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References/Bibiliography....

For all the essays I have done so far I have written my reference/bibliography first before the actual essay - does anyone else do this? I personally just find it easier and then at the end I can eliminate the books I haven't used which usually is only 1. Some of my friends at Uni say this is very odd, but I just seem to find it better and I can also take care and making sure that I get the harvard referencing correct.

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I do kind of, making a list of all the references, and then just adding footnotes once I 've written my essay. Its so time consuming though, and its just small tiddly bits! :angry:
Footnotes isn't required in my field at Uni, but I have heard some people in my lecturers say how tedious it is. It would drive me insane personally lol
I've used a similar system in the past; for my dissertation, I'm using a program that stores the bibliography as a database (you create it first or as you go along with your research) and then you can search it and add the footnotes automatically in the right format to the document. It changes them around, does the whole Ibid. and Op. Cit. malarky and automatically changes and updates. It's pretty neat- and, with a bibliography that's approaching 400 items, VERY necessary!
What subjects did/do you all have then to be using footnotes?? My course doesnt require footnotes, just a simple bibliography at the end.
FadeToBlackout
I've used a similar system in the past; for my dissertation, I'm using a program that stores the bibliography as a database (you create it first or as you go along with your research) and then you can search it and add the footnotes automatically in the right format to the document. It changes them around, does the whole Ibid. and Op. Cit. malarky and automatically changes and updates. It's pretty neat- and, with a bibliography that's approaching 400 items, VERY necessary!


May I ask, which programme is this? I'd like to give it a try if possible.
NDGAARONDI
May I ask, which programme is this? I'd like to give it a try if possible.


EndNote- www.endnote.com. You can get a free 30 day trial, but the actual software costs megabucks. Luckily the uni has it on the shared workstations.
Reply 7
Avatar for evil groove
evil groove
At our uni we can get an Endnote student licence for £5.
FadeToBlackout
EndNote- www.endnote.com. You can get a free 30 day trial, but the actual software costs megabucks. Luckily the uni has it on the shared workstations.


Cheers for that. I'm not at university right now so I'll have to copy and paste an 'A' level essay or something. Perfect planning prevents pathetic performances. :p:
NDGAARONDI
Cheers for that. I'm not at university right now so I'll have to copy and paste an 'A' level essay or something. Perfect planning prevents pathetic performances. :p:


The Army saying is the Seven P's- Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. :wink:
I know some truly odd people who do the opposit- write their essays, but don't put in their references, or write down where they found stuff, and then go back at the end and put it all in- apparently it helps them proofread.I would forget what was from where if I didn't do it then and there!!!
Endnote is a lifesaver. My references last year would have buried me without it.
Reply 12
Avatar for Elements
Elements
13
FadeToBlackout
I've used a similar system in the past; for my dissertation, I'm using a program that stores the bibliography as a database (you create it first or as you go along with your research) and then you can search it and add the footnotes automatically in the right format to the document. It changes them around, does the whole Ibid. and Op. Cit. malarky and automatically changes and updates. It's pretty neat- and, with a bibliography that's approaching 400 items, VERY necessary!

400 items in the bibliography!?! :eek3: And for something that's not your dissertation?^o) How long do you have to write that? 400 items in a bibliography = something new to aspire to!:king1: Thanks for raising the benchmark!:yy: :p: Do you think that my lecturers will love me if I do that? :biggrin: Do they love you for being so voracious in your reading to that extent?:smile:
Endnote is legendary. That is all.

MB
Reply 14
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Fields
13
I use a similar system to the OP, ie. do lots of reading, type up big reference list, write essay, then go through the reference list and delete anything that I didn't get around to citing in the essay.
Elements
400 items in the bibliography!?! :eek3: And for something that's not your dissertation?^o) How long do you have to write that? 400 items in a bibliography = something new to aspire to!:king1: Thanks for raising the benchmark!:yy: :p: Do you think that my lecturers will love me if I do that? :biggrin: Do they love you for being so voracious in your reading to that extent?:smile:


Sorry, that was for my dissertation. :redface: The previous, pre-dissertation most amount was 250! It's not so much a case of love,anyway, it's just that my topic has involved looking at a lot of contemporary magazines and newspapers, all of which need to be cited.
Reply 16
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Catsmeat
13
DancinBallerina
For all the essays I have done so far I have written my reference/bibliography first before the actual essay - does anyone else do this? I personally just find it easier and then at the end I can eliminate the books I haven't used which usually is only 1. Some of my friends at Uni say this is very odd, but I just seem to find it better and I can also take care and making sure that I get the harvard referencing correct.


It's certainly more sensible than getting to the end of the essay and having returned a series of books to the library without taking their exact details down. In those situations I always use 'Google Books' (an indispensible piece of software).
Reply 17
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Cirsium
19
Yep I've always been recommended to use endnote actually. Never quite got around to getting the license though so I tend to do it by hand, and it only just occurred to me how long I waste doing that. For tute essays I tend to get a reading list though so it's just adding in the odd paper or two. I tend to just put in shortened references (e.g. K+G instead of Kuzoff and Gasser et al, 1999) and then go back and edit after.
Reply 18
Avatar for Elements
Elements
13
FadeToBlackout
Sorry, that was for my dissertation. :redface: The previous, pre-dissertation most amount was 250! It's not so much a case of love,anyway, it's just that my topic has involved looking at a lot of contemporary magazines and newspapers, all of which need to be cited.

What was the biggest number of referenced sources that you ever accounted for for a first year essay or piece of work?:smile:
Why do some people add their footnotes in at the end? Is that not completely pointless? How do you know what footnotes go where if you do it at the end? What's so difficult about doing it as you go along?

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