How to cite your sources Banner

The two methods of recording information most commonly used at this college when you are doing research are the MLA and APA styles. Each style does the same thing—records information so another person could find your sources—but the formats are slightly different. Use the style required by your professor.

cartoon guy MLA Style (Modern Language Association)
MLA Bibliography format—Works Cited
Citing a source within your essay (MLA)
APA Style (American Psychological Association)
APA Bibliography format—References List
Citing a source within your essay (APA)
Need more details? Check the library for the latest edition of the

    MLA Style Manual (LB2369.G444)

    Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (BF76.7 .P83)

    The Chicago Manual of Style (Z253 .U69)

    [Turabian] A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations (LB2369 .T8 1996)

MLA Style –Bibliography format (Works Cited)

The Works Cited is an alphabetical listing of all sources included within your research paper. These are examples of how to cite the most common types of materials. If an author is not given, start with the title on that item!

Double space your entire Works Cited list. Entries should have a hanging indent. For more details, look at the latest edition of the MLA Style Manual (LB2369 .G444).

Books
Book with author

West, James, and Artemis Gordon. History of the Western on Television. Chicago: University of Chicago,

1994.

Book with editor

Robins, Linda, ed. History of Women in Labor. 2 vols. Detroit: Wayne State UP, 1983.

Signed chapter or article from a book

Scott, Montgomery. “Tri-Phase Inducers.” Unabridged Encyclopedia of Engineering Wizardry. New York:
Dekker, 1990.

Articles
Article in monthly or bi-monthly magazine

Arnold, Benedict. “Making Friends and Keeping Them.” Family Life Mar. 1982: 25-30.

Article in journal

Rex, Oedipus. “Blinded by the Lights.” Journal of American Psychology 52 (1975): 113-25.

Newspaper article

North, Ollie. “The Fifth Amendment and You.” Tulsa World 4 July 1993, late ed.: B1.

Article found in online database

Trump, Don. “The Suffering of a Yearly Income and the Burdens of Alimony.” Single Parent 45 (1994):

51-54. SIRS Knowledge Source: Researcher. Available: http://sks.sirs.com (15 May 1999).

Internet or World Wide Web page

Antony, Marc. “With a Face Like That...” History of Cosmetology. Internet. Available:

http://www.uue.com/cosmo/history.html (15 Mar. 1998).


MLA Style – Citing a source within your essay

To cite your sources in the text of your paper follow these models:

     In a startling article in the mid-1970s a claim was made by a blind man (Rex 46) on the unusual spiritual effects of light on his continuing …

     “Though it may be seem unbelievable, the lights were an essential part of my spiritual development,” claims Mr. Rex (46) …

     For more details, look at the latest edition of the MLA Style Manual (LB2369 .G444)



APA Style –Bibliography format (References List)

The References List is an alphabetical listing of all sources included within your research paper. These are examples of how to cite the most common types of materials. If an author is not given, start with the title on that item!

Double space your entire references list. Entries should have a hanging indent. For more details, look at the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (BF76.7 .P83).

Books
Book with author

Thomas, E. M. (1994). The tribe of the tiger: Cats and their culture. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Book with editor

Young, R. V. (Ed.). (1998). Notable mathematicians: From ancient times to the present. Detroit, Mich.:

Gale Research.

Signed chapter or article from a book

Dickens, B. (1998). Patients’ rights. In R. Chadwick (Ed.), Encyclopedia of applied ethics (pp. 459-471).

San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press.

Articles
Article in a magazine

Barovick, H. (1999, February 1). When Fido gets phobic: With everything from drugs to day care,

neurotic pooches can now get in touch with their inner dog. Time, 153, 53-54.

Article in a journal

Pilcher, J. J., Michalowski, K. R., & Carrigan, R. D. (2001). The prevalence of daytime napping and its

relationship to nighttime sleep. Behavioral Medicine, 27, 71-76.

Article in a newspaper

Beil, L. (1993, June 18). Experts say many treated for Lyme disease don’t have it. The Dallas Morning

News, p. 1A.

Article found in online database

Bridges, A. (2002, Jan. 14). Scientists find Dead Sea is sinking. Hanford Sentinel (Hanford, CA), n.p.

Retrieved April 24, 2002 from SIRS Knowledge Source database.

Internet or World Wide Web page

Barry, P. L., & Phillips, T. (2000, Nov. 2). Water on the space station. Science@NASA. Retrieved April 24, 2002 from Office of Biological & Physical Research, U.S. National Atmospheric & Space Administration:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast02nov_1.htm

APA Style – Citing a source within your essay

cartoon worm

To cite your sources in the text of your paper follow these models:

    In a recent study of neurotic dogs (Barokvik, 1999) ….

    Barovik (1999) discussed needs of neurotic dogs, emphasizing the …

For more details, look at the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (BF76.7 .P83).



For more information or questions please contact:
Library Reference Desk
rbutler@occc.edu
(405) 682-1611, Ext. 7251