Specifics about sources and citations

[agareis]

Hi there!

I'm brand new to ConstantContent and to the world of commercial writing in general. I've been spending a lot of time reading through the forums, the FAQs, and recommended websites, and I still have a few ponderings about the appropriate use of bibliographies etc in writing commercial articles or copy.

Up to this point, all of my writing has been in the realm of fiction, first-person experience/opinion writing, and academic writing. I'm a firm believer in proper citation and bibliographies, but I am wondering what the conventions are in this field and what it looks like in practice. When I read an article of this type in print (say, a newspaper weekend magazine) or on a website such as Salon, or in an email newsletter, it's clear that the author has researched her subject, but there is rarely a bibliography tacked onto the end. I'm especially aware of the touchiness around citing other websites.

As a case-study, perhaps I'll take the "The Appeal of Reality TV Shows" requested content. (I'm not actually going to write this one. I imagine there are dozens of takers and that it's too topical to sell well later.) You might read up on Susan Boyle on any number of gossip websites (Perez Hilton?), any number of newspaper, magazines, or tabloid articles. If you're not quoting directly from any of them, but you need to remember her age or the date that she appeared on Oprah, and you find that information on one of those pages, is that something you'd cite?

How do the authors here handle this? Do you do most of your research online? What's an average number of citations for these articles? I guess I am looking for anecdotal examples.

Thanks so much for your patience, and for the wisdom and goodwill I've already found scattered all over these forums.

--Amanda