Different academic disciplines have different stylistic standards when it comes to citing sources of information. Style guides describe how to properly and consistently cite your sources of information. They provide guidance on the appropriate way to include information such as the author, title and publisher of a book or the volume, issue, and page numbers of a journal article. If you don't know, talk to your professor about which citation style they want you to use.
Citing Sources
As a scholar, you need to cite the sources that you use in your research. Your discipline determines the citation style you use. English and foreign languages, for example, use the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style. Citations are important because they:
In-Text Citation
You must cite the source of either a quotation or paraphrased material. Include the author's name and the page number(s) from which the material was taken in parentheses following the statement you make. If you mention the author in the text, you do not have to repeat his or her name in the citation. If you cite more than one work by the same author in your paper, you must include a short title to inform the reader of which work you are citing.
Citing in text by paraphrasing:
Bibliography
The list of references, known as a bibliography, is organized alphabetically by the author's last name, followed by additional info that describe the source. This information helps readers locate the original item from where you pulled your information. The following examples are the most commonly referenced types of sources.
Author/editor. Title. Edition statement (if given). Place of publication: publisher, date. Medium. Source of electronic information (if available). Available: URL. Access date.
Unlandherm, Frank. Middle East studies resources . New York: Columbia University, 1997. Online. Columbia University: Available: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/indiv/area/MiddleEast/index.html. 19 Aug. 1997.
Arab republic of Egypt. Austin, TX: Center for Middle East Studies, 1 June 1997. Online. Middle East Network Information Center. Available: http://menic.utexas.edu/menic/countries/egypt.html. 18 August 1997.
Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat
For other examples of citing Internet resources see: The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. (Ref. LB 2369 .G53 2003) sections 5.9 (page 207), sections 6.4 (page 242).
The MLA website also has helpful info on their MLA Style Center page.
Modern Language Association (MLA)
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is designed for the humanities (e.g. English, Spanish, German). These examples are adapted from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and provides examples of how to document source material when preparing scholarly papers. Printed copies of the MLA Handbook are located in the citation manual collection by the reference desk (Call number: Reference LB2369.M52 2021).
You will need to cite your sources in two places within your paper: in-text and bibliography
Part I outlines how to cite a source in the paragraph where you have quoted, summarized, or paraphrased from the source (called an in-text citation)
Part II outlines how to create an list of references, known as a bibliography, at the end of your paper that lists anything you cite.
About Zotero
Zotero is a free citation app that collects, manages, cites, and shares your research sources. The browser extension saves the citation info about articles, books, and more, then connects with the desktop Zotero to create citations and work with Google Docs (you need both desktop and browser extension).
More info at https://libguides.willamette.edu/zotero
For Zotero help, contact:
Bill Kelm, bkelm@willamette.edu or
John Repplinger, jrepplin@willamette.edu
Citing Sources
As a scholar, you need to cite the sources that you use in your research. Your discipline determines the citation style you use. Many disciplines, particularly psychology, commonly use the American Psychology Association (APA) citation style. Citations are important because they:
In-Text Citation
These in-text examples use the APA author-date method of citation; the author's last name and year of publication are inserted within the text of the paper and refer to the reference list at the end of the work.
Reference List
The reference list is organized alphabetically typically by the author's last name, followed by additional info that describe the source to help readers locate the item. The following examples are the most commonly referenced types of sources.
Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin Books.
Schulian, J. (2019). The great American sports page: A century of classic columns from Ring Lardner to Sally Jenkins. Library of America.
Herndon, D. (2018). Total burn care
Aron, L., Botella, M., & Lubart, T. (2019). Culinary arts: Talent and their development. In R. Subotnik, P. Olszewski-Kubilius, & F. C. Worrell (Eds.), The psychology of high performance: Developing human potential into domain-specific talent (pp. 345-359). American Psychological Association.
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
O'Donohue, W. (2017). Content analysis of undergraduate psychology textbooks. (ICPSR 36966; Version V1) [ Data set]. ICPSR. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36966.v1
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Culture. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
News From Science. (2019, June 21).Are you a fan of astronomy? Enjoy reading about what scientists have discovered in our solar system--and beyond? This [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/ScienceNOW/photos/
a.117532185107/10156268057260108/?type=3&theater
National Cancer Institute. (2019). Taking time: Support for people with cancer (NIH Publication No. 18-2059). U.S. Department of Health and Services, National Institute of Health https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf
Images (note: site name or museum location may be used)
National Institutes of Health. (2015). No 7 diabetic foot [3D print model ID 3DPX-001560]. NIH 3D Print Exchange https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-001560
Vishniac, A. (1976). Cicada Kill Wasp: Bugs are Coming [Online image]. Smithsonian Institute. https://www.si.edu/object/cicada-killer-wasp-bugs-are-coming:npg_NPG.78.TC33
Joly, J. F., Stapel, D. A., & Lindenberg, S. M. (2008). Silence and table manners: When environments activate norms. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(8), 1047-1056. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167208318401
Barber, A. E., & Roehling, M. V. (1993). Job postings and the decision to interview: A verbal protocol analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 845-856.
Hess, A. (2019, January 3). Cats who take direction. The New York Times, C1.
King, M. L., Jr. (1963, August 28). I have a dream. [Speech audio recording]. American Rhetoric. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm.
Barris, K. (Writer & Director). (2017, January 11). Lemons (Season 3, Episode 12) [TV series episode]. In K. Barris, J. Groff, A. Anderson, E. B. Dobbins, L. Fishburne, & H. Sugland (Executive Producers), Black-ish Wilmore Films; Artists First; Cinema Gypsy Productions; ABC Studios.
Gates, B. [@BillGates]. (2019, September 7). Today, it's difficult for researchers to diagnose #Alzheimers patients early enough to intervene. A reliable, easy and accurate diagnostic would [Thumbnail with link attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1170305718425137152
Note: URLs are no longer preceded by “Retrieved from,” unless a retrieval date is needed.
Fagan, J. (2019, March 25). Nursing clinical brain OER Commons. Retrieved September 17, 2019, from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/53029-nursing-clinical-brain/view
World Health Organization. (2018, May 24). The top 10 causes of death. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
Harvard University. (2019, August 28). Soft robotic gripper for jellyfish [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guRoWTYfxMs
About the APA Style Manual
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association Guide is the official guide to the APA citation style. Generally it is used in the field of Psychology and heavily used in other fields of social and life sciences. The examples have been adapted from this manual and demonstrate how to document common source materials.
Check our print copy for more examples or ask a librarian for help. The print copy is located on a wooden stand next to the reference collection on the first floor of the Hatfield Library.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
About Zotero
Zotero is a free citation app that collects, manages, cites, and shares your research sources. The browser extension saves the citation info about articles, books, and more, then connects with the desktop Zotero to create citations and work with Google Docs (you need both desktop and browser extension).
More info at https://libguides.willamette.edu/zotero
For Zotero help, contact:
Bill Kelm, bkelm@willamette.edu or
John Repplinger, jrepplin@willamette.edu