Question: What does Works Cited mean? Answer: Works Citedis the part of your paper or project where you tell where you got your information. There’s usually a separate Works Cited page.
Question: Why do I have do tell where I got my information? Answer: If you don’t tell, it’s called plagiarism, which basically means stealing!
Question: Who has to do Works Cited? Answer: Everyone in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, college and even adults!
Question: What do the words Works Citedmean? Answer: Worksare another word for sources. They are the people and places (like books, websites or newspapers) where you got your information. Citemeans to tell about theworksyou used. When you citea work, you make a citation.
Question: Say what? I’m confused! Answer: Works Cited is a collection or list of citations. Each citation tells the name of a source, and other information about that source.
Question: Can’t I just make a list of names of the books or websites I used? Answer:Works Citedhas to be done a certain way, according to rules.
Question: What are those rules? Answer: They depend on your grade. Your teacher will tell you, or you can look at the grade by grade guide on the SSDS library website.
Question: But it’s so hard! Answer: That’s true, but the more you do it, the easier it gets!
Question: I see that by middle school you’re expected to make Works Cited page as good as a high schooler or college kid would make! Answer: You are expected to try to do a good job. Your teachers will not expect your Works Cited to be as good as a high schooler or college kid would make!
Question: Am I allowed to use a website to help me make citations, like Citation Machine or Easy Bib? Answer: Absolutely! But until you are in the fifth grade, use the SSDS Citation Guide instead. That way you will really learn and understand what a citation is.
Question: What’s the difference between References or Bibliography and Works Cited? Answer: They are all the same! But as you get into high school and college, teachers usually call it Works Cited, so we thought it would be easier if we all just call it Works Cited from the start.
Question: One last question… If I look through a website or book, but don’t get information from it that I use for my project, do I have to cite it? Answer: No!