What is a citation?

A citation provides basic identifying information about a book, article, or web site. This information should be complete enough to allow any interested researcher to locate the cited item.

Examples:

• Toneatto, T., & Binik, Y. (1987). The role of intentions, social norms, and attitudes in the performance of dental flossing: A test of the theory of reasoned action. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 17, 593-603.
• Kruszelnicki, Karl. The Great Bellybutton Lint Survey. 2001. http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/lint/default.htm (Accessed July 24, 2003)

Citations may follow different styles, such as APA or MLA, but they all use similar "building blocks" of information.

Article Citations

Articles come from magazines, journals, or newspapers (also known as Periodicals). How can you recognize an article citation? Image of Diagrammed Example:

(Author) Armstrong, D.P. (Publication date) 1984. (Article title) Why don't cellular slime molds cheat? (Periodical title) Journal of Theoretical Biology (Volume number) 109: (Page numbers) 271-283.

The word "Journal" in the title of the periodical is a big hint that this is an article citation, but not all journals are so easy to recognize. The volume number and page numbers are also good clues.

Here's a sample page from a journal:

(Image of page contains this information: The Journal of Psychology 128(4), 469-477. Teachers' Attitudes Toward Testing Practices. Judith A. Monsaas. Counseling and Educational Psychology, West Georgia College. George Engelhard Jr. Division of Educational Studies, Emory University. Abstract begins, followed by first part of article text.)

Can you identify the authors? This article has two authors, Mosaas and Engelhard.

Can you identify the title of the journal? The title is "Journal of Psychology." Journal titles are often found at the top or bottom of an article page.

When was this article published? A. 1990; B. 128; C. Cannot be determined.
The correct answer is C. Cannot be determined. Print copies or PDF files of articles sometimes omit the date, but you'll need it for a complete citation.

Book Citations

Book citations refer to an entire book. How can you recognize them? Image of Diagrammed Example:

(Author) McGowan, Christopher. (Book title) Make your own dinosaur out of chicken bones: foolproof instructions for budding paleontologists. (Place of publication) New York: (Publisher) Harper Perennial, (Date) 1997.

Book citations always have a single title, and they include publisher information. We know this is not a journal article because it does not give a page range or a volume number.

Here's a sample page from a book:

(Image of page contains this information: Alien Pregnant by Elvis. Edited by Esther M. Friesner and Martin H. Greenberg. DAW Books Inc. Donald A. Wollheim, founder. 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014. Elizabeth R. Wollheim, Sheila E. Gilbert, Publishers.)

Can you identify the authors? The authors are Friesner and Greenberg. Editors count as authors, and there can be more than one author.
Can you identify the publisher? The publishing company is Daw Books. It's the company than matters, not the founder or anyone else associated with it.

Book Chapter Citations

Book chapter citations refer to one section of a book. How can you recognize them? Image of Diagrammed Example:

(Authors of chapter) Warden, J., & Flynn, B. (Publication date) (2002). (Title of chapter) Using mass media to prevent cigarette smoking. In (Author/editor of book) Hornik, R. (Ed.) (Title of book) Public health communication: evidence for behavior change. (Page numbers of chapter) (pp. 23-33). (Place of publication) Mahwah, NJ: (Publisher) Lawrence Erlbaum Associated.

The word "In..." is a giveaway that this is a chapter in a book. Chapter citations do include page numbers.

Which of these is an article citation?

1. Flannigan, William H., and  Nancy H. Hinagle. Political behavior of the American electorate. 10th ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2002.
2. Silvers, V., & Kreiner, D. (1997). The effects of pre-existing inappropriate highlighting on reading comprehension. Reading Research and Instruction, 36 (3), 217-233.
3. Kruszelnicki, Karl. The Great Bellybutton Lint Survey. 2001. http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/lint/default.htm (Accessed July 24, 2003)

The correct answer is 2, by Silvers and Kreiner. Did you notice the article citation has a volume and issue number?

Which of these is a book citation?

1. Spake, Amanda. "What do you call a guy who cuts apart Peeps?" U.S. News & World Report 11 October 1999: 62.
2. Ghirlanda, Stefano; Jansson, Liseolette; Enquist, Magnus. Chickens prefer beautiful humans. Human Nature. 13 (3) 383-389.
3. Wagenaar, William. Paradoxes of Gambling Behavior. London: Erlbaum, 1978.

The correct answer is 3, by Wagenaar. Did you notice the book citation has a publisher and place of publication?

In this citation, what is the title of the book?

James Longenbach, "'Mature Poets Steal': Eliot's Allusive Practice," in The Cambridge Companion to T.S. Eliot, ed. A. David Moody, 176-88 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994).

The correct answer is "The Cambridge Companion to T.S. Eliot." Don't confuse the title of the whole book with the title of the chapter, "Mature poets steal..."

Citation Styles

When you write research papers in college, you are usually required to follow a specific citation style. The two most common are APA Style and MLA Style.

If you need help using a particular style, we recommend the following resources:

Pfau Library's List of Style Guides on the Web

Quick Guide: APA Style (PDF document, requires Adobe Reader)

Quick Guide: MLA Style (PDF document, requires Adobe Reader)

The End.

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