Journal Articles: You’ll need to copy down the author’s name, title of the article, name of the journal, volume number, issue number, date of publication, page numbers of the physical copy, and the web address of the journal article. Ebooks: You’ll want to know the author’s name, the title of the book, the publisher, place of publication, year of publication, date accessed, and website where the ebook can be located. On occasion, publishers of physical books will out-source the production of ebooks. If this is the case, a separate publisher will be listed for the ebook version. You’ll need to have information for both publishers.

Use MLA if you study literature, arts, or the general humanities. Use APA if you study psychology, education, linguistics, or other social sciences. Journalism and communications often use APA style as well. Use Chicago Manual of Style if you study history, political science, information science, or journalism and communications. Publishing and editing commonly use a form of Chicago style. In certain cases,the publisher may request a specific citation style that is not commonly used in the field, or may refer you to their own “in-house” style guide. Use whatever is appropriate for your writing. [1] X Research source

Where the citation goes, and the type of citation, depends on what style you are using. Examples for each major style are given in this article.

Where the section title goes, how it is formatted, and the spacing between each entry differs depending on whether you are using MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style. [3] X Research source

If there are two authors, put both last names in parentheses with “and” in the middle followed by the page number: Dogs have evolved alongside humans (Draper and Simpson 68). If there are more than two authors, use commas to separate the authors’ last names followed by the page number: Embroidery should be considered a “fine art form” (Kozinsky, King, and Chappell 56). If no author is listed, use the institution’s name: Dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago (Smithsonian 21). If no institution is credited, just start the citation with the title of the piece: According to experts, energy drinks should not be over consumed (“Impact of caffeine consumption” 102). MLA in-line citations should not indicate whether or not your source is in a PDF file. In all of these scenarios, the parenthetical citation goes before the final punctuation of the sentence. [5] X Research source

For example, to cite a PDF without page numbers that is divided into sections, you can cite it by section: According to Blankenship, caffeine intake should be limited to 200mg per day (ch. 2). If the PDF or ebook is not divided into any identifiable sections, cite the file as a whole and do not give page numbers: Blankenship’s study on caffeine consumption, “Too Jittery, Joe?” suggests that caffeine intake should be limited to 200mg per day.

The basic format is: Author’s last name, Author’s first name. ‘’Book Title’’. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Ebook publisher, Year of Ebook publication. File type. For example: Smith, John. The Fantastic Novel. London: Great Publishing House, 2010. Google Books, 2011. PDF file. 1 December 2012. If your ebook is not a PDF file, cite the file type you have. For example: Smith, John. The Fantastic Novel. London: Great Publishing House, 2010. Kindle file.

The basic format is: Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Article title. ” Journal Title Volume number. Issue number (Date of publication): page numbers. Database name. Medium. Date of access. For example: Doe, Jane. “Interesting Citation Article. ” Journal of Citation Information 4. 7 (2006): 82-5. Academic Access Premier. Web. 20 November 2012.

For example: Doe, Jane. “Interesting Citation Article. ” Online Journal of Citation Information 4. 7 (2006): n. pag. Web. 20 November 2012.

Basic example: Higher education professionals think that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Mandela, 1996, p. 35). [10] X Research source If your file does not have page numbers and you want to use a direct quotation, provide a paragraph number: Higher education professionals think that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Mandela, 1996, para. 18). You can also use a shortened heading in quotation marks: Higher education professionals think that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Mandela, 1996, “A few words on education”).

The basic format is: Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. (Year of publication). ‘’Book title’’ [PDF document]. Available from web address:[13] X Research source Basic example: Smith, J. (2011). The fantastic novel [PDF file]. Available from http://www. books. google. com For a proprietary file, provide the e-reader version in square brackets: Smith, J. (2011). The fantastic novel [Kindle DX file]. Retrieved from http://www. amazon. com

The basic format is: Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. (Year of publication). Title of article [PDF file]. Journal title, volume number(issue number), page numbers. Retrieved from web address: [15] X Research source Basic example: Doe, J. (2006). Interesting citation article [PDF file]. Online Journal of Citation Information, 4(3), 82-5. Retrieved from http://www. random-example-URL. com Note that the volume number is italicized but the issue number (in parentheses) is not! If your article includes a doi number, provide this at the end of the citation.

For ebooks, use this format: Author’s name (first then last), Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number, web address. [17] X Research source Basic example: In the past, great intellectuals like H. G. Wells have argued that “Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. ”[insert footnote here] At the bottom of the page, next to corresponding number, you’d write: H. G. Wells, The Outline of History (London: MacMillan, 1921), 1100, http://www. books. google. com. . [18] X Research source For journal articles in PDF files, you do not need to indicate the file type for footnotes. Just use: Author’s name (first then last), “Article title,” Journal Title Volume number, Issue number (Date of publication): Page number. Basic example: Natalie Zemon Davis argues in her article “The Rites of Violence” that religious rioters viewed their violence as a “form of purification. " [insert footnote here] At the bottom of the page, next to the corresponding number, you’d write: Natalie Zemon Davis, “The Rites of Violence: Religious Riot in Sixteenth-Century France” Past & Present 59, no. 3 (1973): 51.

Basic example: Smith, John. The Fantastic Novel. London: Great Publishing House, 2010. PDF e-book. http://www. books. google. com.

The basic format is: Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Article title. " Journal title Volume number, Issue number (Date of publication): page numbers. doi:[22] X Research source Basic example: Doe, Jane. “Interesting Citation Article. " Online Journal of Citation Information 4, no. 7 (2006): 82-5. doi: 12. 345/abc123-456. If you do not have a doi, use this format: Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Article title. " Journal title Volume number, Issue number (Date of publication): page numbers. Date accessed. Basic example: Doe, Jane. “Interesting Citation Article. " Online Journal of Citation Information 4, no. 7 (2006): 82-5. Web address Accessed November 20, 2012. http://www. random-example-URL. com.