Citing your sources
- Why you should cite your sources
- What's included a citation
- How to list citations in a "Works Cited" page
- Web sites to help you write citations
Why should you cite your sources?
Most instructors want to check your sources for currency and relevancy to your topic. In addition, anyone reading your paper can use your "Works Cited" or "References" page as a starting point for their own research.
What do you need to include in a citation?
Your list of references ought to have all the information required for your reader to locate the sources on his or her own. At the very least you should try to include, if available:
- Author
- Title (for articles include the article title and periodical title)
- Publication information (place, publisher, date)
- Page numbers
- URL of the Web page, if it is an electronic resource
How should you list this information?
Citations are usually written according to a bibliographic style. Two of the most common styles and the courses they are used for are:
- MLA style -- for English Composition and Humanities classes
- APA style -- for Psychology and Science classes
The following Web sites provide good examples for citing various sources, although the most comprehensive guides are the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Both style guides are available in the Library for further reference.
- Landmarks Citation Machine
Citing Sources brochure (CCCC) -- .pdf file; need Acrobat Reader to access - Citing Sources (Duke University)
- New Guide to Writing Research Papers (Monroe Community College)
- Research and Documenting Sources (Purdue University)
- Bibliography Styles Handbook (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne)
- Citing Your Sources (University of California Berkeley)
Questions and comments may be sent to library@cloud.edu
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