the article title

-Name of the website: It is the title of the whole web site.

-Publisher of the site: Find it (bottom of main page, or “About”). This is tricky, and open to interpretation.

9.f. Click “Submit”.

9.g. Compare your finished citation to the citation below. 

 

Robertson, Stephen, ed. "Women and the Revolution." Liberty, Equality,

     Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution. Accessed March 28, 2022.

     https://revolution.chnm.org/exhibits/show/liberty--equality--fraternity/

     women-and-the-revolution.  

 

Citing your sources within your paper

 

ChicagoStyle (updated 10-2018)

As of the 2016-17 Amity's History Department has decided to use Chicago Notes and Bibliography Style (footnotes) as its citation style.

 

Citing Chicago Style - Amity Librarians’ Quick Guide

Resource developed by Amity librarians with the most commonly used sources and how to accurately cite them.  Includes bibliography format as well as how to cite in footnotes.  

 

Citing Chicago Style - Purdue OWL

Very practical and reliable guide published by renowned Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL). Chicago includes two basic documentation systems: notes-bibliography style (or simply bibliography style) and author-date style (sometimes called reference list style). Here are the basic differences:

 

-Notes-bibliography style (required style for History at Amity): 

The basics of the note-bibliography style are as follows: Whenever you need to cite a source, a superscript number is placed in the text at the end of the sentence or part of the sentence that contains the paraphrase or quote taken from your source. 

The same number corresponding to that reference is placed, normal-sized, in the footnote area at the bottom of the page or the end of the section (your teacher’s choice). 

 

The first time a source is used in a document the entire bibliography form is used in the footnote, but the footnote format is slightly different.  The second time the citation is used in the footnote it is shortened even more (see rules).  When the same source is used twice or more in a row, you write “ibid” (which means “the same”), and change page number if needed. 

 

A full bibliography at the end of the paper includes all complete source citations sources with their complete citation forms, in alphabetic order.

Part B: Creating and Organizing Notes in NoodleTools

 

(Prefer to watch a VIDEO explanation??)

 

1. Create a new note in NoodleTools.

1.a. Inside your project, choose “Notecards” in the left menu.

1.b. Create a new note.

1.c. Write a “Notecard Title” that represents the basic TOPIC of your note.

1.d. Choose one of your source citations from the dropdown menu.

1.e. Now, fill in any or all:

- Direct quotation (copy/paste)

- Paraphrase of an idea (your own words)

- Take the time to create a well-written note NOW, that could get slotted right in your paper.

-  A “Tag,” which should represent the specific topic the note. Be specific, because you will use tags to group notes together. Tags with more than one word should be in quotes.

1.f. Click “Save and Close”.

1.g. Create a second note in the same way for the same article, or another article. You need two notes for the next step. (If the new note hides the other on the desktop; just drag it off.)

 

2. Group notes together by common topics/themes.

2.a. Drag one note on top of the other, and release it to create a “Pile” (terrible name).

2.b. Name your “Pile” . A “Pile” name can be a category/theme/topic that both notes address. We are pretending that the two notes deal with the same specific topic.

2.c. Click OK.

2.d. Create two more new notes, and make a new “Pile”.

 

3. Convert notes to outlines.

3.a. Check the “Outline” icon to open the outline pane.

3.b. Click the “Add+” button to create a few headings.

You can change the name of topics by double-clicking, and rearrange the hierarchy by dragging and dropping.

3.b. Now DRAG one of your piles, or loose notes, right on top of any outline heading on the right until the heading is highlighted, and DROP it there.  It will now appear as a note in that heading of the outline. You can rearrange the notes in the outline by dragging and dropping.

 

4. Export or print notes.

4.a. On the Notecard desktop, click “Share” to export your saved notes.

4.b. Notice the export options.  Choose one, and practice downloading exported notes. 

 

Class Notes

What is a citation?

A citation is all the information you need to tell where an idea or quotation came from, and to be able to find that source again.

 

Student Instructions

Mr. Long (updated on 3-2022)

World History

How to Approach a Print Resource and Using Databases for Research

Information literacy topics:

• Determining best sources
• Taking notes 

Objective: To practice how to approach a print resource, evaluating nonfiction print and database sources for relevance.

 

1. How to approach a print resource:

- Finding aids:

• The cover: focus on title, design, author, all clues to the value of the content.
• The preface/foreword/introduction: will often give a summary of the book’s treatment of the topic, and often includes a full overview.
• The table of contents: the headings may be descriptive, or may be more metaphorical, and not of much help.
• The index: the index will list all the most pertinent topics in alphabetical order, the number of times that they appear.  They may be extremely complete, or less so. 

- Hints on doing good research with books

• Read a good overview on the topic (a complete book, chapter in a textbook or a specialized encyclopedia).
• Look at more than one book.
• As soon as you take notes on one fact, you are responsible for citing the book using Noodletools. 

2. Choosing the best database and searching

 

ABC-Clio World at War

 

ABC-Clio World at War presents comprehensive information and unique insights into the military conflicts that have defined our world from antiquity to today.

 

Other recommended databases:  

History Reference Center

 

History Reference Center features full text for more than 1,990 reference books, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, and academic journals. This content includes historical documents, biographies of historical figures,  full-text reference books, encyclopedias, history books, historical photos and maps, and historical video.

……………………………………..

4. Practice Searching  

ABC Clio:  World at War

"Time Periods" are the MAIN MENU

-"Time Periods" appear as horizontal scrolling pictures of themed time periods, like "Ancient Greece 2000-3000 BC”, “The World at War 1919-1945”, etc. 

-"Topic Centers" under each "Time Period” are the SUB-MENUS.

-Each "Topic Center" includes the following sections:

-"Explore" (textbook-like divisions of events and information, often in chronological order). This is a place for basic information.

-"Analyze" (critical-thinking issues with potentially opposing points of view)

-"Topic Center Library" (supporting information and primary and secondary-source material).

- “Library” is a link of all related content within ABC-Clio.

Search “Hideki Tojo”--What did you find?

 

Languages: All encyclopedic content written by ABC-Clio gives you the option of translating the text, or listening to it read by a robo-voice (languages currently includes Korean, Arabic, and Chinese). Translation options are not available for other third-party articles or primary-source documents included in the database.

 

Advanced Search:  Not always reliable, but the limiters seem to work much of the time. 

 

5. Academic Database: (paid subscription $$$):  

Example:

EBSCO: History Reference Center

• Often used at college level.
• May include e-books, encyclopedias, periodicals (journals, magazines, etc.).
• Offer multiple ways to browse or search, but are less concerned with being attractive than school product databases. 
• Information is usually NOT organized in topics; you have to search.
• Gives more searching options, less “teaching” help.
• Really useful if you don’t want to limit your search to specialized databases, or you don’t know which databases you need.

5.a. Discussion:  Academic Database: 

EBSCO’s History Reference Center

Main points:

Take note of your surroundings:  Look at main menus, search options, etc.. Decide on a starting point for search.

Search box:

• Always give yourself more “Search Options”: Boolean? All? Any? ???
• Always limit to full-text.
• Notice what appears when you start to type “Hideki Tojo”. How many results do you get?
  • Notice the number of hits for each Source 
  • Notice other “limiters” in the left sidebar. Which are useful for our search?
• Use Advanced search for more power
• Start simple. You can always add more words to narrow down.
• Consider what you are searching for: Subject? Word in text?
• Use checkbox “limiters” to LIMIT your search by:
• Full-text.
• and whatever else is offered
• Too many results and not really relevant? Add more words to narrow down.
• Too few results? Broaden your search with fewer words.
• Save good candidates to look at later.
• Use more advanced techniques:
• Try with synonyms or related words. 
• Use commands (“operators”) to narrow down: AND (to get both terms), OR (for one OR the other), NOT (to filter out the word), apostrophes around several words to get the exact phrase

When you identify a good source/article:

• Follow up on SUBJECT headings that appear in relevant articles.
• Save your chosen results to avoid losing stuff (use personal lists, email, Save to Google Drive, notes/citation tools, etc.). Add a username and password to save searches and results.
• Allow pop-ups for Google Drive to work correctly.

Long

World History (updated 9-2018)

Introduction to Research Resources

Information literacy topics:

-Determining best sources

-Searching strategies for information

-Taking notes

-Using technology tools

 

Objective: To learn to access appropriate online research sources, to practice effective searching strategies, and to practice summarizing information from text.

 

1. View instructions at:

Amity website→High School→AHS Library Information Center

Find Online Stuff→By Subject→History→Class Projects→Long→World History French Revolution: Introduction to Research Resources

 

2. Discussion: quick tour of sources for today’s practice (notes are included at end of instructions for reference):

 

Types of online databases discussed today

-School product database

ABC Clio World History: The Modern Era

-Scholarly databases

ESBCO:  History Reference Center

-Free web site

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution at the Roy Rosenzweig Center

 

3. Presentation of School Product Database Site:

ABC Clio: The Modern Era  (notes at end of document)

 

4. Search ABC-Clio The Modern Era  and find a relevant article that addresses your topic.

-Use tools to search for topic, play around for a few minutes.

 

5. Discussion:  Presentation of a Scholarly database:

ESBCO:  History Reference Center

 

6. Discussion:  Presentation of an open web source:

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution at the Roy Rosenzweig Center

 

Additional Tips:

-Get a library card so you can use iConn at home.

-Practice searching from our web page:

-History Reference Center

-ResearchIT CT.org (formerly known as iConn) Resources for High Schools/ (all the databases for journals)

-You are MORE likely to find something useful for school FASTER from a paid database than from a web search.

-Everything that ISN’T useful has NOT been included.

-Everything you find in a full-text search is really available, as opposed to just being a summary (abstract).

-You can avoid “pseudo-authoritative” sources written by people who confuse opinion with science, and beliefs with objective facts.

For more detailed NOTES on these databases, with tips how to search them, look at the full lesson plan below.