How to cite your sources used.
When you are researching any topic, you will have to use a wide variety of items
such as books, magazines, encyclopedias, and even the Internet itself.
Whenever you use a resource, you must note from where you got the
information. This noting of the information has two parts: stating where you got
the information from in the paper itself (citing your source) and then the
bibliography or list of resources used. The following are some basic guidelines
on creating your bibliography and citing your sources.
Please remember to record every source that you used in your final report.
Taking information from a source and not giving that source is a crime called
plagiarism.
Format of the bibliography
Book:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of book. City of Publication:
Publisher, Date.
Example:
Munsch, Robert. The paper bag princess. Toronto: Annick Press,
1980.
Encyclopedia article:
Author’s name given. (To find the author’s name, usually look at the end of the article.)
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Encyclopedia.
Edition date.
Example:
Caldwell, David K. and Melba C. Caldwell. “Dolphin.” Collier’s
Encyclopedia. c1992.
No author given.
“Title of Article.” Name of Encyclopedia. Edition date.
Example:
”Mumps.” The World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedia, 2000.
Articles from magazines:
Author given:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Magazine Name. Date:
Page Numbers.
Example:
Bethune, Brian. “B.C.’s secret history.” Maclean’s. July 28, 2003:
44 – 45.
No author:
“Title of Article.” Magazine Name. Date: Page Numbers.
Example:
“Monster Pulley.” Odyssey. November 2001: 37.
Magazine Article from the Internet (e.g. EBSCOHost):
Author’s Name (if given). “Title of Article.” Magazine or Newspaper name.
Date: page number. Name of Online Source. Date you visited the source.
Example:
Schardt, Hannah. “Adorable dormice.” Ranger Rick. November
2011 : p. 2. Primary Search. January 3, 2012
Internet
Author or Originator, if given. “Title of Page.” Online. Date of Internet
Publication. Date you accessed the site. <web address>
If no author or originator is given, simply start at the Title of Page.
Example:
“Confederation for Kids.” Online. Copyright 2001. July 23, 2010.
<http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/confederation/kids/index-e.html>
Pictures from the Internet.
Last name of photographer or illustrator, First name. (if given. This is often
the name of the photographer) “Title of picture if given. If not, title of
webpage.”. Year picture taken or the date website was revised.
Organization responsible for website. Title of website. What is it?
(photograph, cartoon, gif, for example) Date accessed in day month year
format. <web address>.
Example:
“France.” 2013. Destination 360. Destination 360. Photograph. May 31
2013. <http://www.destination360.com/europe/france>.
Picture from a book.
Last name of photographer or illustrator, First name. (if given) “Title of
picture/photograph or if no title given, give a brief description.” Year of
photograph if given. Book author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of book.
City of Publication: Publisher, Date, page.
Example:
Lensch, Chris. “Picture of signs in a library.” Tourville, Amanda Doering.
Manners with a library book. Minneapolis: Picture Window Books, 2009, p.
5.
Video or Film
Film title. Dir. First Name Last Name. Distributor, Year of Release.
Medium.
.
Example:
The Princess Bride. Dir. Rob Reiner. Metro-Goldwin-Myer. 1988. DVD
Format of the citation
When you use someone else’s ideas or their actual words, you must show from
where you took this information. This is a citation. A citation works with the
bibliography. If you use the ideas or words of someone else, you must list this
resource in your bibliography.
The general rule for a citation is the following:
(Author’s last name page number). Note the period at the end.
(Nixon 5).
If you use more than one resource by the same author, then you would include a
brief title, usually the first word in the title or some means of identifying the
resource.
(Author’s last name, Title page number). Note the comma after the
author’s last name and the period at the end)
(Nixon, Holidays 5).
(Nixon, At school 16).
If there is no author, use the title of the book and the page number.
(Title page number).
(My story 8).
For a magazine, use
(Author’s last name volume number: page number(s))
(Nixon 3: 7)
Citing using actual words of someone else:
If you are using the actual words of someone else, you must put the words in
quotations (“words”). Then, at the end of the sentence, you would give a citation
stating from where you took these words.
In an assignment on the Olympics, you write:
The London Olympics will be a green Olympics. “To avoid using up too many
resources, the Olympic Stadium is the most sustainable ever built.” (Nixon 5).
Revised November 28, 2013