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Citing Sources in Research Papers

Bibliography: a list of the works referred to in a text or consulted by the author in its production. - Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Why Cite Your Sources?

The custom of citing references – that is, providing a record of the sources you have used for your research – is a form of professional honesty and courtesy that is based on a regard for the responsibilities that writers have to readers and to other writers to indicate when they have used someone else's ideas or words.

Citing sources also strengthens the authority of your work, by demonstrating that you have considered others' opinions and ideas in forming your own. In addition, it gives the the reader valuable information, indicating where he or she may go to get further information on that subject; for many researchers, the list of cited references at the end of a relevant article or book is the single most valuable item they can come across in their research.

Accuracy in citing references is highly regarded, and essential in helping others locate the materials you used in your research. Consider the following, from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed.:

Because one purpose of listing references is to enable readers to retrieve and use the sources, reference data must be correct and complete.... Authors are responsible for all information in their reference lists. Accurately prepared references help establish your credibility as a careful researcher. An inaccurate or incomplete reference "will stand in print as an annoyance to future investigators and a monument to the writer's carelessness" (Bruner, 1942, p. 68). (p. 216)

Because of the importance of citing references, the scholarly community has agreed on several standards – found in style manuals – to use when citing a reference or compiling a bibliography. Many different styles exist; the following list represents the most commonly used or prominent styles.

Commonly Used Style Manuals

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)

6th edition, 2010  Knight Ref  BF 76.7 .P83

6th edition, 2010  A&AA Ref  BF 76.7 .P83

6th edition, 2010  Science Ref  BF 76.7 .P83

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

7th edition, 2009   Knight Ref LB 2369 .G53

4th edition, 1995   A&AA Ref LB 2369 .G53

6th edition, 2003   Science Ref LB 2369 .G53

The Chicago Manual of Style

15th edition, 2003  Knight Ref Z 253 .U69

15th edition, 2003  A&AA Ref Z 253 .U69

14th edition, 1993  Science  Z 253 .U69

Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago style for students and researchers

7th edition, 2007  Knight LB 2369 .T8

6th edition, 1996  A&AA Ref LB 2369 .T8

6th edition, 1996  Science Ref LB 2369 .T8

American Sociological Association Style Guide

3rd edition, 2007  Knight Ref HM 73 .A54

Another useful handbook is:

Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources: A Manual for Writers and Librarians

Revised ed., 1993  Docs Ref  Z 7164 .G7 G37

Citing Electronic Sources

Most style manuals in print have yet to catch up to even their own standards for citing electronic sources. Fortunately, there are several sites on the web that show you how to cite electronic sources in the most popular formats.

Research and Documentation Online

By Diana Hacker, with research sources by Barbara Fister. A very nicely laid out guide to documenting sources in MLA, APA, Chicago, and CBE styles. Includes sample papers in each style, as well as tips on finding sources in the humanities, social sciences, history, and the sciences.

APA Online: Electronic References

The definitive guide to citing online sources in APA style. Examples are based on the 5th edition of the APA's Publication Manual, and APA will "update this page regularly as there are additions, changes, or clarifications to APA style."

Online! Citation Styles

This web site companion to "Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources" by Andrew Harnack and Eugene Kleppinger (Beford/St. Martin's, 2003) offers examples for citing online documents in MLA, APA, Chicago, and CBE styles. The introduction states, "We strive to keep the links related to the content of Online! current. Some documents that we use for sample citations have been moved since publication, and the links shown in the samples will not activate their retrieval. As illustrations of appropriate documentation style we are retaining these 'broken' links without correction."

Citing Cyberspace

Brought to you by Longman Press, this site is intended to support the composition textbook of the same title by James D. Lester. Covers both APA and MLA styles.