LibGuides: Citation Guide (archived): Citing Sources Overview

Definitions

A citation contains the information a person needs to locate a specific source. Basic citation information for a book, for instance, includes the name(s) of author(s) or editor(s), the title of the book, the publisher's name, and the latest copyright year.

A citation style dictates the information necessary for a citation and how the information is ordered, as well as punctuation and other formatting. See Citation Styles.

A bibliography is an organized list of citations.

In an annotated bibliography, each citation is followed by a brief note—or annotation—that describes and/or evaluates the source and the information found in it. See Annotated Bibliographies.

A works cited (MLA style) or references (APA style) list presents citations for those sources referenced or cited in a particular paper, presentation, or other composition.

An in-text citation consists of just enough information to correspond to a source's full citation in a Works Cited or References list. In-text citations often require a page number (or numbers) showing exactly where relevant information was found in the original source.

An abstract is a summary of an article or other work and cannot be used as if it were the full text. You should not reference or cite an abstract in a paper or presentation, but instead find the full text.

NEW RULES

MLA-style and APA-style guidelines change over time, especially for citing sources accessed electronically. This guide incorporates the most up-to-date information about how to cite sources correctly.

If you use a citation generator from a database or website, doublecheck, using this guide, to be sure the generator has used the current rules.

Gathering Citation Information

Whenever you consult a source, you should record its citation information and note whether you quote (copy passages word-for-word) or you paraphrase (put passages into your own words).

For a Book

full name(s) of author(s) or editor(s)
full title of the book
facts of publication: city, publisher, latest copyright date
edition name or number, if there’s more than one
if applicable, name of series, volume number, and total volumes in the series
original publication information of any reprinted work
is using a specific section (introduction, forward, etc.), title, author, and page numbers of that section
page number(s) for information read or noted

(in addition, if you accessed an electronic book—or eBook—online:)

name of the website or database where you found the book (or excerpt)
url address (starts with http://)
date you accessed the book
a doi (digital object identifier), if available

For a Periodical Article

full name(s) of author(s)
full title of the article
full title of the journal, magazine, or newspaper
facts of publication: publication date, and, if applicable, volume and issue numbers
starting and ending page number(s) for the article
original publication information of any reprinted work
page number(s) for information noted

(in addition, if you accessed the article online:)

name of website or database where you found the article
url address (starts with http://)
date you accessed the article
a doi (digital object identifier), if available

For a Website

full name(s) of author(s) and/or sponsor(s) of the site
title of the website
original publication information of any reprinted work
date the website was last updated
date you accessed the website
url address (starts with http://)

For Other Sources (like films, music, photos, etc.)

consult a guide for the specific citation style you are using; see Citation Styles for more information

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