When you use or refer to a piece of outside information (an opinion, a quote, statistic, photograph, song, video. etc.) in your paper or project, you need to give credit to it’s creator. If you don‘t, you are implying that you invented that phrase, took that photo or wrote that song yourself which is plagiarism. The word plagiarism comes from the Latin word for kidnap. When you fail to give credit to the original creator, it is like you’ve kidnapped his or her work and are trying to pass it off as your own.
Taking the time to cite your sources correctly will help you avoid plagiarism. It will also help you learn about the research process. No researcher or creator is an island. Every new invention, every new discovery, every new advance in science and art builds upon work that came before it. New research grows out of old research . When you cite your sources you are part of this process.
Your citations should lead your reader or viewer directly back to the exact sources you used. As you do your research, keep a record of all the information sources you use: books, magazines, encyclopedias, websites, internet databases, personal interviews.
When gathering print sources for your research paper, note down the following:
- Author name(s)
- Title of book or magazine
- Title of article( if any)
- Number or volume ( if any)
- Publication date, Publisher
- Place of publication
- Page(s) of any references or quotations you want to use
When gathering digital sources, note down as much of the following as is available:
- Author(s), compiler, director, editor, narrator, translator names
- Article title (if there is one)
- Website name or name of the research database
- Publisher/ Sponsor’s name
- Date posted, last updated or Version
- Date you accessed the site
- URL ( If the rest of your information leads your reader easily back to your source you don’t need to include this. If in doubt though, include it.)
How to Cite Your Sources
You credit your sources in two ways: in the body of your paper (in-text citation) and at the end (Works Cited or Credits).
In-Text Citation
In parenthesis immediately after your exact quotation or restating of your source’s idea put the author’s name followed by the page number where you found the quote .
For example : “At the turn of the century, an increasing number of African Americans were pursuing higher education” (Stevenson 2).
If you mention the author’s name in the sentence you don’t have to include it again in the citation. For example: Stevenson notes that “at the turn of the century, an increasing number of Americans were pursuing higher education.” (3).
Every in-text citation in your paper needs to be included in your Works Cited page.
Guidelines for the Works Cited list
Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your paper
- Center the words Works Cited at the top of the page
- Double space every line.
- Indent each entry after the first line.
- List your sources alphabetically by the author’s last name or by the title of the source if there is no author.
- If an author is cited more than once, don’t repeat his/her name. Arrange his/her works alphabetically.
- Always include the medium of publication (Print, Web, Personal interview, etc.
| Book with one author | Author’s Surname, First name. Title of Book. Place of
Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication (Print). |
| Example | Schaefer, Adam R. The Harlem Renaissance. Chicago:
Heinemann Library, 2003. Print. |
| Book with 2 or more authors(Cite the first author’s surname first. Cite other authors’ first name first. ) | First Author’s Surname, First name and Other Author‘s
First Name (s) Surname (s). Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. |
| Example | Mortenson, Greg and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of
Tea : One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print. |
| Book with an editor | Editor’s last name, first name, ed. Title of Book. Place of
Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. |
| Example | Elledge, Scott, ed. Wider Than the Sky: Poems to Grow Up
With. New York: Harper Collins, 1990. Print. |
| Example:Individual work in an anthology(Include page numbers for the entire piece.) | Yeats, William Butler. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.”
Wider Than the Sky: Poems to Grow Up With. Ed. Scott Elledge. New York: Harper Collins, 1990. 148. Print. |
| Encyclopedia or Reference Book (If there is no author listed, start with the title of the article.) | Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Article.” Title of
Encyclopedia or Reference book. Edition. Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
|
| Example | Hornsby, Alton. “African Americans: The Harlem
Renaissance and Other Achievements.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2006 ed. Print. |
| Magazine ir Newspaer ArticleIf the there is no author listed, start with the title of the article. | Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Article.”
Magazine or Newspaper Name. Day Month Year: Pages. Medium of Publication. |
| Example | Hall, Jane. “The Harlem Renaissance: a Cultural
Rebirth.”Cobblestone. Apr 2006: 3-7. Print. |
| Magazine or Newspaper article from a database
Use this for any of the Research databases that you access through Searchasaurus or The Student Research Center |
Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Article.”
Magazine Name. Day Month Year: Pages. Title of the Database. Medium of Publication. Day Month Year that you accessed it. |
| Example | Hall, Jane. “The Harlem Renaissance: a Cultural
Rebirth.”Cobblestone. Apr. 2006. History Reference Center. Web. 20 Aug. 2009. |
| Website (the whole thing | Author, editor or compiler, if available. Title. Version or
edition if available. Publisher or sponsor (if not available, use N.p.). Date of Posting/Revision, (If not available, use n.d.). Medium of Publication (Web). Day Month Year that you accessed it. <URL (only necessary if it will be hard to find your source without it.) >. |
| Example | St Philip’s Academy: Where Excellence Begins. St Philip’s
Academy, Newark, New Jersey. n.d. Web. 20 Aug. 2009. |
| Example | Cultural Heritage Initiatives for Community Outreach.
Harlem 1990-1940: an African American Community. School of Information, University of Michigan. 2001. Web. 20 Aug. 2009. |
| Part of a Website | Authors’ Surname, First name. “Title of Work.” Title of
Website. Version or Edition if available. Publisher or Sponsor (if not available, use N.p.). Date of Publication (If Not available, use n.d.). Medium of Publication (Web). Day Month Year that you accessed it. <URL (only necessary if it will be hard to find your source without it.) >. |
| Example: | Brito, Miguel. “A Letter From the Head of School.” St
Philip’s Academy: Where Excellence Begins. St. Philip’s Academy, Newark, New Jersey. n.d. Web. 20 Aug. 2009. |
| Photo from a Website | Photographer’s surname, First name. Title of photograph.
Original date of photograph. Title of collection. Title of Website. Medium of Publication. (Web). Day Month Year of Access. |
| Example | Van Vechten, Carl. Zora Neal Hurston. 2 Apr.1938.
Portraits by Carl Van Vechten: Prints and Photographs Div., Library of Congress: Library of Congress: American Memory. Web. 20 Aug. 2009.
|
| Video clip from a website | “Title of episode.“ Narrator, director, performers. Title of
Series. Name of network if any. Broadcast date or date posted. Title of Website. Medium of Publication (Web). Date Month Year of Access.
|
| Example | “Three Cups of Tea’ Author Never Gave Up on His
Peacebuilding Efforts To Establish Girls Schools.” by Alice Maggin. ABC News Person of the Week. ABC. 27 Mar. 2009. Greg Mortenson’s Blog. Web. 20 Aug 2009. |
| Speech from a Website | Speaker’s name. “Title of speech”. Location. Date. Title of
Website or Database . Medium of publication (Web). Date Month Year of Access. |
| Example | King Jr., Martin Luther “I Have a Dream”. 28 Aug.
1963. Steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. Internet Archive . Web. 20 Aug 2009.
|
| DVD | Title. Director. Distributer, Year of release. Medium of
Publication. |
| Example | Harlem Renaissance: the music & rhythms that started a
cultural revolution. Dir. Marino Amoroso, Kultur Films International, 2003. DVD.
|
| T.V or radio broadcast | Title of episode or segment.“ Narrator or director. Title of
program or series. Name of Network. Local Station call letters and city, Broadcast date. Medium of Publication. |
| Example | “More Help for Jersey’s Autistic Kids.“ Narr. Doug Doyle.
WBGO Journal. Newark Public Radio. WBGO, Newark. 14 Aug, 2009. Radio. |
| Song from a CD | Composer, conductor , ensemble or performer. “Title of
song.” Artist(s) ( if different from first name. Title of CD. Manufacturer. Year released. Medium of publication (CD). |
| Example | Pavarotti, Luciano. “Nessun Dorma!” The Three Tenors in
Concert 1994. Atlantic. 1994 CD. |
| Personal Interview | Surname of person interviewed, First name. Personal
interview. Date. |
| Example | Hooper, Thomas. Personal interview. 20 Aug. 2009. |
For more details about how to cite sources look at the MLA Handbook in the SPA library or the MLA style guide at Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ or ask your teacher or a librarian for help.
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