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Learn How to Cite

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When you use someone else's words or ideas, you must always give credit to those sources from which you borrowed. In writing a paper, you give credit to others by creating a Works Cited Page and by using in-text citations. To learn more about how and why we cite, watch this video.

 

What are the Different Citation Styles?

Many different styles exist for creating citations. Two particular styles, MLA and APA, are widely used in academia. The MLA citation style was developed by the Modern Language Association and is used when writing papers in literature, history, philosophy, and other fields of study in the humanities. The APA citation style was developed by the American Psychological Association and is used when writing papers in psychology, sociology, education, and other fields of study in the social sciences.

 

How are a Works Cited Page and In-Text Citations Different?

To learn how these are different, view this slideshow (click on the bottom right-hand corner to watch it in full-screen mode):

 

How to Choose the Appropriate Citation Rule for your Source

Step 1: Identify the information type. The type determines which rule to apply. For example:

  • Book

  • Encyclopedia

  • Magazine

  • Newspaper article

  • Journal article

  • Web site

  • Book review

  • Pamphlet

  • Government publication

Step 2: Determine if it's online or print. The medium impacts which rule to apply.

  • For example, a print book and an e-Book are cited differently.

Step 3: Use the type and the medium to identify the relevant rule to apply.

  • For example, the type may be a newspaper, and the medium is online.

Step 4: Follow the rule and find as many of the required elements as you can.

  • The rules are exact: be sure to use the proper capitalization and punctuation.

 

EasyBib Online Citation Editor

Marymount College Library endorses use of the EasyBib online citation software. Students using EasyBib from a college computer will be able to generate both MLA and APA citations.

 

To access EasyBib off-campus: Login here 

 

Need Additional Help?

It can be tricky identifying the information type, particularly for web sources, so ask a librarian for help.