W. Frank Steely Library

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Citations

Introduction

In order to locate the sources you've found in a database, in footnotes, or in a bibliography of a book or article, you must be able to interpret citations. A citation, sometimes called a bibliographic citation, is a reference to a particular source. It provides enough detail that the reader can identify and locate a copy of the original item.

Citations can refer to various types of information sources, including books, parts or chapters of books, magazine articles, journal articles, newspaper articles, dissertations, government documents, recordings, videos, interviews, or Internet sources. Some of the most common types of citations are explained below.

(NOTE: For help writing citations, see Style Guides)

Book

A book citation typically includes the author, title, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication.

Gilman, Cheryl. Doing Work You Love: Discovering Your Purpose and Realizing Your Dreams. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books, 1997.

To find out whether Steely Library or the Chase Law Library owns a particular book, check NKUIRE, our online catalog.

Chapter or Essay in a Book

A citation for part of a book typically includes the author and title of the chapter, the pages on which the chapter appears, the title of the book itself, the editor or author of the book, and the place, publisher and date of publication.

Robertson, John A. "The Question of Human Cloning," pp. 48-54 in Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Bioethical Issues, ed. by Carol Levine. Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing, 1995

To find out whether Steely Library or Chase Law Library owns a particular book, check NKUIRE, our online catalog. Be sure to search for the title or editor of the book, not the chapter.

Magazine or Journal Article

Periodical article citations typically include author, title of the article, title of the periodical, volume (and sometimes issue) number, page numbers, and date of publication.

Mukherjee, D.P "The Prospect of Human Cloning: Its Ethical and Social Implications." Science & Culture 63 (5): 127-132, May 1, 1997.

To find out whether Steely Library or Chase Law Library owns a particular periodical, check NKUIRE, our online catalog. Be sure to search for the title of the periodical, not the article title.

Newspaper Article

A citation for a newspaper article typically includes author (if an author is indicated), title (headline) of the article, title of the newspaper, date of publication, section, page and column.

In scientific leap, dozens of mice are cloned. New York Times, Jul 26 1998, 4, 2:2

To find out if Steely Library owns a particular newspaper, look up the title of the newspaper (not the headline or article title) in NKUIRE, the online catalog.

Government Document

A typical government document citation includes the author (frequently an agency name, such as US Department of Commerce), the title of the document, and the place, publisher and date.

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Commerce. Subcommittee on Health and the Environment. Cloning: legal medical, ethical and social issues: hearing, February 12, 1998. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1998.

To find out whether Steely Library owns a Government Document, first check NKUIRE. If nothing is found, ask a Reference librarian for additional help.

Internet Source

A citation for an Internet source typically includes the author, title, URL (address) and date.

The New Scientist. Cloning: A Special Report. http://www.newscientist.com/nsplus/insight/clone/clone.html (1998)

To find the Internet source, type the Internet address into the browser.

updated: Wednesday, 18-Jul-2007 10:49:00 EDT

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