biographical essay citation

How do I cite a biographical note?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook . For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

To cite a biographical note, mention it in your prose and then include the work in your works-cited list:

According to a biographical note in Edith Wharton’s  The Age of Innocence , the author “was born . . . into such wealth and privilege that her family inspired the phrase ‘keeping up with the Joneses.’” Work Cited Wharton, Edith.  The Age of Innocence . Barnes and Noble Classics, 2004.

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Automatically Generate Citations Within Databases

Free citation software on the web.

You must always cite information you use from other sources for the following reasons:

1. You need to let the reader or your instructor know the original source of information. Citing sources strengthens your paper and lets your instructor know that you did the work.

2. Citing is a service to the reader. The reader may be stimulated by a reference you have used in your works cited page and will be able to identify and access the sources you have used for his/her own use.

3. You want to give credit to the person whose ideas you have used.

For help with citing sources consult the following citation style guides available online:

• Modern Language Association (MLA) Citation Style Guide
• Style Guides from the OWL (Purdue)

Some databases will automatically generate a citation in MLA and other formats. Others will only provide the basic information, and it's up to you to do the formatting. Look for links like "Cite" or "How to cite" within the databases and on article pages. Also check the top and bottom of the page or article for citation info.

Warning: Most of the citations in databases, web services, etc., are produced automatically using a computer algorithm. That means that if the data is incorrect, the resulting citation is incorrect. You have the final responsibility of checking that the citation is fully correct using the guidelines provided by your professor (or publisher).

These websites have forms where you can fill in the needed information and get a formatted citation to cut and paste into your documents.

Zotero Free and easy to use. Allows you to collect citations and format a bibliography

Bibme BibMe is a free automatic citation creator that supports MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian formatting. This bibliography maker auto-fills and is very easy to use. And it's free!

Son of Citation Machine The Citation Machine will do APA, MLA, Chicago, and Turabian style citations for the most common types of sources: books, book chapters, articles, webpages, images, videos, etc. Both in-text (parenthetical) references and the full citation for the bibliography are produced and ready for copying and pasting into your document.

NoodleBib Express Free citation formatting from the makers of NoodleTools. NoodleBib Express does MLA, APA, and Chicago, and has options for dozens of types of sources, from books and articles to patents, letters, and TV programs.

CiteMaker CiteMaker does APA, Harvard, and MLA citations and covers a wide variety of types of sources, from corporate advertising to musical scores, as well as the usual books and articles. There is also an account version.

EasyBib SCSU subscribes to EasyBib. You can use EasyBib to create bibliographies in APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian citation styles. EasyBib will also suggest more scholarly references for your paper. 

EndNote Basic EndNote Basic (formerly EndNote Web) is a free version of EndNote available to SCSU because we subscribe to the ISI database,  Web of Science . EndNote allows you to collect and manage your references and to create bibliographies in a variety of styles. 

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How to Write a Biography and Cite Sources

Whether you're writing your first research paper or your tenth, the prospect of starting a long essay can be intimidating. In order to write a biography, you must break the writing process into steps that include outlining the paper, compiling relevant information, and beginning to write. Properly citing sources is key to a professional and complete biographical essay. Specific rules, such as those found in the Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association and Chicago style guides, will govern your reference formatting and writing style.

List three to five important discoveries, works, or time periods in the life of person whose biography you are writing. These facts will become the body or core of your biography. You may use print or web sources to help you research and gain information. If the paper is short -- five pages or less -- or you get to choose your own essay length, aim for a list of three to four key facts. If your essay must be longer than five pages, try to think of four to five key facts.

Research the facts you listed more deeply. Use reputable print or web sources, such as books, journals, or the websites of government and professional organizations. Do not use blogs, forums, or self-published material as sources.

Write down the the key information and citation data for each source you use on an index card. Cite the reference according to the format specified by your instructor.

Write an introduction that gives a broad overview of the person's life. Mention your key points, but do not go into great detail. Your first sentence should be very broad. Subsequent sentences can contain more specific information, but the introduction should remain a general overview of the text.

Write the body of your essay. Write one paragraph or more for each key fact that you originally identified. When you use information from your print or web sources, use in-text citations to give credit to the authors. In-text citations come at the middle or end of sentences and may be formatted using superscripted footnotes, endnotes, or parentheses that contain information about author, page number or year. The format of the citations depends on the writing style you've been instructed to use.

Write a conclusion that sums up the key points of your paper without repeating sentences from the body of the text. State the most important information that you want your readers to learn from your essay, but do not introduce any new information in your conclusion.

Compile a works cited page that lists all of the sources that you directly cited in your paper. If you looked at a source, but did not list it in a parenthetical citation, do not include it in your works cited page. Type "Works Cited" at the top of a new sheet of paper, center the text, and then list your sources alphabetically by the authors' last names.

• Finish all your research before you start your paper. This will help you have a better sense of how your essay will be structured than if you began writing without obtaining complete background information.
• Do not start your biography with "(author's name) was born on this day and died on this day." This opening is common in high school writing but adds no interest to the paper, does not introduce the topic, and is out of chronological order.

Things You'll Need

Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator .

• Purdue University: Introduction to Prewriting
• Purdue University: Starting the Writing Process
• Purdue University: MLA Works Cited Page

Claire Jameson began writing in 2007 and received her first breakthrough when she had a narrative published in "Oxygen for the Swimmer." Her articles have been featured on eHow, where she specializes in topics concerned with health and science. Jameson holds Bachelors of Science in mathematics and biology from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently pursuing a nutritionist certification.

Biographical Research: Citation & Writing Manuals

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Citation & Writing Websites

• OWL - Purdue Online Writing Lab Excellent site for citation information. Guidelines for APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles.
• APA Citation Style Help The American Psychological Association citation style website.
• Turabian Quick Guide From the University of Chicago Press, this website provides a basic overview of the Turabian style.
• Fordham University Writing Centers From the website: "Providing more than a proofreading service, our tutors will work with you on a variety of logical, rhetorical, and grammatical concerns in your writing. We can assist you with any type of writing from your curriculum, from conception, to composition, to completion. Our aim is not only to help you perfect an individual essay; we want to help you develop the tools you need to become a better writer. Our service is free and, if you come with the right expectations and the willingness to participate actively in the session, extremely effective. "
• Writing Center Handouts & Resources Guides created by the Writing Center staff to help student writers.

Biographical Writing

• Biography, A User's Guide by Carl Rollyson Call Number: (RH) Stacks CT21 .R585 2008 Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2008.

• Lives in Context: the Art of Life History Research by Ardra L. Cole; J. Gary Knowles Call Number: (RH) Stacks HM511 .C657 2001 Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2001

Citation Manuals

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EasyBib® Guides & Resources

Mla format guide.

This is the total package when it comes to MLA format. Our easy to read guides come complete with examples and step-by-step instructions to format your full and in-text citations, paper, and works cited in MLA style. There’s even information on annotated bibliographies.

Works Cited | In-Text Citations | Bibliography | Annotated Bibliography | Website | Book | Journal | YouTube | View all MLA Citation Examples

APA Format Guide

Get the facts on citing and writing in APA format with our comprehensive guides. Formatting instructions, in-text citation and reference examples, and sample papers provide you with the tools you need to style your paper in APA.

Reference Page | In-Text Citations | Annotated Bibliography | Website | Books | Journal | YouTube | View all APA citation Examples

Chicago Format Guide

Looking to format your paper in Chicago style and not sure where to start? Our guide provides everything you need! Learn the basics and fundamentals to creating references and footnotes in Chicago format. With numerous examples and visuals, you’ll be citing in Chicago style in no time.

Footnotes | Website | Book | Journal

Harvard Referencing Guide

Learn the requirements to properly reference your paper in Harvard style. The guides we have provide the basics and fundamentals to give credit to the sources used in your work.

In-Text Citations | Books | Article | YouTube | View all Harvard Referencing Examples

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What is a Bibliographic Citation?

Journal article citation example, book citation example, video tutorial: formatting the references page.

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Bibliographic citations are the entries listed on your References page that contain information to locate sources that you cited in your essay.  Think of them as a source's "address" as they tell readers where to find a source that your cite.  

You will format your bibliographic citations differently depending on the type of resource being cited, but they all tend to include the author, the year the source was published, and its title, along with information on where to locate the source.

For information on how to format bibliographic citations for different types of resources, see the " How to Cite... " section of this guide.

VIDEO CONTENTS 

0:00 Introduction 

1:30 Page Formatting and Hanging Indents

3:51 Reference List Entries: The Basics 

5:20 Journal Articles 

9:23 Multiple Authors 

11:03 Books, Edited Books, and Chapters 

13:49 Reports, Presentations, Theses, Websites 

19:10 Special Considerations and Missing Elements 

20:47 Putting it All Together 

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Notes and Bibliography: Sample Citations

Go to Author-Date: Sample Citations

The following examples illustrate the notes and bibliography system. Sample notes show full citations followed by shortened citations for the same sources. Sample bibliography entries follow the notes. For more details and many more examples, see chapters 13 and 14 of The Chicago Manual of Style . For examples of the same citations using the author-date system, follow the Author-Date link above.

Note that a place of publication is no longer required in book citations (see CMOS 14.30 ).

1. Charles Yu, Interior Chinatown (Pantheon Books, 2020), 45.

2. Amy J. Binder and Jeffrey L. Kidder, The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today (University of Chicago Press, 2022), 117–18.

Shortened notes

3. Yu, Interior Chinatown , 48.

4. Binder and Kidder, Channels of Student Activism , 125.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Binder, Amy J., and Jeffrey L. Kidder. The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today . University of Chicago Press, 2022.

Yu, Charles. Interior Chinatown . Pantheon Books, 2020.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 13.21–26 and 14.2–62 .

Chapter or other part of an edited book

The page range for a chapter in a book is no longer required in bibliography entries (see CMOS 14.8 ). In a note, cite specific pages as applicable.

1. Kathleen Doyle, “The Queen Mary Psalter,” in The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention , ed. P. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin (University of Chicago Press, 2023), 64.

Shortened note

2. Doyle, “Queen Mary Psalter,” 65.

Bibliography entry

Doyle, Kathleen. “The Queen Mary Psalter.” In The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention , edited by P. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin. University of Chicago Press, 2023.

In some cases, you may want to cite the collection as a whole instead.

1. P. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin, eds., The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention (University of Chicago Press, 2023).

2. Marks and Parkin, Book by Design .

Marks, P. J. M., and Stephen Parkin, eds. The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention . University of Chicago Press, 2023.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.8–14 .

Translated book

In the following examples, the author’s name follows Eastern order (family name first) rather than Western order (family name last); the author is therefore referred to as “Liu” in a shortened note, and the name is not inverted in a bibliography entry. See CMOS 13.75 for more details.

1. Liu Xinwu, The Wedding Party , trans. Jeremy Tiang (Amazon Crossing, 2021).

2. Liu, Wedding Party , 279.

Liu Xinwu. The Wedding Party . Translated by Jeremy Tiang. Amazon Crossing, 2021.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.5–7 .

Book Consulted in an Electronic Format

To cite a book consulted online, include either a URL or the name of the database. For downloadable ebook formats, name the format; if no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the note (or simply omit). For citing a place rather than a publisher for books published before 1900 (as in the Moby-Dick example below), see CMOS 14.31.

1. Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things (Random House, 2008), chap. 6, Kindle.

2. Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, eds., The Founders’ Constitution (University of Chicago Press, 1987), chap. 10, doc. 19, https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

3. Brooke Borel, The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking , 2nd ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2023), 92, EBSCOhost.

4. Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (New York, 1851), 627, https://melville.electroniclibrary.org/moby-dick-side-by-side.

5. Roy, God of Small Things , chap. 7.

6. Kurland and Lerner, Founder s ’ Constitution , chap. 4, doc. 29.

7. Borel, Fact-Checking , 104–5.

8. Melville, Moby-Dick , 722–23.

Borel, Brooke. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking . 2nd ed. University of Chicago Press, 2023. EBSCOhost.

Kurland, Philip B., and Ralph Lerner, eds. The Founders’ Constitution . University of Chicago Press, 1987. https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale . New York, 1851. https://melville.electroniclibrary.org/moby-dick-side-by-side.

Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things . Random House, 2008. Kindle.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.58–62 .

Journal article

Journal articles are usually cited by volume and issue number. In a note, cite specific page numbers. In the bibliography, include the page range for the whole article. For articles consulted online, include a URL (preferably one based on a DOI; see CMOS 13.7); alternatively, list the name of the database.

1. Hyeyoung Kwon, “Inclusion Work: Children of Immigrants Claiming Membership in Everyday Life,” American Journal of Sociology 127, no. 6 (2022): 1842–43, https://doi.org/10.1086/720277.

2. B. T. Hebert, “The Island of Bolsö: A Study of Norwegian Life,” Sociological Review 17, no. 4 (1925): 310, EBSCOhost.

3. Benjamin Lindquist, “The Art of Text-to-Speech,” Critical Inquiry 50, no. 2 (2023): 230, https://doi.org/10.1086/727651.

4. Emily L. Dittmar and Douglas W. Schemske, “Temporal Variation in Selection Influences Microgeographic Local Adaptation,” American Naturalist 202, no. 4 (2023): 480, https://doi.org/10.1086/725865.

5. Kwon, “Inclusion Work,” 1851.

6. Hebert, “Island of Bolsö,” 311.

7. Lindquist, “Text-to-Speech,” 231–32.

8. Dittmar and Schemske, “Temporal Variation,” 480.

Dittmar, Emily L., and Douglas W. Schemske. “Temporal Variation in Selection Influences Microgeographic Local Adaptation.” American Naturalist 202, no. 4 (2023): 471–85. https://doi.org/10.1086/725865.

Hebert, B. T. “The Island of Bolsö: A Study of Norwegian Life.” Sociological Review 17, no. 4 (1925): 307–13. EBSCOhost.

Kwon, Hyeyoung. “Inclusion Work: Children of Immigrants Claiming Membership in Everyday Life.” American Journal of Sociology 127, no. 6 (2022): 1818–59. https://doi.org/10.1086/720277.

Lindquist, Benjamin. “The Art of Text-to-Speech.” Critical Inquiry 50, no. 2 (2023): 225–51. https://doi.org/10.1086/727651.

Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences. For works by two authors, list both in the bibliography and in a note (as in the Dittmar and Schemske example above). For three or more authors, list up to six in the bibliography; for more than six authors, list the first three, followed by “et al.” (“and others”). In a note, list only the first, followed by “et al.” Note that the bibliography entry for the Dror example below (which credits eighteen authors) includes an article ID in place of a page range; in a note, specific page numbers may be cited as shown (see CMOS 14.71 for details).

7. Amiel A. Dror et al., “Pre-Infection 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels and Association with Severity of COVID-19 Illness,” PLOS ONE 17, no. 2 (2022): 4–5, e0263069, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263069.

8. Dror et al., “Pre-Infection,” 7.

Dror, Amiel A., Nicole Morozov, Amani Daoud, et al. “Pre-Infection 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels and Association with Severity of COVID-19 Illness.” PLOS ONE 17, no. 2 (2022): e0263069. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263069.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.67–86 .

News or magazine article

Articles from newspapers or news sites, magazines, blogs, and the like are cited similarly. Page numbers, if any, can be cited in a note but are omitted from a bibliography entry. For articles consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database.

1. Dani Blum, “Are Flax Seeds All That?,” New York Times , December 13, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/well/eat/flax-seeds-benefits.html.

2. Rebecca Mead, “Terms of Aggrievement,” New Yorker , December 18, 2023, 21.

3. Rob Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple,” Washington Post , July 5, 2007, LexisNexis Academic.

4. Elana Klein, “Meet Flip, the Viral Video App Giving Away Free Stuff,” Wired , December 21, 2023, https://www.wired.com/story/flip-viral-video-app-shopping-free-stuff/.

5. Blum, “Flax Seeds.”

6. Mead, “Terms of Aggrievement,” 23–24.

7. Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone.”

8. Klein, “Meet Flip.”

Blum, Dani. “Are Flax Seeds All That?” New York Times , December 13, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/well/eat/flax-seeds-benefits.html.

Klein, Elana. “Meet Flip, the Viral Video App Giving Away Free Stuff.” Wired , December 21, 2023. https://www.wired.com/story/flip-viral-video-app-shopping-free-stuff/.

Mead, Rebecca. “Terms of Aggrievement.” New Yorker , December 18, 2023.

Pegoraro, Rob. “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple.” Washington Post , July 5, 2007. LexisNexis Academic.

Readers’ comments are cited in the text or in a note but omitted from a bibliography.

9. Michelle (Reno), December 15, 2023, comment on Blum, “Flax Seeds.”

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.87–88 (magazines) and 14.89–98 (newspapers and news sites).

Book review

1. Alexandra Jacobs, “The Muchness of Madonna,” review of Madonna: A Rebel Life , by Mary Gabriel, New York Times , October 8, 2023.

2. Jacobs, “Muchness of Madonna.”

Jacobs, Alexandra. “The Muchness of Madonna.” Review of Madonna: A Rebel Life , by Mary Gabriel. New York Times , October 8, 2023.

Interviews are usually cited under the name of the interviewee rather than the interviewer.

1. Joy Buolamwini, “ ‘If You Have a Face, You Have a Place in the Conversation About AI,’ Expert Says,” interview by Tonya Mosley, Fresh Air , NPR, November 28, 2023, audio, 37:58, https://www.npr.org/2023/11/28/1215529902/unmasking-ai-facial-recognition-technology-joy-buolamwini.

2. Buolamwini, interview.

Buolamwini, Joy. “ ‘If You Have a Face, You Have a Place in the Conversation About AI,’ Expert Says.” Interview by Tonya Mosley. Fresh Air , NPR, November 28, 2023. Audio, 37:58. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/28/1215529902/unmasking-ai-facial-recognition-technology-joy-buolamwini.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.108 , 14.109 , and 14.110 .

Thesis or dissertation

1. Yuna Blajer de la Garza, “A House Is Not a Home: Citizenship and Belonging in Contemporary Democracies” (PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2019), 66–67, ProQuest (13865986).

2. Blajer de la Garza, “House,” 93.

Blajer de la Garza, Yuna. “A House Is Not a Home: Citizenship and Belonging in Contemporary Democracies.” PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2019. ProQuest (13865986).

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.113 .

It is often sufficient simply to describe web pages and other website content in the text (“As of November 15, 2023, Google’s privacy policy stated . . .”). If a more formal citation is needed, it may be styled like the examples below. If a source does not list a date of publication or revision, include an access date. Alternatively, if a publicly available archive of the content has been saved using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine or similar service, the link for that version may be cited.

1. “Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google, effective November 15, https://policies.google.com/privacy.

2. “Wikipedia: Manual of Style,” Wikimedia Foundation, last modified December 19, 2023, 21:54 (UTC), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style.

3. “About Yale: Yale Facts,” Yale University, accessed March 8, 2022, https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

3. “About Yale: Yale Facts,” Yale University, archived March 8, 2022, at https://web.archive.org/web/20220308143337/https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

4. Google, “Privacy Policy.”

5. “Wikipedia: Manual of Style.”

6. “Yale Facts.”

In the notes, the title will usually come first (as in the examples above); in a bibliography entry, the source should be listed under the owner or sponsor of the site.

Google. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Effective November 15, 2023. https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Wikimedia Foundation. “Wikipedia: Manual of Style.” Last modified December 19, 2023, at 21:54 (UTC). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style.

Yale University. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Accessed March 8, 2022. https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

Yale University. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Archived March 8, 2022, at https://web.archive.org/web/20220308143337/https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.104 .

Social media content

Citations of content posted to social media can usually be limited to the text (as in the first example below). A note may be added if a more formal citation is needed. In rare cases, a bibliography entry may also be appropriate. In place of a title, quote up to the first 280 characters of the post. Comments are cited in reference to the original post.

The Instagram post included a photo of the president delivering a eulogy at the National Cathedral and referred to O’Connor as “gracious and principled” (@potus, December 19, 2023).

1. NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb), “👀 Sneak a peek at the deepest & sharpest infrared image of the early universe ever taken—all in a day’s work for the Webb telescope. (Literally, capturing it took less than a day!),” Twitter (now X), July 11, 2022, https://twitter.com/NASAWebb/status/1546621080298835970.

2. Chicago Manual of Style, “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in 1993,” Facebook, April 17, 2015, https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151.

3. NASA Webb Telescope, “👀 Sneak a peek.”

4. Michele Truty, April 17, 2015, 1:09 p.m., comment on Chicago Manual of Style, “singular they.”

Chicago Manual of Style. “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in 1993.” Facebook, April 17, 2015. https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.106 .

Video or podcast

1. Vaitea Cowan, “How Green Hydrogen Could End the Fossil Fuel Era,” TED Talk, Vancouver, BC, April 2022, 9 min., 15 sec., https://www .ted .com /talks /vaitea _cowan _how _green _hydrogen _could _end _the _fossil _fuel _era.

2. Eric Oliver, “Why So Many Americans Believe in So Many ‘Crazy’ Things,” moderated by Andrew McCall, virtual lecture, February 23, 2022, posted March 21, 2022, by University of Chicago, YouTube, 1:01:45, https://youtu.be/hfq7AnCF5bg.

3. Lauren Ober, host, The Loudest Girl in the World, season 1, episode 2, “Goodbye, Routine; Hello, Meltdown!,” Pushkin Industries, September 13, 2022, 41 min., 37 sec., https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/loudest-girl-in-the-world.

1. Cowan, “Green Hydrogen,” at 6:09–17.

2. Oliver, “Why.”

3. Ober, “Goodbye, Routine.”

Unless it is clear from context, “video” or the like may be specified in the bibliography.

Cowan, Vaitea. “How Green Hydrogen Could End the Fossil Fuel Era.” TED Talk, Vancouver, BC, April 2022. Video, 9 min., 15 sec. https://www .ted .com /talks /vaitea _cowan _how _green _hydrogen _could _end _the _fossil _fuel _era.

Ober, Lauren, host. The Loudest Girl in the World. Season 1, episode 2, “Goodbye, Routine; Hello, Meltdown!” Pushkin Industries, September 13, 2022. Podcast, 41 min., 37 sec. https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/loudest-girl-in-the-world.

Oliver, Eric. “Why So Many Americans Believe in So Many ‘Crazy’ Things.” Moderated by Andrew McCall. Virtual lecture, February 23, 2022. Posted March 21, 2022, by University of Chicago. YouTube, 1:01:45. https://youtu.be/hfq7AnCF5bg.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.167–69 .

Personal communication

Personal communications, including email and text messages and direct messages sent through social media, are usually cited in the text or in a note only; they are rarely included in a bibliography.

1. Sam Gomez, Facebook direct message to author, August 1, 2024.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.111 .

Biographical Information: APA Paper Format

• Primary Sources
• Quotation Sources
• About Citations
• Why We Cite
• Definitions
• Online Tools
• MLA In-text
• MLA Citations
• MLA Paper Format
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• APA Citations
• APA Paper Format
• Other Citation Styles

APA Style Manual

A copy of this book is also available at the Help Desk.

APA Style Blog

• APA Style Blog APA Style experts and guests tackle a variety of style topics each week in the APA Style Blog.

Purdue Owl: APA

• Purdue OWL - APA Style Guide

Click on the link above to be taken to the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University. The OWL has information on how to format your papers, craft your citations, and provides tutorials on how to do everything in between. 

APA Format in Word 2016

APA Format in Google Docs

Writing Your Paper: APA

Things to know before you begin:

• Font:  Times New Roman  
• Font Size: 12 point 
• Margins:   1 inch
• Paragraphs:  All paragraphs (except the Abstract) should be indented.
• Spacing:  All of the text in your paper should be double-spaced.

Typical APA style papers have four main sections:

See the boxes below for a breakdown of how each portion should be formatted.

Sample Paper: APA

• Sample Paper APA: 3D Printing An example of an accurately formatted APA-style paper.

Title Page: APA

• APA Quick Answers: Formatting Click the link above for some tips and tricks from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
• Purdue OWL: APA General Format Click the link above for further information on general formatting using APA style.

Abstract: APA

Main Body: APA

References: APA

How to Create a Hanging Indent

• Create a Hanging Indent: Google Docs Learn how to create a hanging indent in Google Docs.
• Create a Hanging Indent: MS Word Learn how to create a hanging indent in Microsoft Word.
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• Knowledge Base
• Citing sources

How to Cite Sources | Citation Generator & Quick Guide

Citing your sources is essential in  academic writing . Whenever you quote or paraphrase a source (such as a book, article, or webpage), you have to include a  citation crediting the original author.

Failing to properly cite your sources counts as plagiarism , since you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

The most commonly used citation styles are APA and MLA. The free Scribbr Citation Generator is the quickest way to cite sources in these styles. Simply enter the URL, DOI, or title, and we’ll generate an accurate, correctly formatted citation.

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Table of contents

When do you need to cite sources, which citation style should you use, in-text citations, reference lists and bibliographies.

Scribbr Citation Generator

Other useful citation tools

Citation examples and full guides, frequently asked questions about citing sources.

Citations are required in all types of academic texts. They are needed for several reasons:

• To avoid plagiarism by indicating when you’re taking information from another source
• To give proper credit to the author of that source
• To allow the reader to consult your sources for themselves

A citation is needed whenever you integrate a source into your writing. This usually means quoting or paraphrasing:

• To quote a source , copy a short piece of text word for word and put it inside quotation marks .
• To paraphrase a source , put the text into your own words. It’s important that the paraphrase is not too close to the original wording. You can use the paraphrasing tool if you don’t want to do this manually.

Citations are needed whether you quote or paraphrase, and whatever type of source you use. As well as citing scholarly sources like books and journal articles, don’t forget to include citations for any other sources you use for ideas, examples, or evidence. That includes websites, YouTube videos , and lectures .

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Usually, your institution (or the journal you’re submitting to) will require you to follow a specific citation style, so check your guidelines or ask your instructor.

In some cases, you may have to choose a citation style for yourself. Make sure to pick one style and use it consistently:

• APA Style is widely used in the social sciences and beyond.
• MLA style is common in the humanities.
• Chicago notes and bibliography , common in the humanities
• Chicago author-date , used in the (social) sciences
• There are many other citation styles for different disciplines.

If in doubt, check with your instructor or read other papers from your field of study to see what style they follow.

In most styles, your citations consist of:

• Brief in-text citations at the relevant points in the text
• A reference list or bibliography containing full information on all the sources you’ve cited

In-text citations most commonly take the form of parenthetical citations featuring the last name of the source’s author and its year of publication (aka author-date citations).

An alternative to this type of in-text citation is the system used in numerical citation styles , where a number is inserted into the text, corresponding to an entry in a numbered reference list.

There are also note citation styles , where you place your citations in either footnotes or endnotes . Since they’re not embedded in the text itself, these citations can provide more detail and sometimes aren’t accompanied by a full reference list or bibliography.

A reference list (aka “Bibliography” or “Works Cited,” depending on the style) is where you provide full information on each of the sources you’ve cited in the text. It appears at the end of your paper, usually with a hanging indent applied to each entry.

The information included in reference entries is broadly similar, whatever citation style you’re using. For each source, you’ll typically include the:

• Author name
• Publication date
• Container (e.g., the book an essay was published in, the journal an article appeared in)
• Location (e.g., a URL or DOI , or sometimes a physical location)

The exact information included varies depending on the source type and the citation style. The order in which the information appears, and how you format it (e.g., capitalization, use of italics) also varies.

Most commonly, the entries in your reference list are alphabetized by author name. This allows the reader to easily find the relevant entry based on the author name in your in-text citation.

In numerical citation styles, the entries in your reference list are numbered, usually based on the order in which you cite them. The reader finds the right entry based on the number that appears in the text.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Because each style has many small differences regarding things like italicization, capitalization , and punctuation , it can be difficult to get every detail right. Using a citation generator can save you a lot of time and effort.

Scribbr offers citation generators for both APA and MLA style. Both are quick, easy to use, and 100% free, with no ads and no registration required.

Just input a URL or DOI or add the source details manually, and the generator will automatically produce an in-text citation and reference entry in the correct format. You can save your reference list as you go and download it when you’re done, and even add annotations for an annotated bibliography .

Once you’ve prepared your citations, you might still be unsure if they’re correct and if you’ve used them appropriately in your text. This is where Scribbr’s other citation tools and services may come in handy:

Plagiarism Checker

Citation Checker

Citation Editing

Plagiarism means passing off someone else’s words or ideas as your own. It’s a serious offense in academia. Universities use plagiarism checking software to scan your paper and identify any similarities to other texts.

When you’re dealing with a lot of sources, it’s easy to make mistakes that could constitute accidental plagiarism. For example, you might forget to add a citation after a quote, or paraphrase a source in a way that’s too close to the original text.

Using a plagiarism checker yourself before you submit your work can help you spot these mistakes before they get you in trouble. Based on the results, you can add any missing citations and rephrase your text where necessary.

Try out the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker for free, or check out our detailed comparison of the best plagiarism checkers available online.

Scribbr Plagiarism Checker

Scribbr’s Citation Checker is a unique AI-powered tool that automatically detects stylistic errors and inconsistencies in your in-text citations. It also suggests a correction for every mistake.

Currently available for APA Style, this is the fastest and easiest way to make sure you’ve formatted your citations correctly. You can try out the tool for free below.

If you need extra help with your reference list, we also offer a more in-depth Citation Editing Service.

Our experts cross-check your in-text citations and reference entries, make sure you’ve included the correct information for each source, and improve the formatting of your reference page.

If you want to handle your citations yourself, Scribbr’s free Knowledge Base provides clear, accurate guidance on every aspect of citation. You can see citation examples for a variety of common source types below:

And you can check out our comprehensive guides to the most popular citation styles:

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The abbreviation “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”) is used to shorten citations of sources with multiple authors.

“Et al.” is used in APA in-text citations of sources with 3+ authors, e.g. (Smith et al., 2019). It is not used in APA reference entries .

Use “et al.” for 3+ authors in MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries.

Use “et al.” for 4+ authors in a Chicago in-text citation , and for 10+ authors in a Chicago bibliography entry.

The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js . It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.

You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .

APA format is widely used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences, including fields like education, psychology, and business.

Be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you want to be published in to double-check which style you should be using.

MLA Style  is the second most used citation style (after APA ). It is mainly used by students and researchers in humanities fields such as literature, languages, and philosophy.

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• What Are Endnotes? | Guide with Examples
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• What Does Ibid. Mean? | Definition & Examples
• What is a DOI? | Finding and Using Digital Object Identifiers
• What Is an Annotated Bibliography? | Examples & Format

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What is mybib.

MyBib is a free bibliography and citation generator that makes accurate citations for you to copy straight into your academic assignments and papers.

If you're a student, academic, or teacher, and you're tired of the other bibliography and citation tools out there, then you're going to love MyBib. MyBib creates accurate citations automatically for books, journals, websites, and videos just by searching for a title or identifier (such as a URL or ISBN).

Plus, we're using the same citation formatting engine as professional-grade reference managers such as Zotero and Mendeley, so you can be sure our bibliographies are perfectly accurate in over 9,000 styles -- including APA 6 & 7, Chicago, Harvard, and MLA 7 & 8.

Quick features:

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Evaluating Bibliographic Citations

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

A bibliographic citation provides relevant information about the author and publication as well as a short summary of the text, usually known as the abstract. Depending on where you find your information, the bibliographic citation will vary.

Before you spend a lot of time reading a source, begin by looking at the following information in the citation to evaluate whether it's worth pursuing.

Consider the author, the title of the work, the summary, where it is (e.g., a book, an academic journal, a blog, a social media site), and the timeliness of the entry. You may also want to look at the keywords to see what other categories the work falls into. Evaluate this information to see if it is relevant and valid for your research.

Library Catalog

When searching for sources in a library catalog, the bibliographic citation will often include the author, the publisher, and the physical location of the source in the library (see image below). Using a library catalog is helpful if you are looking for print sources for your research.

Example of bibliographic citations in a library catalog.

Once you find the bibliographic citation, take a look at the author and the publisher. Has this author published other works? Does the publisher list other publications on their website? If you are still uncertain about the credibility, locate the physical source and read bits of it to see if it contains information that’s relevant to your research.

Online Databases

When searching for information in online databases such as  EbscoHost  or  ProQuest , you will most likely find a bibliographic citation entry beneath the title of the source.

Examples of bibliographic citations in an online database.

If a summary or abstract is not available in the preview, often you can click on the source and view more details (see image below).

Sample extended bibliographic citation and abstract.

Different websites contain different levels of bibliographic citations. Sometimes it’s possible to find complete author information, while other times you may simply have a username or an author’s initials.

Most websites list the available author information directly under the title of the article or at the bottom of the article.

Sometimes a website does not list an author. If this is the case, it’s important to determine whether the website itself seems credible. If the website is associated with a print publication, or is from a well-known organization, it is probably credible. However, you should read the article to determine whether the information seems valid. On the next page you will find more strategies for determining whether a source is credible.

Understanding the differences in bibliographic citations is an important step as you search for sources to include in your research.

Sample Papers

This page contains sample papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style. The sample papers show the format that authors should use to submit a manuscript for publication in a professional journal and that students should use to submit a paper to an instructor for a course assignment. You can download the Word files to use as templates and edit them as needed for the purposes of your own papers.

Most guidelines in the Publication Manual apply to both professional manuscripts and student papers. However, there are specific guidelines for professional papers versus student papers, including professional and student title page formats. All authors should check with the person or entity to whom they are submitting their paper (e.g., publisher or instructor) for guidelines that are different from or in addition to those specified by APA Style.

Sample papers from the Publication Manual

The following two sample papers were published in annotated form in the Publication Manual and are reproduced here as PDFs for your ease of use. The annotations draw attention to content and formatting and provide the relevant sections of the Publication Manual (7th ed.) to consult for more information.

• Student sample paper with annotations (PDF, 5MB)
• Professional sample paper with annotations (PDF, 2.7MB)

We also offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format with the annotations as comments to the text.

• Student sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 42KB)
• Professional sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 103KB)

Finally, we offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format without the annotations.

• Student sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 36KB)
• Professional sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 96KB)

Sample professional paper templates by paper type

These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different professional paper types. Professional papers can contain many different elements depending on the nature of the work. Authors seeking publication should refer to the journal’s instructions for authors or manuscript submission guidelines for specific requirements and/or sections to include.

• Literature review professional paper template (DOCX, 47KB)
• Mixed methods professional paper template (DOCX, 68KB)
• Qualitative professional paper template (DOCX, 72KB)
• Quantitative professional paper template (DOCX, 77KB)
• Review professional paper template (DOCX, 112KB)

Sample papers are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 2 and the Concise Guide Chapter 1

Related handouts

• Heading Levels Template: Student Paper (PDF, 257KB)
• Heading Levels Template: Professional Paper (PDF, 213KB)

Other instructional aids

• Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS)
• APA Style Tutorials and Webinars
• Handouts and Guides
• Paper Format

View all instructional aids

Sample student paper templates by paper type

These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different student paper types. Students may write the same types of papers as professional authors (e.g., quantitative studies, literature reviews) or other types of papers for course assignments (e.g., reaction or response papers, discussion posts), dissertations, and theses.

APA does not set formal requirements for the nature or contents of an APA Style student paper. Students should follow the guidelines and requirements of their instructor, department, and/or institution when writing papers. For instance, an abstract and keywords are not required for APA Style student papers, although an instructor may request them in student papers that are longer or more complex. Specific questions about a paper being written for a course assignment should be directed to the instructor or institution assigning the paper.

• Discussion post student paper template (DOCX, 31KB)
• Literature review student paper template (DOCX, 37KB)
• Quantitative study student paper template (DOCX, 53KB)

Sample papers in real life

Although published articles differ in format from manuscripts submitted for publication or student papers (e.g., different line spacing, font, margins, and column format), articles published in APA journals provide excellent demonstrations of APA Style in action.

APA journals began publishing papers in seventh edition APA Style in 2020. Professional authors should check the author submission guidelines for the journal to which they want to submit their paper for any journal-specific style requirements.

Credits for sample professional paper templates

Quantitative professional paper template: Adapted from “Fake News, Fast and Slow: Deliberation Reduces Belief in False (but Not True) News Headlines,” by B. Bago, D. G. Rand, and G. Pennycook, 2020, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , 149 (8), pp. 1608–1613 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000729 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Qualitative professional paper template: Adapted from “‘My Smartphone Is an Extension of Myself’: A Holistic Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of Using a Smartphone,” by L. J. Harkin and D. Kuss, 2020, Psychology of Popular Media , 10 (1), pp. 28–38 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000278 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Mixed methods professional paper template: Adapted from “‘I Am a Change Agent’: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Students’ Social Justice Value Orientation in an Undergraduate Community Psychology Course,” by D. X. Henderson, A. T. Majors, and M. Wright, 2019,  Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , 7 (1), 68–80. ( https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000171 ). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association.

Literature review professional paper template: Adapted from “Rethinking Emotions in the Context of Infants’ Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Interest and Positive Emotions,” by S. I. Hammond and J. K. Drummond, 2019, Developmental Psychology , 55 (9), pp. 1882–1888 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000685 ). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association.

Review professional paper template: Adapted from “Joining the Conversation: Teaching Students to Think and Communicate Like Scholars,” by E. L. Parks, 2022, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , 8 (1), pp. 70–78 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000193 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Credits for sample student paper templates

These papers came from real students who gave their permission to have them edited and posted by APA.