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Citing Sources

Citing Library Subscription Databases

Since citing journals and reference articles accessed from a Jennings Library subscription database can be tricky, many database vendors provide help for citing sources used from their products. For example:

  • In our Ebsco databases (Academic Search premier, Business Source Premier, Professional Development Collection, PsychInfo, LRC: Literary Reference Center, etc.) you can e-mail a journal citation to yourself with the citation in your preferred format (MLA, APA, etc.).
  • In our Proquest databases (Proquest Research Library, Proquest Social Science Journals, etc), you can also e-mail yourself a journal citation in a specific format (MLA, APA, etc).
  • In the Encyclopedia Britannica database, the citation for each article is given at the bottom of the article in MLA and APA format.
  • In the Facts on File databases, the citation information for each article is given at the bottom of the article (unformatted). Guidelines for formatting the information into a specific format can be viewed by selecting the How to Cite link.
  • The Gale Virtual Reference Library is a collection of Reference Ebooks which can be accessed from the databases page, or by selecting an individual title from the top of the various databases by subject pages. These reference book articles can also be e-mailed in citation format.
  • WorldCat is a catalog of books from OCLC member Libraries around the world. You can limit your search to Caldwell College holdings on the search screen. There is a cite this item link which appears with each book record allowing you to view and copy a formatted citation for the book.

Note: Machine-generated citations are a really helpful start, especially for distinguishing between the database name and vendor name. However, for all machine-generated citations, the writer must also carefully check the format for accuracy.

Style Guides and Manual

The following guides provide information on how to cite both print and electronic information. The most recent editions are kept at the Reference Desk. For location and call number information of previous editions check CALCAT.

  • American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, D.C. : APA, 2001.
  • American Sociological Association. American Sociological Association Style Guide. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C. : American Sociological Association, 1997.
  • Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers’ of Research Papers. 5th ed. New York: MLA, 1999.
  • Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations. 6th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
  • Walker, Janice. The Columbia Guide to Online Style. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.

Online Guides for Citing Sources

American Psychological Association
The most commonly asked questions regarding documenting electronic sources in APA format are answered with examples provided.

Bibliographic Style Guides
Style guides for APA, ASA and MLA style compiled by Buffalo State E.H. Butler library.

Citing Electronic Sources
The Learning Page offers various examples of citations for such electronic sources as films, legal documents and government publications, maps, photographs, and sound recordings. The Learning Page, which is a service of the U.S. Library of Congress American Memory Collection, notes that there are no definitive guidelines for citing electronic sources.

Citation Style Guides for Internet and Electronic Sources
Features citation style guides for the Internet and electronic sources, compiled by the University of Alberta Libraries. Explains the types of electronic sources and includes citation examples. Offers access to online style guides and lists print style guides in the university libraries.

Citing the World Wide Web in Style
Presents information on using the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA) styles of bibliographic citation for WWW resources, provided by the Troy State University Regional Library.

Duke Libraries
Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism: Documentation Guidelines

Honolulu Community College Library
MLA citation examples.

Internet Citation Guides
Presents a collection of online Internet citation guides to be used for citing electronic sources in research papers and bibliographies, provided by Memorial Library at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Note that the guides are organized by style.

Journalism Resources: Karla's Guide to Citation Style Guides
Presents information about citation style guide topics that may be of interest to journalists and writers. Includes links to sites and information about American Psychological Association (APA) style, how to cite information from the WWW, the Chicago Style Guide, citing Lexis/Nexis, Modern Language Association (MLA) style, and other citation information. Links to other journalism related sites.

Lehigh University's Footnote and Citation Style Guides
Presents a collection of Internet resources on generating footnotes and citing sources, provided by the Lehigh University Libraries. Includes major style manuals, including the "APA Style Guide" and the "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers." Highlights guides for citing electronic sources. Offers instructions on citing sources in engineering, the sciences, and social sciences.

Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association does not publish its documentation guidelines on the web. Examples of MLA documentation for electronic sources may be found in The Frequently Asked Questions link.