Writing a written work of any kind - a term paper, a graduation paper, an abstract, or just an article - requires the presence of such an element as a list of sources and literature used. As a rule, it is located at the end of creative work and is not only a numbered list of bibliographic descriptions. It contains a kind of key that can give an idea of the author’s qualities such as correctness, ethics in relation to someone else’s creative work, accuracy and consistency.
What is a
Lists of used literature contain detailed information about what the author relied on in his study. Here you can find comprehensive data on sources:
- About the author.
- Place and year of publication.
- What kind of information is contained.
- Name of the publisher.
- Number of pages.
- Journal number or book volume.
All this set of information located in a well-defined order is called a bibliographic description and forms a list of used literature according to GOST. It is he who is that special regulatory document that contains all the rules for registration.
What purpose do bibliographic references serve?
There may be several. Firstly, the list of used sources and literature is an organic component of any scientific work. Without them, the fundamental nature of one or another creative work becomes doubtful. It’s not a secret for anyone that the author takes his knowledge and information about any process, subject or phenomenon from any source, which can be:
- previous studies in a particular field;
- scientific works of other authors;
- study guides and reference books;
- articles published in specialized scientific journals, etc.
This list can be continued.
Secondly, the lists of used literature contain valuable information about whose works and scientific works the author relied in his research. You can get an idea of what opinion he holds in a particular issue.
Thirdly, for those who continue research in the considered or related problems, the lists of used literature give accurate information about a particular source.
Design Features
This is perhaps the most difficult moment associated with this part of the creative work, as it includes a number of subtleties that negligent students, graduates or graduate students lose sight of. There is a lot of information on how to draw up a list of used literature: examples, relevant regulatory documents, and much more. So, what should be remembered when proceeding with the design.
Location of sources
Here you can use the following options:
- in alphabetical order, arranging sources based on data from authors or titles;
- as far as references or citing, it’s a fairly simple way, but only at first glance, since it makes it difficult to find the necessary source, therefore it can be used in small volumes of work;
- in accordance with the type of document, the list is compiled based on the type of publication used (regulations, articles, books, etc.), is divided into parts, within which the sources are arranged alphabetically;
- in chronology, if we are talking about historical research and you need to pay attention to the periodization and date of publication of the source.
As a rule, students use the first two options in their work.
Bibliographic subtleties
The next point that you need to pay attention to when considering the design of the list of used literature is a bibliographic description. It contains a number of components that are arranged in a well-defined order.
- Indication of the name of the author with the initials. There may be an alias here.
- The name of the book, textbook, article or other work is given without quotation marks.
- Additional information describing the name is posted.
- After the punctuation mark, the author’s surname is again given here. The only difference is that the initials are in front of her. If the author is two or three, then similarly placed elements of information about them.
- Information is provided regarding the publication, which includes the place or designation of the city, the name of the publisher and the year of issue.
- Data on the total number of pages or numbers is followed if only part of the book or journal article was used.
In approximately this way a list of used literature is formed according to GOST. However, there are a number of elements that may be included in the description. This is an indication that the information is an electronic resource. It is given, as a rule, in square brackets and follows the name. At the end of the bibliographic description is a URL or access mode.
Literature in a diploma: what you need to know in order to get it right
Here it is necessary to recall that for the study of this level it is assumed that certain sources are available. Their type and content should correspond to the subject of the work.
As you know, the structure of the thesis consists of introduction, several chapters, conclusion, list of used literature. The latter is in a certain way connected with all the listed elements. In the introduction, authors who deal with the stated problems are indicated. If their work was used in the writing, then the text must contain links that lead to bibliographic descriptions and allow the formation of a list of used literature of the thesis. It is located at the very end of the explanatory note, following the conclusions, but before the applications.
Also, the diploma supervisor may require the use of "fresh" sources, the publication date of which was no earlier than five years before writing the diploma.
It should also be remembered that all references should be in the explanatory note, located before the conclusion and list of references. They should not be in these final elements of the thesis, since the first contains the author's own conclusions and suggestions, and the second contains the sources themselves.
Naturally, each discipline or field of science has its own design features. Let us dwell on some of them in more detail.
Legal subtleties
If you want to make a list of used literature by law, you need to pay attention to the following points.
- The order of the location of the sources. It begins with regulatory legal acts and documents. Next are the materials of legal practice. Behind them already in this order is the rest of the literature: books, periodicals, foreign publications and online resources. If some element is missing, for example, practice materials, then the rest of the literature will immediately follow the legal documentation.
- Hierarchy in the placement of legal sources. They are arranged according to legal force starting from the Constitution of the Russian Federation, followed by international legal instruments ratified by Russia. If the text of the work uses an international agreement in which the country does not participate, a link to it is located immediately after the list of decisions of the judicial authorities.
Sometimes a lawyer needs to refer to legal acts that have already lost their legal force. In this case, they also must be present on the list, but should be located at the end of the list of existing legislative framework. The above rules apply to these sources with the only difference being that a corresponding mark is made in brackets.
The following are laws, decrees, acts of government and ministries. Within a group of legal acts, location is based on what kind of document is being used. If these are orders or decrees, then they use the alphabetical order, if regulatory acts, then chronological.
If the text of the work contains references to any of the laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, then such a source is placed after departmental and ministerial acts. The provisions of local governments or other government agencies follow the legislative acts of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
Accounting features
Has its own specifics and such a field of activity as accounting. The list of used literature here is also compiled based on the legal significance of the sources. The first are the laws. They are followed by regulations, instructions, and practice materials. Next come textbooks, books, and periodicals.
What you need to know if management work
Here the rules that were given above apply, based on which a list of used literature is compiled. Management as a special area of activity can affect any industry. If the questions relate to jurisprudence, the rules for the location of regulatory documents are used. When characterizing sanitary standards and labor protection at the enterprise, it should be borne in mind that standards and instructions should be placed after acts of greater legal force. Next, place textbooks, books, periodicals and other publications.
Examples of literature
They will help to finally understand how to put in order the list of used literature.
An example of a study guide or article:
- Sviridov P. R. Features of the formation of legal entities [Text] / P. R. Sviridov. - Moscow: Prince's Court, 2013 .-- 280 p.
- Petrov F.K. Tsar Peter as a reformer / F.K. Petrov // Philosophical Review. - 2013. - No. 9. - S. 33-38.
As you can see from the example, the authorship area is separated by a slash, after which the initials are given, and then the surname. If several authors are mentioned in the book, then the description is given in this way:
- Vetrova Z. K. Financial accounting [Text]: textbook for high schools / Z. K. Vetrova, R. S. Balashova, K. V. Yarkova. - Moscow: Financier, 2011 .-- 355 p.
The bibliographic description begins with the name if the work has four authors whose initials and surnames are given after the slash.
- Business [Text]: a methodological manual for term papers / D.R. Mitrokhin, V. A. Goryunov, Z. I. Sinitsyna, P.D. Kartokhin. - Krasnograd: Publishing House of KraDTU, 2011 .-- 265 p.
How to make the correct list of references, if there are links to online publications? Here you need to know that such sources usually complete the list and always indicate the mode of possible access to them.
- Researched in Ukraine [Electronic resource]: multi-subject. scientific journal / Kievsk. Polytechnic un-t - The electron. journal - Lanky: KPI, 2008.- access mode to the journal: http://zhurnul.kpi.untti.ua
Examples of legal sources
How to draw up a list of used literature, if it includes regulatory documents, acts:
- On the formation of a commission for administrative reform [Text]: Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 22, 2013 521 // Meeting of the legislation. - 2013. - 31. - Art. 3320.
- On the economic situation [Text]: Federal Law of 30 Jan. 1- // Collection of legislation. - 2012 .-- 7, (Feb 2). - S. 1346-1398 (Art.375).
If we are talking about technical documentation, then its design will be as follows:
- Approved building rules and regulations: SNiP 2.02.09 97. Impacts and loads [Text]: regulatory and technical material. - Moscow: [b.i.], 1997. - 34 p.