Community Development
Library Research Guide
Why Cite Sources?
Produced by K-State Libraries
Video Transcript (PDF)
Citation Styles
K-State Libraries APA Citation Tools
The APA Style tab on the K-State Libraries online guide to Citations & Bibliographies includes links to recommended resources for support in navigating the Chicago citation format.
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue
- APA Formatting and Style Guide on the OWL
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the list of individual sections.
- To see how to cite direct quotes or sources that you paraphrase, refer to the OWL sections that begin "In-Text Citation".
- In-Text Citations: The Basics, includes how to address direct quotation of another person's words, and summarizing/paraphrasing passages.
- In-Text Citations: Author/Authors, includes situations in which there is more than one author, if the author is unknown, if it is from an electronic resource, etc.
- To view samples of how to cite your sources at the end of your paper, in the Reference List or Bibliography, refer to the OWL sections that begin "Reference List".
- Reference List: Articles in Periodicals
- Reference List: Electronic Sources — includes articles from databases, eBooks, web pages, blogs, and podcasts
- A "periodical" is a publication that is published periodically such as a journal, magazine or newspaper.
Database Helps
When utilizing databases subscriptions, look for a "Cite It" or "Cite This" option to help develop citations. Any citation generated by a database needs to be checked against a style guide because such citations are very rarely perfect
The K-State Libraries subscribe to the full text of the Chicago Manual of Style online. Use the link below to access the 17th edition of the manual in its entirety.
- Chicago Manual of Style
Paid for by K-State Libraries
This is the online edition of the standard guide to editorial style and publishing practices. Authors, publishers, and students are able to find answers to particular questions or just browse general categories.
Chicago Style Citation Tools: K-State Libraries
The Chicago Manual of Style tab on the K-State Libraries online guide to Citations & Bibliographies includes links to recommended resources for support in navigating the Chicago citation format.
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue
- Chicago Manual of Style on the OWL
- Includes summary content for quick reference, organized by format (i.e. books, periodicals, web resources, etc.)
- Also includes sample papers for both Author-Date & Notes-Bibliography systems
Database Helps
When utilizing databases subscriptions, look for a "Cite It" or "Cite This" option to help develop citations. Any citation generated by a database needs to be checked against a style guide because such citations are very rarely perfect.
MLA Citation Tools: K-State Libraries
The MLA Style tab on the K-State Libraries online guide to Citations & Bibliographies includes links to recommended resources for support in navigating the MLA citation format.
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue
- MLA Formatting and Style Guide on the OWL
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the list of individual sections.
- In-Text Citations: The Basics, includes how to address direct quotation of another person's words, and summarizing/paraphrasing passages; as well as different author situations.
- Includes summary content for quick reference, organized by format (i.e. books, periodicals, web resources, etc.)
Database Helps
When utilizing databases subscriptions, look for a "Cite It" or "Cite This" option to help develop citations. Any citation generated by a database needs to be checked against a style guide because such citations are very rarely perfect.
Record as You Research
This is a general list of the detailed information necessary to capture as you find useful content from both printed materials and electronic materials.
Print Materials
Text and/or images from printed books, magazines, and journals have similar requirements for citation. Note the similarities and differences in the lists below.
Books
- Author(s)
- Dates
- Chapter Title & Author(s)
- Book Title
- Publisher and City
- Page Numbers
Articles
- Author(s)
- Dates
- Article Title
- Journal Title
- Volume & Issue
- Page Numbers
Notes
Dates — when the work was published or created. In your research notes, write the most specific format available. This may be year (1998), month+year (09/1998), or individual day (09/01/1998). What if there is no date? Use "n.d.".
Chapter Titles & Authors — in edited works, the chapters are written by different people. Citations need the names of book editors and chapter authors.
Page Number — the specific page of the image or the text.
Images
All the above information is required from the printed item, plus
- Creator(s)
- Date Created
- Medium
- Title of Work
- Page Number
Note:
Medium — describe the item such as photograph, digital photograph, drawing, painting, etc.
Electronic Materials
Electronic MaterialsIf you find an electronic version of a book, article, or image you will need all of the information required for print materials, plus
Text
- URL
- DOI
Images
- URL
Notes
URL – the link to the document in a database or the link to the page the image was found on. For images, be careful with the link. A Google search result is not stable. Click through to the page that the image "lives" on so that you have the original context.
DOI — a digital object identifier. The DOI is an exclusive alphanumeric string and is used to create a permanent link to a particular document. We have a guide on finding permalinks. Though not always available, it is something to look for.
