Monday, February 4, 2013

Citation Needed
          The use of citations is key to the success of our blog. Of course it prevents plagiarism and provides evidence of our research--but our goal with this blog goes far above that, seeking to inform and spark interest(s) at the same time. Not only will the research we present be backed up through our use of outside sources and information, but it will also allow ourselves and our readers to become involved in larger-scale conversations, perhaps along with the authors we credit and more. Through our use of citations, readers can go beyond our student blog and conduct their own in-depth research!

          We will cite sources using links, when possible. A link will be embedded in the text that will refer the reader to the outside link. This will keep the flow of our text strong, making it simple to see where we received our information. When we cannot link to the source (as in a book or non-public domain), we will use a superscript coinciding to the sourced information and will have the corresponding citation at the end of our blog post. Here are examples of each:

1. Linked Source
The University of North Carolina will have spring break from March 8th, starting at 5 PM to March 18th when classes resume at 8 AM.

2. Superscript with Citation

We still do not know what causes the 11 year solar cycle¹. 

                   1. J. Javaraiah, J. P. Rozelot, and Luca Bertello, “The Solar Cycle,” Advances in                                                  Astronomy, vol. 2012, Article ID 470631, 2 pages, 2012. doi:10.1155/2012/470631

           In general, this format of citation will be the easiest to follow, and also enable you to enjoy knowledge and information that goes beyond our writings. You can easily access websites relating to our research, and are also capable of finding outside material that is otherwise not available publicly online.