Grammar-Quizzes › More Practices › Writing Aids › Writing Process › Citing Sources
Most schools, colleges, universities and businesses have a preferred style. Find out which style manual you are expected to use. If one has not been selected, choose one yourself and stick to that particular style. Most style manuals have an online version as well as a printed manual. The online versions require annual fees and may offer extra Q & A services. The printed manuals involve a one time fee and need replacing as new versions are released.
The following are some style manuals recommended by scholarly associations for preparing manuscripts, research papers and other publications. The books (manuals) outline the mechanics of writing, such as punctuation, quotation, and documentation of sources. They exist in both in print and on the web (usually available by online subscription).
AP, The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually called the AP Stylebook, is a style and usage guide used by newspapers and the news industry in the United States. The book is updated annually by Associated Press editors, usually in June. Reporters, editors and others use the AP Stylebook as a guide for grammar, punctuation and principles and practices of reporting.
APA, American Psychological Association, style is a set of rules that authors use when submitting papers for publications in APA journals. The APA states that they were developed to assist reading comprehension in the social and behavioral sciences, for clarity of communication, and to "move the idea forward with a minimum of distraction and a maximum of precision."
Chicago Manual, The Chicago Manual of Style, is a style guide for American English. It has been published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press. It is a widely used and respected style guide, and it is preferred by many for American English style, grammar, and punctuation. Including over 850 pages, it is very complete with a lot of information not found in the other style manuals.
Gregg, The Gregg Reference Manual, is a manual of style, grammar, usage and formatting. The book, named after John Gregg, is written by William A. Sabin. The manual is written for students, business professionals and editors who are preparing material for distribution or publication. The manual contains detailed answers and examples that are often not available in other style manuals.
MLA, The Modern Language Association of America, is a professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature. MLA style is a system for documenting sources in scholarly writing. It is primarily used by academic scholars, professors, and graduate students who study or teach language and literature, including English, other modern languages, and comparative literature.
NYTM, The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage: The Official Style Guide Used by the Writers and Editors of the World's Most Authoritative Newspaper is a style guide created in 1950 by editors at the newspaper and revised in 1974, 1999, and 2002 by Allan M. Siegal and William G. Connolly.
The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage. By Allan M. Siegal, William G. Connolly, Revised by Philip B. Corbet et al., 5th Ed. Three Rivers Press, 2015.
Borrowing information, not personally gathered or self-generated, requires a path to its source.
Step 1 : An in-text citation — insert a short reference in the body of your paper after the borrowed information.
Step 2: A Works Cited page — include a formatted list of sources on a separate page at the end of the paper.
Including a citation note after a sentence or paragraph is an immediate way of letting the reader know where to find the information.
(1) If the author's name appears in an introductory statement, then include the page number at the end of the quoted information.
According to Hogue, the purpose of an in-text citation is to refer the reader to the works-cited list at the end of your paper. In-text citations are also called parenthetical references because they are enclosed in parentheses. Place in-text citations immediately after the borrowed information, usually at the end of a sentence before the final period. (533)
(2) If the author's name or work is not mentioned specifically, include the author's last and page number.
The purpose of an in-text citation is to refer the reader to the works-cited list at the end of your paper. In-text citations are also called parenthetical references because they are enclosed in parentheses. Place in-text citations immediately after the borrowed information, usually at the end of a sentence before the final period. (Hogue 353).
The name or phrase provided in the in-text citation should be the first element that appears as the corresponding entry in the Works Cited list.
List all the sources that you actually used in your paper. (Don't include sources that you read but didn't use.) Place the list at the end of the paper or writing on its own page.
A full citation of the source should be listed in the Works Cited section at the end of the writing.
(at end of paper)
Works Cited
The new edition is not centered of publication formats. Rather it is centered on the elements common to most publications: author, title, etc. That is, there are no special instructions for a particular media type (e.g., book, magazine, journal, tweet). And there may be more than one way to document a publication; the important thing is that enough information is provided so that the reader can find the source.
The MLA 8th Edition includes the following:
Abbreviations include the following: U (U of Texas), UP (University Press), Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June, July, Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec., ch. (chapter), p. (page) pp. (pages), par. (paragraph), sec. (section), dept. (department), ed. (edition), rev. (revised), vol. (volume), no. (number, issue), et al. (and others), e.g. (example), i.e. (clarification), circa (approximate before a date). (MLA 96)
Punctuate each element:
AUTHOR. |
---|
|
TITLE OF SOURCE. |
---|
A title is placed in quotation marks if the source is part of a larger work. (e.g., essay, story, poem, chapter, song, photograph or scene). A title is placed in italics if the title is self-contained (e.g., a book, an album, a play, a movie.) When a work that is normally independent appears in a collection, the title of the work remains in quotes ("Sunflowers." Arles Sunflowers, by Van Gogh). |
SMALLER / DEPENDENT WORK. |
|
LARGER / INDEPENDENT WORK. |
|
CONTAINER, |
---|
The title element of the containserthe titled source: chapter, song, photo, painting, scene, post. It is placed in italics or and followed by a comma. |
CONTAINER OF SMALLER PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED WORK IN QUOTES |
|
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS. |
|
VERSION |
|
NUMBER. |
|
PUBLISHER. |
|
PUBLICATION DATE, |
|
LOCATION. |
|
CONTAINER 2 |
---|
Container 2 is something that holds the content of Container 1. Typically, it is a database, a network of content, a content manager, a multi-volume book, a collection of short stories or poems, a television series, or even a website. |
TITLE OF CONTAINER 2 |
|
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS (if needed) |
VERSION (if needed) |
NUMBER (if needed) |
PUBLISHER (if needed) |
PUBLICATION DATE (if needed) |
LOCATION |
|
OPTIONAL ELEMENTS |
---|
(MLA 50) |
See sections below: Books | Periodicals | Visual Arts | Audio Performances | Film & Video Recording | Social Media | Other Resources
"MLA Practice Template." MLA Handbook, 8th ed., Modern Language Assoc., style.mla.org/files/2016/04/practice-template.pdf.
BOOK–PRINT |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled source. |
AUTHOR |
Gladwell, Malcom. |
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"The Power of Context." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER |
The Tipping Point, |
CONTRIBUTORS |
VERSION |
NUMBER |
PUBLISHER |
Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company, |
PUBLICATION DATE |
2000, |
LOCATION |
pp. 169–92. |
BOOK–ELECTRONIC |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled e-source. |
AUTHOR |
Gladwell, Malcom. |
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"The Power of Context." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER |
The Tipping Point, |
CONTRIBUTORS |
VERSION |
Kindle Version, |
NUMBER |
PUBLISHER |
Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company, |
PUBLICATION DATE |
2006, |
LOCATION. |
pp. 169–92. |
Other focuses include listing first, the author, editor, translator, or person introduces the book (writes the "forward").
MLA Book Citation – Drag and Drop Practice.
PERIODICAL/JOURNAL–PRINT |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled source. |
AUTHOR |
Hodnett, et al. |
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"Effectiveness of Nurses as Providers of Birth Labor Support in North American Hospitals." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER |
JAMA, |
CONTRIBUTORS |
VERSION |
NUMBER |
vol. 288 no. 11, |
PUBLISHER |
American Medical Association, (may be omitted) |
PUBLICATION DATE |
2002, |
LOCATION. |
pp. 1373-81. |
PERIODICAL/JOURNAL–ELECTRONIC |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled e-source. |
AUTHOR |
Hodnett, et al. |
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"Effectiveness of Nurses as Providers of Birth Labor Support in North American Hospitals." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER |
JAMA, |
CONTRIBUTORS |
VERSION |
NUMBER |
vol. 288 no. 11, |
PUBLISHER |
PUBLICATION DATE |
2002, |
LOCATION |
pp. 1373-81. |
CONTAINER 2 |
PubMed/NLM, |
LOCATION |
MLA Magazine Citation – Drag and Drop Practice.
MLA Journal Citation – Drag and Drop Practice.
VISUAL ARTS–MEDIA |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled source. |
AUTHOR |
Van Gogh, Vincent. |
TITLE OF SOURCE |
Sunflowers. |
TITLE OF CONTAINER |
CONTRIBUTORS |
VERSION |
NUMBER |
NG3863, |
PUBLISHER |
PUBLICATION DATE |
1888, |
LOCATION. |
National Gallery, London. |
VISUAL ARTS–ELECTRONIC |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled e-source. |
AUTHOR |
Van Gogh, Vincent. |
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"Sunflowers." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER |
The Arles Sunflowers, |
CONTRIBUTORS |
VERSION |
NUMBER |
NG3863, |
PUBLISHER |
PUBLICATION DATE |
1888, |
LOCATION |
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-sunflowers. |
If a work of art is part of a series, it is placed in quotes, "Title of Source", and the name of the series is italicized, Container of Series. Otherwise, the work of art is placed in italics.
Internet-based websites for posting paintings, photographs, and illustrations include: Europeana, Flickr, Google Images, Open Clipart Library, Pixabay and Wikimedia Commons. (These are not treated as secondary containers.)
An internet-based archive for paintings and photographs is ICOM.
MLA Visual Art Citation – Drag and Drop Practice.
AUDIO–MEDIA |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled source. |
AUTHOR |
Sting. |
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"Every Breath You Take." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER |
Synchronicity, |
CONTRIBUTORS |
Performed by The Police, Produced by The Police and Hugh Padgham, |
VERSION |
NUMBER |
PUBLISHER |
A & M, |
PUBLICATION DATE |
1983. |
LOCATION |
AUDIO–ELECTRONIC |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled e-source. |
AUTHOR |
Sting. |
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"Every Breath You Take." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER |
Every Breath You Take The Classics, |
CONTRIBUTORS |
Performed by The Police, |
VERSION |
stereo remastered version, |
NUMBER |
PUBLISHER |
A & M, |
PUBLICATION DATE |
2003. |
LOCATION |
CONTAINER 2 |
Spotify, |
LOCATION |
Internet-based music archives include: ccMister, iTunes, Jamendo, SoundCloud and Spotify.
MLA Music Citation – Drag and Drop Practice.
FILM |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled source. |
AUTHOR |
|
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"Strange Attacks." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER, |
The Birds, |
CONTRIBUTORS, |
Directed by Hitchcock, performance by Tippi Hedron, |
VERSION, |
NUMBER, |
PUBLISHER, |
Universal Pictures, |
PUBLICATION DATE, |
1963. |
LOCATION. |
FILM–INTERNET COURSE |
---|
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled e-source. |
AUTHOR |
|
TITLE OF SOURCE |
"Strange Attacks." |
TITLE OF CONTAINER, |
The Birds, |
CONTRIBUTORS, |
directed by Hitchcock, performance by Tippi Hedron, |
VERSION, |
NUMBER, |
PUBLISHER, |
Universal Pictures, |
PUBLICATION DATE, |
1963. |
LOCATION. |
CONTAINER 2 |
Amazon Video, |
LOCATION |
Zinkova, Mila. "Blackbird Attacks People." Youtube, 2014, youtube.com/watch?v=7qQcM9yytSI. Accessed 10 Aug. 2016.
Online websites for posting video include: YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Daily Motion and Twitch.
Archives for film and video include: Amazon Video, Hulu, Netflix and SpinXpress.
Style Manual Abbreviations used in this website:
AP (The Associated Press Stylebook), APA (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association), CMOS (The Chicago Manual of Style), GREGG (Gregg Reference Manual), MLA (MLA Handbook)
Social Media(MLA 8th Ed. Format)
Email, Tweets, Listserv Comments
Citing social media comments
Paper messages typically includes To, From, Re and Date.
FROM: Michael Phelps
RE: Rio 2016
TO: Mom
August 3, 2016, 5:57 PM.
(a physical location, on a memo pad, a sticky note, etc.)
Basic information a reader needs to find the titled e-source.
@MichaelPhelps. (It is OK to use a pseudonym as the author.)
"I am honored to lead #teamusa into opening ceremonies!! #flagbearer #usa #rio2016." (Place message in quotes.)
Twitter,
3 Aug. 2016, 5:57 PM,
twitter.com/MichaelPhelps/status/760852165174956032.
Social Media
Tweets
A source such as Twitter or Facebook, is considered to be a service where people can author and post content online (a normal website) rather than an archive, a storage site of content that can be retrieved via a database.
Email
Sevastopoulos, Julie. "Re: Trump Political Cartoons." Received by M. Martinez, 15 Aug. 2016, 2:30 PM.
Listserv
Wang, Hung. "Is the verb left out in this sentence?" English Grammar & Usage StackExchange, 9 Aug. 2016, english.stackexchange.com/questions/342056/is-the-verb-here-left-out-in-the-sentence. Accessed on 9 Aug. 2016.
Facebook
Should Facebook be italicized? Read the following explanation of why Facebook and Wikipedia websites are placed in italics.
Sanders, June. "Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy!" Facebook, received by V. Galat, 16 July. 2016.