What is a citation?
A citation is how you credit other people's work. It tells those who read your work where you received your information, and how to find it for themselves.
In-text citations are used within an essay, while a Works Cited, or References, page is a list of citations used at the end of your essay. An in-text citation includes the author's name, publication date, and page number. Formatting and exact rules depend on the citation style you use. The citations found in the Works Cited or References page include information on author(s), year of publication, title, and other publication information.
How to read a citation
Although there are many different citation styles with their own rules and formatting, the basic parts of a citation are the same for all of them. The goal is to identify authors and other publication information so that these resources can be located later.
Depending on the type of source (books, websites, etc.) different amounts of information may be available. You can identify the type of source by the information given, which should be identifiable no matter the format the citation may be in.
The main parts of any citation are:
Author(s)
Publication date
Title
Source title (journal, website, etc.)
Examples:
MLA
Okninski, Adam. "On Use of Hybrid Rocket Propulsion for Suborbital Vehicles." Acta Astronautica, vol. 145, 01 Apr. 2018, pp. 1-10. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.01.027.
APA
Okninski, A. (2018). On use of hybrid rocket propulsion for suborbital vehicles. Acta Astronautica, 1451-10. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.01.027
Chicago
Okninski, Adam. 2018. "On use of hybrid rocket propulsion for suborbital vehicles." Acta Astronautica 145, 1-10. ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost (accessed August 1, 2018).
When should you cite?
Anytime you use an idea that is not your own, and is not common knowledge, you should cite. A good way to tell if an idea is not your own is to think about what you learned while reading. Did you know about this idea before or after you read a certain source? If you are not sure, err on the side of citing. It is better to over-cite than under-cite.
You can also cite multiple works at the same time. If an idea/concept is not your own, or public knowledge, but you have read it from multiple sources, cite all of them with your in-text citations. Different works are just separated by commas or semicolons (depending on the citation style), so that readers know where one stops and another begins.
If you use a direct quotation, you should use quotation marks and an in-text citation. If you are summarizing what a resource talked about, or putting someone else's ideas into your own words, aka paraphrasing, this should be cited as well.
How to write a citation
How you write a citation depends on the citation style you use. The three most common citation styles are Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago Manual of Style (a.k.a. Chicago).
Click on the following link to learn more about the similarities and differences between these three styles: Citation Style Chart
MLA APA Chicago
Used mainly by Liberal Arts and Humanities. Used mainly by Social Sciences. Used mainly by History.
• General guidelines (Purdue OWL) • General guidelines (Purdue OWL) • General guidelines (Purdue OWL)
- These links (Purdue OWL) will get you started, as well as answer more specific questions such as how to deal with in-text citations.
• MLA Handbook by The Modern • Publication Manual of the American • The Chicago Manual of Style by
Language Association of America Psychological Association by American University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff
Psychological Association Staff
• Call Number: LB2369 .G53 2016 • Call Number: BF 76.7 .P83 2010 • Call Number: Z253 .U69 2010 (16th ed.)
• ISBN: 9781603292627 • ISBN: 9781433805615 • ISBN: 9780226287058
• Publication Date: 2016-04-01 • Publication Date: 2010-01-01 • Publication Date: 2017-09-05
This is the official handbook for MLA. It has This is the official publication manual for APA. This is the official guide for Chicago style.
guidelines for preparing your research and It contains all of the rules involved when writing It has instructions on how to find, create,
writing/using citations. citations, as well as general tips on writing. and cite information.
Keeping track of resources
It is much easier to create citations if you keep track of resources you use as you go. There are tools available to help you keep track of your resources. See the LibGuide below to find out more:
