Documenting sources is a necessary but annoying component of writing a good research paper. Students struggling with citation format may find the following sites helpful:
The OWL (online writing lab) at Purdue University lays out the rules for formatting and sourcing research papers. While most high school students will probably be following MLA conventions, the OWL also explains other common citation formats, including Chicago and ALA. The OWL's section on electronic resources is particularly informative.
For an even more comprehensive overview of paper formats and citation styles, visit Diana Hacker's Research and Documentation Online. Not only does the site provide clear, carefully explicated examples of properly formatted sources, it also includes a helpful guide for evaluating various sources -- a must-read for students planning on using internet resources!
To get a general sense of what citations in different formats should look like, students can consult Son of Citation Machine, a tool that guides users through the formatting process by prompting for such information as title, author, date, publication location, etc. Be careful, though: the Citation Machine works well for simple materials such as articles and books, but it's not so great with electronic resources.
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