How to Cite References
Ask your professor which style guide you should use to cite articles, books and websites for your papers. This guide gives you examples of citation forms for MLA and APA, two of the most popular, plus links to other styles.
NoodleBib
MLA
APA
Additional Styles and Resources
NoodleBib
The Library subscribes to NoodleBib, which is a bibliography composer that can help you manage your references in both Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) style. Create your own profile, and you can begin to enter books, articles, web pages, and any other sources of information for your papers.
MLA Style
The MLA Style is most often used in English and other disciplines in the humanities. The examples below are only a sample of the types of sources you may need to cite for a research paper. There are many other types of references such as films, sound recordings, and online communications. Refer to the MLA Website style FAQ for additional information on citing sources in MLA Style. The Library also has a copy of the latest edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers in the reference collection. ([X] LB 2369 .G53 2003 sixth edition)
Journal Article from a paper or microfilm copy
Geiger, Wendy, Jon Bruning, and Jake Harwood. "Talk about TV:
Television Viewers' Interpersonal Communication about Programming."
Communication Reports 14 (2001): 49-57.Magazine article from a paper or microfilm copy
Ansen, David. "'Apocalypse' Then & Now." Newsweek 20 Aug. 2001: 46-47.
Book
Southworth, Susan, and Michael Southworth. The Boston Society
of Architects' AIA Guide to Boston. Guilford: Globe Pequot, 1992.Journal article from an online database such as Academic Search Premier
Geiger, Wendy. "Talk about TV: Television Viewers' Interpersonal
Communication about Programming." Communication Reports 14
(2001): 49-57. Academic Search Premier. Emerson College Lib.,
Boston. 14 Oct. 2001. http://www.emerson.edu/library/java/asp.html.Note about page numbers: Academic Search Premier gives the starting page number and the number of pages. Provide the range of pages in your citation as in the above example. If only the starting page number is given, give the number followed by a hyphen, a space and a period: “49- .” Also, in this example, the date “14 Oct. 2001” refers to the date on which this article was retrieved from the database.
Magazine article from an online database
Ansen, David. "'Apocalypse' Then and Now: Francis Ford Coppola
Plunges us Back into the Heart of Darkness with an Even More
Surreal and Staggering Edition of his Famed Vietnam Epic." Newsweek
20 Aug. 2001: 46. General Reference Center. Emerson College Lib.,
Boston. 14 Oct. 2001. http://www.emerson.edu/library/java/searchbank.html.Note: “14 Oct. 2001” is the date the article was retrieved.Website
Citing Electronic Sources. 10 Dec. 2002. College of Saint
Benedict/Saint John's University. 12 Aug. 2005
http://www.csbsju/library/help/citing.htm.Note: “10 Dec. 2002” is the date this site was last updated.
"12 Aug. 2005" is the date you viewed this website.
APA style
The APA Style is used for psychology and other social sciences. Refer to the APA's Style Tips Web site for additional information on citing sources in APA Style. The Library also has a copy of the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association in the reference collection. ([X] BF76.7.P83 2001 fifth edition)
Journal article from a paper or microfilm copy
Geiger, W., Bruning, J., & Harwood, J. (2001). Talk about TV:
Television viewers' interpersonal communication
about programming. Communication Reports, 14, 49-57.Magazine article from a paper or microfilm copy
Ansen, D. (2001, August 20). 'Apocalypse' then & now. Newsweek, 138, 46-47.
Book
Southworth, S., & Southworth, M. (1992). The Boston Society
of Architects' AIA guide to Boston. Guilford, CT:
Globe Pequot.Journal article from an online database such as Academic Search Premier
Geiger, W. (2001). Talk about TV: Television viewers'
interpersonal communication about programming. Communication
Reports, 14, 49-57. Retrieved Oct. 14, 2001, from Academic
Search Premier database.Note: APA style calls for the beginning and ending page numbers. Academic Search Premier gives the starting page number and the number of pages. In this case we were able to give the range because the article is also available in PDF format in this database. This database also lists only the first author.
Magazine article from an online database
Ansen, D. (2001, August 20). 'Apocalypse' then and now:
Francis Ford Coppola plunges us back into the heart of
darkness with an even more surreal and staggering edition
of his famed Vietnam epic. Newsweek, 138, 46.
Retrieved August 31, 2001, from General Reference Center database.Website
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University. (2002,
December 10). Citing electronic sources. Retrieved
August 12, 2005, from http://www.csbsju.edu/library/help/citing.htm.
Note: “2002, December 10” is the date this website was last updated.
"August 12, 2005" is the date you viewed this website.
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Additional Styles and Resources
Chicago Style
The Chicago Manual of Style [X] LB2369. C57 2003
A citation Quick Guide is also available online.
Turabian
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations [X] LB2369 .T8 1996Diana Hacker
Rules for Writers: A Brief Handbook [X] PE1408. H277 2004
Research and Documentation Online by Diana HackerResources from other libraries
Documenting Electronic Sources from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism, Documentation Guidelines from Duke University
How to Cite Electronic Sources from the Library of Congress
Internet Citation Guides from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
