Citation Help in Databases

Kessler, Jane; Ullen, Mary K. Van

doi:10.1300/j295v02n01_03

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…In 2006 when the authors examined the citation help available in databases, the quality of the help was disappointing. The previous study found that 94% of the citation examples examined had errors (Kessler and Van Ullen, 2006). A significant improvement was expected in this follow-up study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…In the first study, seven databases were examined: EBSCO Academic Search Premier, Gale In this present study, the overall error rate (including examples, pre-formatted citations and citations-on-demand) was 3.4 errors per citation versus an error rate of 4.4 errors per citation in the prior study (Kessler and Van Ullen, 2006). However, these results are not directly comparable as some of the databases examined varied between the two studies.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 55%

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Citation Help in Databases: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Ullen

Kessler

2012

Public Services Quarterly

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In 2005 the authors reviewed citation help in databases and found an error rate of 4.4 errors per citation. This article describes a follow-up study which revealed a modest improvement in the error rate to 3.4 errors per citation, still unacceptably high. The most problematic area was retrieval statements. The authors conclude that librarians should include citation features in the evaluation of databases, and should open a dialogue with vendors about the importance of providing accurate, reliable information about citations to students.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 55%

Citation Help in Databases: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Ullen

Kessler

2012

Public Services Quarterly

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“…A prior study examined citations created in EndNote as well as two citation generators, Easy Bib and NoodleBib, and found an error rate of 2.12 errors per citation (Kessler and Van Ullen, 2005). A review of citation help in databases revealed an error rate of 4.4 errors per citation (Kessler and Van Ullen, 2006). A later follow-up found an error rate of 3.4 errors per citation (Van Ullen and Kessler, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 2005 study looked at sources taken from actual student bibliographies and included print and online journal articles, books, and web sites (Kessler and Van Ullen, 2005). The two studies on citation help in databases focused on journal articles (Kessler and Van Ullen, 2006;Van Ullen and Kessler, 2012). Citations for journal articles are appreciably more complex than citations for print books and there are more elements required.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Citation apps for mobile devices

Ullen

Kessler

2016

Reference Services Review

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy and functionality of a selection of basic Android and iOS apps for mobile devices designed to generate bibliographic citations.Design/methodology/approach -A number of inexpensive or free apps were installed on several different tablets and phones. Book citations in MLA and APA format were generated and evaluated for accuracy. Findings-Results show that the majority of the apps tested produced unacceptably inaccurate citations, and many had limited functionality. The best of the apps tested was EasyBib.Research limitations/implications -There are infinite combinations of operating systems, apps, citation styles, material types and devices. Testing for this study was limited to uncomplicated apps likely to appeal to undergraduate students. It did not include more sophisticated apps for managing reference libraries. The study investigated how well several Android and iOS apps installed on mobile devices functioned to generate MLA and APA citations for print books.Practical implications -As the role of mobile technology in education continues to grow, librarians need to remain aware of solutions that can help students manage their research. Librarians have an opportunity to provide feedback to developers by reviewing and rating apps.Originality/value -Undergraduate students face challenges in learning to appropriately acknowledge materials they have consulted in their research and writing. Librarians can play an important role in helping students select the most appropriate tools to make citing sources easier and more accurate.

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“…However, a study of these early attempts to help students cite found that the examples provided had errors 94 per cent of the time, and the examples averaged 4.4 errors each (Kessler and Mary, 2006). At the time, only one vendor was offering pre-formatted citations, and only one other was offering citations on demand.…”

Section: Citation Difficulties Facing Studentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A modern, simplified citation style and student response

Lanning

2016

Reference Services Review

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to see if there is a need for and an interest in a modernized and simplified citation style (SCS). Design/methodology/approach -Students in two sections of English 1010 were given a brief training in SCS and asked to use SCS and MLA citation styles, respectively, in their next two assignments. Students were surveyed afterwards about their preferences. Findings -Students preferred using the presented SCS over MLA by a large margin. This was not a surprise. Citation styles are difficult to master. Research limitations/implications -This is a small qualitative study, and the result are not generalizable to a larger population, but the implications suggest that a larger study is warranted. Practical implications -This paper shows that there is a need for a more modern citation style, one that embraces technology and moves forward from the print bibliographic tradition. Originality/value -There are many articles in the literature about citations, but few address modernizing and simplifying citation styles, and none make a proposal for such a style.

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Citation Help in Databases

Cited by 7 publications

References 3 publications

Citation Help in Databases: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Citation Help in Databases: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Citation apps for mobile devices

A modern, simplified citation style and student response

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