Research Depot: MLA/APA Citation
Introduction
An important final step in your research is citation. The basic function
of any citation, whether in your text or in your bibliography, is to allow
other people to locate the sources you have used. In our science analogy,
you might think of citation as a way of allowing other people to repeat
your experiments, which only validates your conclusions.
The Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and
Usage, 5th edition,
by Muriel Harris is the reference handbook used for all Writing Program
courses. You can use this book to help you learn proper
citation for your writing, but you can also use this tutorial to help
you fine tune those skills.
MLA Citation
There are two main formats you might use for your citation. One of these
is MLA, created by the Modern Language Association. There are a number
of resources on the web concerning MLA citation, and most especially the
ways to cite electronic resources in your writing. Here are some links
you might find useful:
-
MLA Homepage: Click on "MLA
Style" and then click on "Frequently Asked Questions"
to reach the page covering citation for electronic sources.
-
Columbia
Guide to Online Style: Created by Columbia University Press, this
resource covers citation in both humanities (MLA) and scientific (APA)
style, with a focus on electronic resources.
-
USM
Libraries MLA Style Guide: This guide was prepared by the University
of Southern Mississippi and has examples for many common print citations
you might use.
-
Writer's
Handbook: The Writer's Handbook, from the University of Wisconsin,
Madison, Writing Center has information on citing sources in your
text as well as your bibliography and information on electronic sources
as well.
APA Citation
The other format you may be using is APA, created by the American Psychological
Association. You'll also find a lot of APA resources online, including:
In-Text Citation
These resouces will give you some guidance on referring to your sources
within your text:
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