HIT: works cited / works consulted -- MLA

[cfiner cfiner <cfiner@MAIL.NEWFOUND.K12.NH.US>]

Hello, LM-NET!

Last week I asked if anyone knew if the MLA
citation format explicitly states that a Works
Consulted list can replace the Works Cited list. I
had several people suggest that both can be
assigned. True, but frankly we're having enough
trouble getting the students to do one well that
doing two is not a good option at this time.

I used Gibaldi's _MLA style manual, 2nd ed._
initially, but Lena (thank you, Lena) referred me
to Gibaldi's _MLA handbook for writers of
research papers, 5th ed._, item 4.3, which
refers to 'other kinds of source lists' and
compares and contrasts them. This section
was actually very similar to section 6.3 in the
style manual.

While I have still not found a definitive statement
that a Works Consulted list may replace, not
merely supplement, a Works Cited list, this
section of the MLA manual did not explicitly state
a requirement for one list over another. The
section is entitled '4.3: The list of works cited
and other source lists'  and discusses this list
and 'other kinds of source lists.'

We have decided that assigning a Works
Consulted list is within MLA parameters. We
prefer to see a list of all works consulted
because some teachers are stricter than others
when it comes to requiring parenthetical
references. To my way of thinking, if a student
has few or no parenthetical references I still
want to see a list of the sources consulted. This
gives me an opportunity to examine their
sources -- all of them.

I urge my teachers to require a variety of
sources -- web-based, books, periodicals, and
so forth -- and a Works Consulted list seems to
be the most efficient way of evaluating that
component of the assignment.

One clear exception to the MLA format that we
sometimes require is a website evaluation form
that is to be completed and turned in for each
website consulted and used. This is not at odds
with MLA because the evaluation is not part of
the research paper but is simply attached to it,
as are note cards, outlines, first drafts, and so
on, depending on who makes the assignment.

I welcome further comments and observations
from any LM-NETter who wishes to make them,
and thank all who read, thought about, or
responded to my question!


--
Chris Finer, Librarian
Newfound High School
Bristol, NH, USA

<cfiner@newfound.k12.nh.us>

"Books won't stay banned. They won't burn.
Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history,
the censor and the inquisitor have always lost."
                        -- NY Times 2/24/59


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