A citation is a reference to a source of information. A citation typically includes enough identifying information, such as the author, title, publisher information, date of publication, database retrieved from, etc. for a reader to be able to locate a copy of the item.
The ability to interpret citations or references from various sources of information is a fundamental research skill. In order to be able to correctly cite an source in a specific style (e.g., MLA, APA), you need to be able to determine what type of source the item is, where the source came from, and identify the various elements of the source.
The boxes below provide several examples of the most common types of sources found in the library catalog, databases, and web sites.
Print Book - Library Catalog Record
Chapter in an eBook - Library Database
Notes: You will also need to include the page number range when citing a specific chapter/essay within an edited book.
Journal Article - Library Database
Magazine Article - Library Database
Newspaper Article - Open Web
