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When it comes to crafting a thesis, one of the most challenging tasks is ensuring accurate citations

and references. Each source utilized must be properly acknowledged to maintain academic integrity
and avoid plagiarism. However, amidst the myriad of sources, the question arises: should a
dictionary be cited in a research paper?

The use of a dictionary in a research paper can be contentious. While dictionaries provide definitions
of terms, they are generally considered common knowledge and may not require citation in certain
contexts. However, if a specialized or technical term is being defined in a particular field or if the
dictionary itself is being analyzed or referenced, citation may be necessary.

Determining whether to cite a dictionary depends on the nature of the paper and the discretion of the
author or institution's guidelines. Some academic disciplines may have specific conventions
regarding the citation of dictionaries, so it's essential to consult with professors or style guides for
clarification.

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Note the use of Title Case and italics for the title and abbreviation. You will start the citation with the
name of the dictionary instead. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law
in 2006. Select the dictionary name and the entry title from the drop-down menu. Close out your
bibliography entry with the direct URL or permalink for the word you want to cite. Introduce the
word by typing the initials “s.v.,” which is Latin for “sub verbo,” meaning “under the word.” Do not
capitalize the word unless it is a proper noun, and enclose the word in quotation marks. It includes
the most comprehensive and up-to- date English language dictionary, covering all aspects of
grammar, vocabulary, and words. In this case, when using printed dictionaries, writers need only to
type the word they seek meaning to and immediately gets an answer. Cite only the pages that you
found the information on. Instead of citing individual entries, cite the entire dictionary instead. For
example: Filibuster. (2018). In I. M. Wordsmith (Ed.), Merriam-Webster's learners dictionary. If there
is no publication date, replace it with n.d. There is no date for this. The name should be italicized and
followed by a comma. Capitalize the word and surround it by quotation marks. In a sentence like
“Heavy rains caused widespread flooding,” it is used as a noun to mean both rain and flooding.
Heres how it works. Additional examples are available in the Publication Manual. In turn, online
dictionaries are only accessed through the URL and have no named publishers. There is a large
number of online dictionaries that do not have an indicated author or a published date. Notably, the
publication year is only applicable in the print dictionary and not the online dictionary. Follow the
format below continuing with the “citation” example. Consequently, while reference entries indicate
all the features described above (authors, word, publication date, name of the dictionary, and the
URL link or DOI number), in-text citations show only the author (organization, institution, or
individual) and the publication year or n.d. Notably, writers should not enclose authors within double
quotation marks. You can find the year of publication by looking on the copyright page of a physical
book. Do not include any punctuation at the end of the URL. In the in-text citation, mark the title of
the entry in quotation marks and use n.d instead of the author or date. Each citation will contain
either the author’s name or title of the dictionary, the year of publication, and a page number if there
is one. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College
in Texas. You can find the publisher on the copyright page for a physical book. If you use an online
dictionary, you can't just cite the print dictionary. She received her PhD in English from Georgia
State University in 2015. Like a citation of any other source of information, an APA dictionary
citation should capture several features.
The abbreviation et al meaning and others is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more
authors. It is best to use the same format when referencing an online dictionary as when citing
footnotes in text. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Consequently, while
reference entries indicate all the features described above (authors, word, publication date, name of
the dictionary, and the URL link or DOI number), in-text citations show only the author
(organization, institution, or individual) and the publication year or n.d. Notably, writers should not
enclose authors within double quotation marks. In- text citations that do not include an author or date
should be capitalized N.D. in quotation marks. A date will be added in place of a missing one. Then
write the page number or numbers in parentheses at the end of the corresponding sentence in your
paper. Now put the edition of the book (this can be found on the front cover or spine). Only the
name of the website must be included here, and it should be italicized. He received his PhD in
English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. If it is an
online dictionary, look at the bottom of the page or on the “About” page. Occasionally, writers may
have to cite a dictionary in APA 7 to expound on a concept or an idea. One of the best ways to
locate peer-reviewed scientific journal articles is to use the PC Library databases listed in this guide.
Then type the year the entry was published or updated. Type the name of the dictionary in italics and
follow it with a period. To cite a dictionary definition in APA Style start with the author of the
dictionary usually an organization followed by the publication year the word youre citing the
dictionary name the publisher if not already listed as author and the URL. Capitalize the word and
surround it by quotation marks. To distinguish between entries in multiple dictionaries, write the term
in quotation marks and the dictionary title in italics. List the organization as the author and leave out
the publisher information. If it is a U.S. city that is not well known, however, include the state.
Ideally, students rely on different sources to strengthen their claims, opinions, or arguments. For
direct quotations include the page number as well for example. However, when using online
versions, they must look up the word in the dictionary alphabetically. Entry means any place where a
person is permitted to enter, such as a gate, door, or room. Specify as much of the original
publication information as possible. It is common to identify the full title and edition of a diagnostic
manual along with the abbreviation the first time you cite it in your text. According to Enlightenment
philosophers, such as Rene Descartes, John Locke, and Voltaire, humans are capable of knowing the
truth about the world and that knowledge is the most reliable means to obtain it. This guide will
show you how to create citations for a dictionary following APA 7th edition guidelines. She received
her Masters in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Washington in 2014. In a
sentence like “Heavy rains caused widespread flooding,” it is used as a noun to mean both rain and
flooding. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word
or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.
However, the knowledge you have used is not yours and you have to give credit to the appropriate
originator of the information you have sourced from the dictionary or encyclopedia by knowing
when and how to cite dictionary. Some dictionaries include images and illustrations of the term as
part of the definitions. She has over 16 years of experience working with libraries across the United
States. In such cases, authors need to cite a dictionary in APA 7 that they have used. Instead of citing
individual entries, cite the entire dictionary instead. The reference is a full list of all of the citations
you used in your paper. You only need the name of the online dictionary, rather than the name of the
original dictionary. New York: Random House, Inc., 2012. Dictionary.com. Web. 5 December 2012.
When citing sources, ensure that they are formatted in the proper order. In many cases, you may not
be able to locate the editor of the dictionary. You only need the name of the online dictionary, rather
than the name of the original dictionary. If you’re citing the first edition, don’t include the edition
number. An MLA citation shows the reader exactly where to find the source you accessed, so you’ll
need to provide specific information about the entry. Write the year in parentheses between the
edition number and the place of publication. Basically, there are different versions of dictionaries,
besides printed and online dictionaries. In a sentence like “Heavy rains caused widespread flooding,”
it is used as a noun to mean both rain and flooding. Do not put any punctuation after the name of the
dictionary. An author or editor who has been published at a given year. In a printed source, this word
is placed alphabetically, and what writers need to do is to flip pages to the exact place of words. The
following is an example of an in- text citation structure. Michelle Golden is an English teacher in
Athens, Georgia. Dictionaries are actually cited the same way as encyclopedias or other reference
texts. Each citation will contain either the author’s name or title of the dictionary, the year of
publication, and a page number if there is one. If the term has more than one definition in the
dictionary, indicate which definition you used. Follow the location with a colon and the name of the
original publisher. She received her MA in Language Arts Teacher Education in 2008 and received
her PhD in English from Georgia State University in 2015. This guide will show you how to create
citations for a dictionary following APA 7th edition guidelines. The APA citation style 6th Edition is
a parenthetical author-date style so you need to put the authors last name and the publishing date into
parentheses wherever another source is used in the narrative. If there is no publication date, the words
n.d can be replaced. There is no set date. Use the abbreviate “p.” and write the page on which the
definition appears.
It is rare to find the editors or authors of a dictionary, but if you can find them, this is the preferred
way of citing any text in APA. Michelle Golden is an English teacher in Athens, Georgia. The title of
the entry should be followed by the letter “NK.” The title of the Encyclopedia or Dictionary, edited
by the editor’s first name, last name, edition if given and not first edition. The word should be
capitalized an enclosed in quotation marks. You can find the year of publication by looking on the
copyright page of a physical book. Citing a single word from a print dictionary entry. The dictionary
that a set of definitions was taken from is usually indicated at the bottom of dictionary entry. For
example, if you were citing the Oxford English Dictionary, it would start with. In such cases,
authors need to cite a dictionary in APA 7 that they have used. If you’re citing the first edition, don’t
include the edition number. Finally, follow the citation with a brief description of why you are using
the dictionary in your writing. Please log in with your username or email to continue. For example:
(APA Dictionary of Psychology, 2016, “cognitive psychology”). Learn To Format A Paper In
Turabian Style Best Essay Writing Service Essay Writing Paper Writing Service To find the reference
example you need first select a category eg periodicals and then choose the.. Keep in mind that the
author may be an. Use sentence-case, capitalizing only the first word and any proper nouns. A
number indicates the entry number, since some words have more than one entry, and a letter
indicates the definition under the entry number used. Basically, there are different versions of
dictionaries, besides printed and online dictionaries. By definition, a dictionary is a reservoir of
knowledge in online or printed form that primarily focuses on words and their meanings or
connotations. Although it lacks as much information as a dictionary or encyclopedia, it is a good
source of information for a specific topic. Please use a different browser, like Firefox, Chrome, or
Safari. Oxford English Dictionary, Use the copyright date the bottom of the website page. Cite web
pages in text as you would any other source using the author and date if known. List the organization
as the author and leave out the publisher information. If your in-text citations were just (“Emoticon”)
or (“Emoticon,” N.), the reader wouldn’t know which dictionary you were referencing. The date of
publication for the dictionary version you are using should be indicated in parentheses, with a period
following the closing parentheses. In either case, do not use the page number since these sources are
arranged alphabetically. It is also the acceptable format for writing research papers on literature. Here
is an example of an in- text citation structure. ( The author, organization name, or year) (Merriam
Webster, 2013). Basically, the former appears at the end of the document as a separate page. If a
company is both the author and the publisher, it should include the company name.

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