PLSC 3263 Latino Politics

This guide contains recommended databases and tools to aid in the course research

Social Sciences and Honors Librarian

Profile Photo
Adriana Gonzalez
Contact:
Mullins Library Rm. 424
365 N. McIlroy Ave.
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-575-3638
Subjects: Criminal Justice

American Political Science Association Style

Using Sources

How do we use sources?

  • Sources are used to inform your argument, either by providing supporting evidence or by your refutation of the source's argument 
  • There are three main ways to incorporate a source into your work:
    • Quoting 
      • Using the exact wording of the source 
      • Put quotation marks around quotes 40 words or shorter
      • Pur longer quotations in block quotation style 
      • Only use quotes when the exact language of the source matters to your argument 
    • Paraphrasing 
      • Restating the words and content of a short passage or paragraph in your own words 
      • Replacing keywords with synonyms does not count as paraphrasing!
      • Use paraphrasing to discuss the argument or ideas of a source when exact wording isn't important 
      • Be careful to fairly represent the tone, context, and content of the original source
    • Summarizing 
      • Explaining the main ideas of a entire work or longer passage in your own words 
      • Use summaries when the passage you want to discuss is too long to paraphrase, or include extraneous details or discussions that are not relevant to your argument 
      • Be careful to fairly represent the tone, context, and content of the original source 

Citing Sources

Why do we cite?

  • Avoiding plagiarism 
  • Showing readers (and professors) that you have done your research 
  • Providing information that allows readers to find the sources you used 
  • Giving credit to authors and content creators 

How do we cite?

  • Citation style guides provide guidelines on formatting citations
  • Consistent formatting allows for citations to be read and understood easily 
  • In-text citations identify all words or ideas that are not your own 

Citation Tools and Management

Citation Managers are programs that allow you to

  • import citations in bulk from library databases
  • save and organize citations
  • create and export reference lists and bibliographies in a variety of formats 
  • imbed citations into your documents 

The Libraries support three citation management programs:

Gif showing steps to cite a book found in OneSearch

Gif created by Laura Cameron, Education Librarian

To cite a book found in OneSearch, click on the "Cite this" link on the right side of the screen.

Citations are available in a variety of sources.

Double check all citations to ensure accuracy. The Library cannot guarantee that these citations are complete or correct.

Gif that shows the steps necessary to cite an article found in a ProQuest database.

To cite a single article in a ProQuest database, look for the Cite link on the right side of the screen. A popup will appear after clicking the link. Select the citation style you need from the dropdown.

Double check all citations to ensure accuracy. The Library cannot guarantee that these citations are complete or correct.

Gif showing the steps to cite an article found in an Ebsco database.

To cite a single article found in an EBSCO database, look for the Cite link on the right side of the screen. Citations will appear in the center section of the page. Scroll down to select the citation style you need from the dropdown.

Double check all citations to ensure accuracy. The Library cannot guarantee that these citations are complete or correct.