Writer's WebSample Bibliographies: Three Systems of Documentation

In a perfect world, all professions would use one system to note their sources. Currently, however, dozens of systems of documentation exist, with all of them providing a convenient "shorthand" that acknowledges sources and suggests additional readings.

Fortunately, professional associations have issued handbooks that detail their "house" systems; the three bibliographies below list print and web references from three different handbooks, The MLA Handbook, Turabian's A Manual for Writers, and the APA's Publication Manual.

In the examples that follow, note that Barnes' article comes from a weekly magazine, and thus uses the same form as would a newspaper article. Cook's article is from a "scholarly journal." The next listing is of the same Cook article, but this time, retrieved from an online database (JSTOR). Davey's article comes from a daily, online newspaper. Lannon's work is a book, while Leap's article comes from a book containing the work of several authors. Can you spot the differences between the citations in the three different formats? The fourth listing is of the same Cook article, but this time, retrieved from an online database (JSTOR).

The examples below come from print and online sources that students will likely use often. Check the UR Library website for more examples of MLA, Turabian, and APA style citations.

 

Bibliography
(MLA Handbook 5th Ed.)

Barnes, Fred. "Finest Hour." New Republic 11 Feb. 1991: 14-16.

Cook, Eleanor. "Reading Typologically, For Example, Faulkner." American Literature 63 (Dec. 1991): 693-711.

Cook, Eleanor. "Reading Typologically, for Example, Faulkner." American Literature 63.4 (1991): 693-711. JSTOR. Web. 24 March 2010.

Davey, Monica. "Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty in Qaeda Plane Bombing Case." nytimes.com. The New York Times Company, 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2011.

Lannon, John M. Technical Writing. Glenview: Scott-Foresman, 1988.

Leap, William L. "American Indian Languages." Language in the USA. Ed. Charles A. Ferguson and Shirley Brice Heath. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1981.

 

Bibliography
(Turabian's A Manual for Writers).

Barnes, Fred. "Finest Hour." New Republic, 11 February 1991: 14-16.

Cook, Eleanor. "Reading Typologically, For Example, Faulkner." American Literature 63 (December 1991): 693-711.

Cook, Eleanor. "Reading Typologically, for Example, Faulkner." American Literature 63, no 4 (1991): 693-711. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2926875.

Davey, Monica. "Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty in Qaeda Plane Bombing Case." New York Times, October 12, 2011, http://newyorktimes.com/.

Lannon, John M. Technical Writing. Glenview, Ill: Scott-Foresman Co, 1988.

Leap, William L. "American Indian Languages." Language in the USA. Ed. Charles A. Ferguson and Shirley Brice Heath, 116-144. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981.

 

References
(American Psychological Assn- APA Style)

Barnes, F. (1991, February 11). Finest hour. New Republic, pp.14-16.

Cook, E. (1991). Reading typologically, for example, Faulkner. American Literature, 63, 693-711.

Cook, Eleanor. (1991). Reading Typologically, for Example, Faulkner. American Literature, 63, 693-711. Retrieved from http://americanliterature.dukejournals.org/

Davey, Monica. (2011, October 12). Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty in Qaeda Plane Bombing Case. New York Times. Retrieved from http://newyorktimes.com/

Lannon, J. (1988). Technical writing (4th ed.). Glenview, IL: Scott-Foresman.

Leap, W. (1981). American indian languages. In Charles A. Ferguson and Shirley Brice Heath, Language in the USA (1st. ed.) (pp. 116-144). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 

 

Writer's Web can only begin to differentiate these ways of documenting sources; each system has dozens of other rules and exceptions. You should visit the Writing Center to look at complete copies of handbooks; all three reference books are on reserve in the Boatwright Library.

Pointers when Documenting Sources

Need more help? See Writer's Web's materials about using quotations and paraphrases.

 

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