The Bibliography: what it is & how to do it

What is a bibliography?

A bibliography is a listing of sources about a particular subject.  The list provides specific information about each source (author, title, when it was published, by whom, etc.).  A good scholar  includes a bibliography as part of the research project so that the readers may see what kind of evidence the scholar used and how thoroughly the scholar researched the topic.

How do I actually write a bibliography?

There is a set format that is very easy to follow and a few guidelines to keep in mind:

• The bibliography is categorized by source type—in other words, you list your primary sources first, followed by your secondary sources (books first, then articles)
• The sources are arranged alphabetically by the author’s or editor’s last name.  If there is no clear author (as is the case with many primary sources) then you go alphabetically by the title.
• For websites (remember, primary sources only), give the title of the source first (it should be italicized), followed by the name of any additional authors or editors, followed by the date that the website was last updated (if there is no date given, simply write n.d.), followed by the address of the website in brackets (like these < >), followed by the date you last viewed the website in parenthesis. 

Here’s a sample bibliography—this is the format you should follow for the bibliography you will turn in on Wednesday:

Primary Sources

Code of Hammurabi, L.W. King, translator.  n.d. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/hamcode.html> (November 1, 2012)

                                                

The Writings and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell Volume I-II, William Cortez Abbot, ed. 

            New York:  Russell & Russell, 1970.

 

Secondary Sources

Books

Blackmore, David.  Arms and Armour of the English Civil Wars.  London: 
            Royal Armouries, 1990.

Articles

Gentles, Ian. “Why Men Fought in the British Civil Wars, 1639-1652.” 
           History Teacher 26 (1993):  407-418.