January 2013
Citing Works in Mechanical Engineering: A Guide
Below are examples of ways you might want to create citations. There are three things to consider
when creating a citation:
1) Cite appropriately (don’t forget anyone)
2) Be accurate with the author’s names, dates, and titles
3) Present the citations in a consistent style
There is no one way to cite your research. It is therefore a good idea to check with the people to
whom you are submitting your work (i.e.; your professor or the editors of a journal) to ensure
you are using the appropriate citation style. The examples below are based on the publication
standards of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME); their standards are
available online at http://journaltool.asme.org/Content/AuthorResources.cfm
Note: References are always listed numerically by the order of appearance in your written document.
Citations within text
“As discussed by Serig [1] . . .”
Within the text, references should be cited in numerical order according to their order
of appearance. The numbered reference citation within text should be enclosed in
brackets. In the case of two citations, the numbers should be separated by a comma
[1,2]. In the case of more than two references, the numbers should be separated by a
dash [5-7].
Print Sources
A Book
[1] Serig, A., and Rodriguez, J., 1997, Optimizing the Shape of Mechanical Elements and
Structures, M. Dekker, NY.
An Article from a Journal (volume has continuous page numbering)**
[2] Huang, H.-M., Liu, S.-D., and Jiang, S., 2001, “Stress and Strain Histories of
Multiple Bending-Unbending Springback Process,” ASME J. Engineering Mat. Technol.,
123, pp. 384-390.
Conference Proceedings
[3] Davie, J.R., and Senapathy, H., 1999, “Stress Distribution Under Heavy Haul
Transporters,” Proc. American Power Conference, Chicago Il., Vol. 61 Pt. 2, pp. 913-917.
** It is not necessary to include the issue number when page numbering is continuous
for the entire volume (i.e.; issue 1 has pp. 1-237, issue 2 contains pp. 238-403). In cases
where each issue begins with page 1, indicate the most precise date available or, when
date is unknown, use the volume and issue number.
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January 2013
Electronic Sources
The following elements may or may not be necessary when citing an electronic source of information:
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Primary responsibility (author’s name)
Title of contribution (article’s title)
Title (of serial, list-serv, etc.)
Type of medium (CD-ROM, Internet, ftp)
Edition (if applicable)
Date of update/revision (if known)
Date of citation (required for online documents, optional for others)
Location within host document (i.e.; URL)
Availability and access (required for online documents, optional for others)
Electronic Books (Internet)
[4] Sperling, D., 1995, Future Drive : Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation,
(Online) Island Press, (cited 11 October 2004), available from World Wide Web:
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/unblib/Doc?id=2000946
An Article from an Electronic Journal (Internet)
[5] Huang, H.-M., Liu, S.-D., and Jiang, S, 2001, “Stress and Strain Histories of Multiple
Bending-Unbending Springback Process,” ASME J. Engineering Mat. Technol.(Online),
123 (cited February 1, 2002), available from World Wide Web:
<http://ojps.aip.org/journal_cgi/dbt?KEY=JEMTA8&Volume=123&Issue=4> ; Also
available in PDF and Gzipped PS.
Conference Proceedings (CD-ROM)
[6] Davie, J.R., and Senapathy, H., 1999, “Stress Distribution Under Heavy Haul
Transporters,” Proc. American Power Conference (CD-ROM), Vol. 61 Pt. 2.
Website
[7] Information and documentation - Bibliographic references – Part 2: Electronic
documents or parts thereof. 2002. Excerpts from International Standard ISO 690-2.
(Internet), (Updated 18 March 2002), (cited 31 January 2013), available from World
Wide Web: < http://museodeltraje.mcu.es/downloads/INTERNATIONAL_STANDARD_ISO-6902.pdf >
Note: When citing an electronic resource, use the most stable and accessible URL available.
Need more help creating your reference list?
Contact: Saran Croos, Librarian
Engineering Library
Head Hall, Room C-15
Developed by: Lindsay-Erin Beatty Copyright 2002
Revised by: Lisa Auld 2005, Saran Croos 2013
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