How to Present a Bibliography | The Information Process

Every time you present an assignment you are expected to complete a Bibliography of all resources used to complete your piece of work. You must acknowledge the works of others to which you referred.

Bibliographies should be listed in alphabetical order by Author's Surname, or by Title if there is no author given
Each entry is listed on a separate line
Punctuation is important - the position of full stops, commas, colons, semi-colons and other punctuation should be noted

View examples of how to write a bibliography

Download a bibliography worksheet to record your bibliographical references

These bibliography sheets are available to you in PDF format. Please click on the Acrobat logo to install the reader or upgrade your system.

Define, Locate, Select, Organise, Present and Evaluate Information

DEFINE the task
Develop an awareness of key issues and aspects of the problem or topic
Brainstorm for keywords. Cluster keywords
Construct a mind map
Identify significant keywords
Consider the presentation instructions, your audience and your timeline
Construct essential focus questions

LOCATE resources
Recognise Library terms such as Fiction, Non-Fiction, Reference Call number, etc
Understand the Dewey Decimal System
Be comfortable with the use of the Vertical File, reference materials (e.g. Encyclopedia, Year books and Atlases), and Journal Indexes

Use the Automated Catalogue FIRST. The school library resources have been selected to match assignments
Save and print personal bibliographies from the Automated Catalogue
Use a Subject search to see a breakdown of the topic, and then a keyword search when using the Catalogue.
Consider other likely sources of information, such as Public and Government agencies, organisations, journals, vertical files and newspapers
Search appropriate CD ROMS using relevant keywords

Search the Internet by:-
Understanding the purpose and use of Web Browsers, Homepages, URLs, Favourites, Bookmarks, Search Engines, Directories, Menu Bars, etc
Selecting the best Search Engine for your needs
Using relevant, meaningful keywords
Using Boolean Operators "AND"(+) "NOT" (-) and "OR"
If necessary, using limiters such as "date", "domains", and "geographical area"
Using exact phrases such as "united nations"
Using an asterisk "*" for truncations, e.g. comput* to include both computers and computing.
Understanding and putting into practice the College Internet Acceptable Use Agreement

SELECT
Inspect all available resources and select appropriate material to answer your focus questions
Establish authority; Who wrote it? Why?
Is the source reliable?
Is it relevant?
Evaluate information located on the Internet for Relevance, Accuracy, Authenticity

ORGANISE
Sort, sift and extract information
Record notes with attention to essential questions. – use Headings and Sub-headings
Combine information from multiple resources
Organise your notes to match your focus questions
Record bibliographic details

PRESENT
Plan your assignment in outline form
Complete a draft copy from your notes and then edit your draft
Compile a Bibliography
Complete a final presentation copy

EVALUATE
Make sure you answered the question!
Judge the product in terms of content and presentation. How effective is it?
Judge the process. How well did you follow the INFORMATION PROCESS?
What problems did I have?
How would I improve it?