A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library Center Southwestern University Georgetown Texasblue spacer image
SearchVoyager | More Search Options
 
alternate quick links

Library Home

Databases A-Z

Voyager Catalog

Guides by Subject

AV Services

Circulation Services

Collection Development and Acquisitions

Reference Services


Back to FYS Support

 

 

Citing Your Sources: Print & Electronic Style Guides

Common Reference Styles
Style Manuals in Print
Style Manuals on the Web
Citation Software

A very important part of the research process is proper documentation of the sources you have used in the formulation of your paper. You must cite any work that has contributed to the ideas you present, even if you do not use direct quotations from that source. For more information on why it is important to document your sources, see our page on Keeping it Honest: Avoiding Plagiarism.

This publication offers you a starting point in creating a bibliography using either the MLA of APA format. For more detailed information about creating a bibliography, and to find out how to document quotations and paraphrases in the body of your paper, use one of the style manuals available in the library listed at the end of this page.


Common Reference Styles

Note: Citations in bibliographies are generally double-spaced.


Encyclopedia article

MLA Bibliography

Kadner, Robert J. "Bacteria and Other Monerans." The New Encyclopaedia Britannica: Macropaedia. 15th ed. 1998.

MLA In-Text

(Kadner 570-586)

APA References Page

Kadner, R. J. (1998). Bacteria and other monerans. In The New Encyclopaedia Britannica: Macropaedia (Vol. 14, pp. 570-586). Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica.

APA In-Text

(Kadner, 1998, p. 570-586)


Book

MLA Bibliography

Galbraith, James K. Created Unequal: The Crisis in American Pay. New York: The Free Press, 1998.

MLA In-Text

(Galbraith)

APA References Page

Galbraith, J. (1998). Created unequal: the crisis in american pay. New York: The Free Press.

APA In-Text

(Galbraith, 1998)


Book with more than one author

MLA Bibliography

Logan, John R., and Glenna D. Spitze. Family Ties: Enduring Relations Between Parents and Their Grown Children. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1996.

MLA In-Text

(Logan et al.)

APA References Page

Logan, J., & G. Spitze. (1996). Family ties: Enduring relations between parents and their grown children. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

APA In-Text

(Logan, 1996)


Edited Book

MLA Bibliography

Salett, Elizabeth Pathy, and Diane R. Koslow, eds. Race, Ethnicity, and Self: Identity in Multicultural Perspective. Washington: NatÌl MultiCultural Inst., 1994.

MLA In-Text

(Salett et al.)

APA References Page

Salett, E., & D. Koslow (Eds.). (1994). Race, ethnicity, and self: Identity in multicultural perspective. Washington, DC: National MultiCultural Institute.

APA In-Text

(Salett, 1994)


Article in a Magazine

MLA Bibliography

Landy, Stephen D. "Mapping the Universe." Scientific American June 1999: 38-45.

MLA In-Text

(Landy 38-45)

APA References Page

Landy, S. D (1999, June). Mapping the universe. Scientific American, 38-45.

APA In-Text

(Landy, p. 38-45)


Article in an Academic Journal

MLA Bibliography

Bouabdellah, Hassen. "Culture, Art and Violence." College Literature 30 (1) (2003): 148-53.

MLA In-Text

(Bouabdellah 148-53)

APA References Page

Bouabdellah, H. (2003). Culture, art and violence. College Literature, 30(1), 148-153.

APA In-Text

(Bouabdellah, p. 148-153)


Web page

MLA Bibliography

Holton, Woody. "The Ohio Indians and the Coming
of the American Revolution in Virginia." The
Journal of Southern History 60.3 (1994):
453-478. JSTOR. A.Frank Smith, Jr. Library Center,
Georgetown. 10 Nov.2005 <http://www.jstor.org>.

APA

Holton, W. (1994). The Ohio Indians and the
coming of the American Revolution in Virginia.
The Journal of Southern History, 60, 453-478.
Retrieved July 31, 2001, from JSTOR database.

Return to Top


Style Manuals in Print

Below is a list of titles for some of the print style manuals that are available in our library. Other style manuals that cover citations for specific disciplines of study are also available. The most recent editions of all of these manuals will be in the reference collection and will not circulate. Older editions may be available for check out, but be aware they may not be up-to-date.

Harnack, Andrew. Online!: Internet Guide for Students and Writers.
(Reference 025.04 H229o)

Shields, Nancy. Where Credit Is Due: A Guide to Proper Citing of Sources -- Print and Nonprint. 2nd edition.
(Reference 808.027 Sh61w)

Slade, Carol Form and Style: Research Paper, Reports, Theses. 11th edition.
(Reference 808.02 Sl12f 1999)

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 6th edition.
(Reference 808.02 T74m 1996)

Walker, Melissa Writing Research Papers: A Norton Guide. 4th edition.
(Reference 808.02 W153w 1997)

Xia Li. Electronic Styles: A Guide to Citing Electronic Information.
(Reference 808.027 W15s 1998)

Arts & Humanities

Chicago Manual of Style. 15th edition.
(Reference and Main 808.02 C432m 2003)

Form and Style: Research Papers, Reports, Theses. 11th edition.
(Reference 808.02 Sl12f 1999)

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th edition.
(Reference and Reserve 808.027 G35mh 2003)

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 2nd edition.
(Reference 808.027 G35m 1998)

Writing the Research Paper: A Handbook with both the MLA and APA Documentation Styles. 5th edition.
(Reference 808.02 W729w 1999)

Social Sciences

American Sociological Association Style Guide. 2nd edition.
(Reference 300.72 Am35a)

Concise Rules of APA Style.
(Reference 808.0661 C748 2005)

The Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources. 3rd edition.
(Reference 808.02 C421c)

Form and Style: Research Papers, Reports, Theses. 11th edition.
(Reference 808.02 Sl12f 1999)

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th edition.
(Reference and Reserve 808.066 P96 2001)

Style Manual for Political Science. Revised.
(Reference 808.0663 Am35s 2001)

Writing the Research Paper: A Handbook with both the MLA and APA Documentation Styles. 5th edition.
(Reference 808.02 W729w 1999)

Sciences & Natural Sciences

A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology.
(808.0665 K749s)

Scientific Style and Format: The CBE (Council of Biology Editors) Manual for Authors, Editors, And Publishers.
(Reference 808.0666 Sci 27 1994)

Return to Top


Style Manuals on the Web

The Internet provides many new and exciting resources for students engaged in research. Data is made available by, among others: educational institutions, government organizations, special interest groups, commercial concerns, and private individuals. Smith Library Center also subscribes to many database services that provide access to the electronic versions of journals, newspapers, and other print resources. The quality of online information ranges from excellent and authoritative to highly questionable.

The nature of the data online can also be ephemeral. An Internet site that you select as a resource on one visit may be modified or have moved by the time you complete your paper. Therefore, it is extremely important, as with any form of data you gather for a research paper, to properly document electronic resources in your bibliography. Choose one documentation style -- as specified by your professor or your personal preference -- and use it consistently in your bibliography.

For citing electronic Web sources, some of the best guidelines are on the Web itself. The following list of sites offer guidance for citing both online and print materials. Most of these sites give "samples" of citation for the selected style. None should be considered to represent the "complete" style manual. In addition, some sites offer forms that will format citations for you in a particular style. Be aware, however, that it is not possible to create an automated citation generator that is correct all the time. Always check the results against the print style manuals.

If you don't easily find what you need to know using the Web links below, it's best to come in to the library and consult the print style manuals. The most recent editions of all of these manuals will be in the reference collection and do not circulate.

APA (American Psychological Association):

APAStyle.org
"The following is excerpted from the new 5th edition of the Publication Manual. The material provided covers commonly asked questions regarding how to cite electronic media." (Not the entire APA manual!)

Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format
From Purdue's Online Writing Lab. Information on this page is taken from The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition). (Not the entire APA manual!)

Using APA Style to Cite and Document Sources
From the book Online!: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources.

Landmark's Citation Machine
Citation Machine is an interactive Web tool designed to assist teachers and students in producing reference citations for crediting information from other people.Ó Formats citations in APA (5th edition) and MLA (6th edition) style.

APA Wizard from StyleWizard.com
ÏThe APA Wizard is designed to help you create an APA (5th ed.) citation. It will take you through the steps for the most common types of cited works providing you with assistance on how to input specific information. As long as you enter the information correctly, the Wizard will result in a correct APA citation.Ó

Reference Machine
From the Center for Independent Language Learning at Hong Kong Polytechnic University>. Formats citations in APA (5th edition).

DocsCite
A citation generator for government documents from the Arizona State University Libraries. Formats citations in APA (5th edition) and MLA (6th edition) style.

CBE (Council of Biology Editors):

Documentation: CBE Documentation
From the Writer's Handbook, University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center.

Using CBE Style to Cite and Document Sources
From the book Online!: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources.

Chicago/Turabian:

Documentation: Chicago Style
From the Writers Handbook, University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center. This site includes examples for several styles.

The Chicago Manual of Style FAQ (and not so FAQ)
From the manuscript editing department at the University of Chicago Press.

Using Chicago Style to Cite and Document Sources
From the book Online!: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources.

Turabian Citation Generator
Currently generates footnote-style references for books only.

MLA (Modern Language Association):

Citing Sources: Guide to Library Research
Developed for the Duke University program, documentation guidelines for major citation formats.

Documentation: MLA (Modern Language Association)
From the Writer's Handbook, University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center. This site includes examples for several styles.

Using MLA Style to Cite and Document Sources
From the book Online!: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources.

Landmark's Citation Machine
Citation Machine is an interactive Web tool designed to assist teachers and students in producing reference citations for crediting information from other people.Ó Formats citations in APA (5th edition) and MLA (6th edition) style.

MLA Citation Generator
From the Palomar University Adapted Computer Training Center. Formats citations in APA (5th edition).

DocsCite
A citation generator for government documents from the Arizona State University Libraries. Formats citations in APA (5th edition) and MLA (6th edition) style.

Others:

Documentation: APSA Documentation American Political Science Association
From the Writer's Handbook, University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center.

Uncle Sam: Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications
Based on Chicago. Extensive sample citations.

Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (LII 2003 ed.) by Peter W. Martin
From the Cornell Legal Information Institute.

Return to Top


Citation Software

In addition to the above sites, there are some software packages that will help you create and manage your bibliographies and references. Although these products are not free, they may make it easier for you to cite your sources accurately and keep track of the resources youÌve consulted. There are too many options for us to list all of them here, but these are some of the best-known products:

Return to Top

 


1001  East University Ave.  Georgetown, Texas  78626      512 863 1563
Send questions or comments to libweb@southwestern.edu      
ask a librarian link interlibrary loan link databases link Academic Search Complete southwestern university home link