MM14-d: Figuring out how to document sources
Composers can cite sources in different ways, for different modes. Student Marisa Williamson provides a separate works cited page for her video essay “To the Children of America,” because that is what the assignment requires. She credits the owners of the music she used, the audio clips she used, and the images and video she used. Her works cited list provides enough information for her audience to find the complete, original files that she edited for her project. If she creates a video essay for another course, she might follow a convention typical of movies and include a credits section at the end of her video.
Another example of how sources are cited differently in different types of compositions is shown on the works cited page of Alyson D’Amato’s Web site. D’Amato was, for much of the content, the expert. That is, she didn’t need to do a lot of research because she knew a great deal about selecting and brewing tea. She was interested in learning more about tea rituals and tea history, so she cited the works she consulted as she worked on her site, and she also created a list of links to Web sites she mentioned on her own site (see Figure 14-1).
Identifying what citation conventions are typical of the delivery mode you plan to use and following those conventions are part of multimodal composing. See the chart at the bottom of this page.
The list of genres in the chart is not exhaustive, but it gives some sense of the ways in which composers of multimodal works can document the use of materials and information they did not create. Depending on the course for which you are composing, you may be asked to consult a particular academic citation style, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago.
Documentation conventions for different genres
GenreDocumentation conventionReason
| essay, article, or scientific report | Typically in a works cited or reference list at the end of the essay |
For an author to show that she or he has done research and thoroughly explored the topic For others to access this original work that the author consulted |
| slide show presentation | At the very end, embedded in a separate slide typically called “sources” or “works cited” |
For an author to show that she or he has done research and thoroughly explored the topic For others to access this original work that the author consulted To give credit and provide information for video clips, music, and other material produced by someone other than the presentation’s composer |
| song lyrics | Usually in the liner notes, where the artist gives formal credit or points toward permission to use copyrighted lyrics | To give credit to the original author of the lyrics or text being set to music |
| music | Usually in the liner notes, where the artist gives formal credit or points toward permission to use copyrighted music | To give credit to the original artist or composer |
| full-length movie | At the very end, embedded within what are typically called the “closing credits” |
To list cast and crew To provide location information and acknowledge the help of a community To include complete names and artists for songs used in the movie For major motion pictures, there are strict standards regarding who gets credited and in what order. |
| short video | At the very end, embedded within what are typically called the “credits” |
For an author to show that she or he has done research and thoroughly explored the topic For others to access this original work that the author consulted To give credit and provide information for video clips, music, and other material produced by someone other than the video’s composer |
| news broadcast |
Usually mentioned by the reporter orally within the story itself Can be a mention of a story from another news source Can be credit given to an ordinary citizen |
For the station or reporter to give credit to the original person who broke the story or provided the information To include more perspectives and viewpoints in a story |