What is a Bibliography?

A bibliography, often referred to as "Cited References," is an alphabetical list of all the materials (books, articles from journals, newspapers, interviews, web pages, etc.) that are used in the preparation of a research paper or that are referred to in the text. The purpose of a bibliography is to provide the information necessary to find the item listed. Each item listed is called a citation. During the research process, be sure to make note of the information that is necessary for the bibliographic citation.

Bibliographic Citation Formats

There are several possible formats for a citation in a bibliography. If the instructor has not recommended or assigned a specific style, consult with him or her for suggestions. This guide provides examples of citations for the most widely used formats. To find out more about a particular format, consult the manual listed. Further instructions for citing Internet resources (web pages, e-mails) can be found on the web pages listed for each format, where available.

Writing the Citation

Each citation consists of several elements. Below are examples of a catalog entry for a book and an index entry for a journal article. The important elements are labeled for each. A general guide giving basic information for a variety of styles is Cite Right: a Quick Guide to Citation Styles--MLA, APA, Chicago, the Sciences, Professions, and More. This book is available at the RIS Information Desk, (REF) PN 171 .F56 L55 2006. For basic assistance, see Knight Cite: http://webapps.calvin.edu/knightcite/index.php

Chicago Manual of Style       (REF) Z 253 .U69 2003 To register for access for the latest edition, and for "frequently asked questions," use the web address: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/cmosfaq.html. Register under the "Search the Manual" link. Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations     (Turabian) (REF) LB 2369 .T8 1996 Basic citation format is the same in these two manuals.
Book:	Condouriotis, Eleni. Claiming history: colonialism, ethnography, and the novel. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
Article:	Gray, Richard. "New sources on Italian colonialism." Journal of African history 39, no.3 (1998): 492-494.
Internet:	While there is no official format for citing Internet resources using these manuals, the following web page provides some suggestions: http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/Memorial/citing.htm#Turabian
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers       (REF) LB 2369 .G53 2003 MLA Style       http://www.mla.org/style/     Click on "Frequently Asked Questions" for basic information; site does not include the full text of the Handbook.
Book:	Condouriotis, Eleni. Claiming History: Colonialism, Ethnography, and the Novel. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
Article:	Gray, Richard. "New Sources on Italian Colonialism." Journal of African History 39 (1998): 492-494.
Internet:	Words and Deeds in American History. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. 3 August 1999 <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mcchtml/corhome.htm>
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (REF) BF 76.7 .P83 2001 Electronic Reference Formats:       http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html See the APA Documentation site from UW Writing Center: http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html Note: all references in APA format should be double-spaced.
Book:	Condouriotis, E. (1999). Claiming history: colonialism, ethnography, and the novel. New York: Columbia University Press.
Article:	Gray, R. (1998). New sources on Italian colonialism. Journal of African History. 39, 492-494.
Internet:	Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. (1997, September 8). Collecting, preserving, and researching history: a peek into the Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Retrieved August 3, 1999 from http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mcchtml/special.html
Government Information Sources While there is no separate official format for citing government information sources, the following resources may be useful.
Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources (REF) Z 1223 .Z7 G37x 2002
Citing Government Information Sources Using MLA (Modern Language Association) Style: http://www.library.unr.edu/depts/bgic/guides/government/cite.html

Check the UWM Libraries home page: Online Reference: Citation Style Manuals, available at http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/subjects/reference.html#cit, for links to selected online resources.

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