HOW TO CITE SOURCES
AMERICAN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF
EDUCATION
THE IMPORTANCE OF CITING SOURCES
There are several reasons why it is important to cite your
sources:
1. It shows that part of your work is based on the work of
others. Failure to acknowledge that some of the
information you used is based on the opinions and ideas
of others is considered plagiarism.
2. Allows your reader to see the range of your resources
and be able to go back to them if necessary.
3. You can lose points if the content, quality, or layout of
your references are of a poor standard.
WHERE TO CITE
• The two places you should cite your sources are:
• Within the text, at the place where you are adding
your quote or information. You use this type of
citation whether you are directly quoting,
summarizing, or simply paraphrasing an idea.
• In a comprehensive list at the end of the paper.
IN-TEXT CITATION
• When you quote, summarize, or paraphrase, include the
author’s name, year of publication, and page number - if
applicable.
• Quote Ex:
“Students often had difficulty using APA style. (Jones, 1998,
p. 199) If there is no page number, it will be (Jones, 1998)
• Paraphrase Ex:
APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time
learners. (Jones, 1998, p.199)
• If there is more than one author, name both authors using &
in between their names. Ex. (Wegener & Petty, 1994)
MORE IN-TEXT CITATION EXAMPLES
“I tell you what. Put your
money on the table. I
won’t pick it up until you
tell me to.” (Follett)
“I tell you what. Put your
money on the table. I
won’t pick it up until you
tell me to.” (Follett, 2010,
p.419)
COMPREHENSIVE LIST
• Citing Books
• The basic format to cite books is as follows:
Last name, Initials. (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital
letter also for subtitle. Location: Publisher.
• Ex.
Calfee, R. C., & Valencia, R. R. (1991). APA guide to
preparing manuscripts for journal publication.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Note: the first line starts at the beginning of the page
while the succeeding lines are indented.
COMPREHENSIVE LIST….CONTINUED
• Citing Online Sources:
• Article from an online periodical:
Author, A. A., (Date of Publication). Title of article. Title of
Online Periodical, volume number (issue number if available).
Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/
• Ex.
Bernstein, M. (2002). 10 tips on writing the living Web. A List
Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 149. Retrieved from
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writeliving
COMPREHENSIVE LIST….CONTINUED
• Citing Online Sources:
• Online Newspaper Article:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of Article. Title
of
Newspaper. Retrieved from http://
www.address.com/full
• Ex:
Parker-Pope, T. (2008, May 6). Psychiatry handbook
linked to drug industry. The New York Times.
Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com
COMPREHENSIVE LIST….CONTINUED
• Citing Online Sources:
• Online Encyclopedias/Dictionaries
• Such sources usually do not provide an author’s name.
If that is the case, provide the entry name and then the
publication dates. If there are no publication dates, just
add(n.d.)
Ex.
Feminism. (n.d.). In Encyclopedia Britannica online.
Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/
Ebchecked/topic/724633/feminism
COMPREHENSIVE LIST EXAMPLE
Follett, K. 2010. Fall of Giants. London: Penguin Books.
Kopkowski, C., NEA-Why They Leave
Grissom, J. A. 2011, TCRecord: Article. March 26, 2014.
www.tcrecord.org
Follett, K. (2010). Fall of Giants. London: Penguin Books
Limited.
Grissom, J. A. (2011). TCRecord: Article. Retrieved March 26,
2014, from http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?
Kopkowski, C. (2008, April). NEA - Why They Leave.
Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://www.nea.org/
home/12630.htm
Make sure the list is in alphabetical order according to author's last name
SOURCES TO HELP YOU CITE
• There are different types of sources, and each has
its own format. Here are a few websites that can
help you cite your sources:
• www.citefast.com
• www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-book
Courtesy of AGSE