- Introduction
- Citing the sources in the text
- Citing two or more works by the same author
- Citing a multivolume work
- Citing a work listed by title
- Citing indirect sources
- How to cite works in the bibliography
Introduction
Every scholarly discipline has a preferred format or style for citing sources. A widely accepted method used in the humanities is the MLA documentation style. The following guide explains how to use this system, however, if you require further information consult the MLA handbook for writers of research papers.
Please remember to check with your unit co-ordinator or tutor before submitting your assignments, as their style preference may vary from the guidelines presented here.
Giving credit to other people's ideas
When books, journals, official publications, newspapers etc. are used to reinforce ideas in an essay, you must give credit to these sources.
This guide is divided into two parts. The first part discusses the information that must be included in the text of your work, while the second part shows how to fully cite your sources.
Should I use underlining or italics in my research paper?
Most word-processing programs and computer printers permit the reproduction of italic type. In material that will be graded or edited for publication, the type style of every letter and punctuation mark must be easily recognizable. Italic type is sometimes not distinctive enough for this purpose. In printed material submitted for grading and editing, therefore, words that would be italicized in a publication are often underlined to avoid ambiguity. The examples in the MLA Handbook follow this practice. If you wish to use italics rather than underlining, check your instructor's or editor's preferences. Choose a type font in which the italic style contrasts clearly with the regular style. (from: http://www.mla.org/style_faq2)
Citing the sources in the text
The easiest way to supply information on a quoted source is to insert brief acknowledgments into the text in parentheses. In most cases the only information needed is the author's surname and a page reference. The full bibliographic details of the cited work will then appear in an alphabetical list of sources cited at the end of the essay.
The example below indicates how a work is briefly cited in the text, and then in full at the end of the essay.
eg. the Enlightenment was an outgrowth for the 17th century advances in science and philosophy (Withers 246).
The content of the brackets tells the reader that the information was derived from a work by Withers on page 246. If the reader requires complete details for the reference, they can refer to the alphabetical list of sources cited at the end of the essay. The reference would look like this:
Withers, Julie. Age of Reason. New York: Harper, 1989.
The aim of this referencing system is to be brief and only provide as much information as is necessary to identify the source. For example, if you mention the author's name in the text, then the parentheses need only indicate a page number:
eg. Withers stated that the Enlightenment was an outgrowth of the 17th century advances in science and philosophy (246).
Where to place the parentheses
To avoid interrupting the flow of the essay, try to insert the parentheses where a pause would naturally occur, preferably at the end of a sentence.
When not to use parentheses
If you are citing an entire work, rather than a specific part, the author's name in the text may be the only documentation required. For example a statement like Withers has devoted an entire book to the subject needs no documentation in parentheses if there is only one work by her in the sources cited at the end of the essay. However, if you choose not to use the author's name in the text, you then have to include it in parentheses.
If there are two or three authors responsible for the work, then cite the last name of each person.
eg. Jones and Gilbert published a textbook on the subject.
The fully cited work would appear at the end of the essay:
Jones, Peter J., and Susan Gilbert. Twentieth Century Literature. New Haven: Yale UP, 1987.
Two or more works by the same author
If the author has written two or more works, indicate in parentheses which title you are referring to, along with the author's surname and relevant page number(s). You need only provide a shortened version of a title if it is long
eg. (Smith, Literary theory 56)
Remember if you have already included the title and author of the work in the text, then you need only include page numbers in parentheses.
Citing a multivolume work
When you are citing a work that has more than one volume, the entry should provide the author's surname, volume and page numbers.
eg. (Smith 2: 56-60)
Citing a work listed by title
If you are citing a work that has no author (e.g. an encyclopedia) quote the title, or a shortened version of the title, before the page numbers.
eg. the New Zealand Prime Minister receives a salary of $129, 250 (The New Zealand Official Year Book 50)
The full citation would read:
The New Zealand Official Year Book. 12th ed. Wellington: Government Printer, 1987.
Citing indirect sources
If it is not possible to take information from the original source, make sure it is clear that you are quoting from another book. In these cases "qtd. in" meaning "quoted in" is used in the reference.
eg. (qtd. in Smith 2: 326)
How to cite works in the bibliography
As explained in the first part of this guide, a complete list of the works consulted appears at the end of the essay. The cited works are listed in alphabetical order by the authors' surnames or by title if there is no author. For further information, including information about citing Internet sources, refer to the appropriate chapter in the online book online!: a reference guide to using internet sources
