LibGuides: Digital Media and Communications: Cite Your Sources

Citation Style Guides and Manuals (Chicago, MLA)

Chicago
MLA

The Chicago Manual of Style by University of Chicago Staff (Editor)
ISBN: 9780226104201
Publication Date: 2010-08-01

NOTE: The Chicago Style has two different systems: footnotes/endnotes and author/date. Be sure to ask your professor which style you should use.

MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements?facts common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date?that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today. The many new and updated chapters make this edition the comprehensive, go-to resource for writers of research papers and anyone citing sources, from business writers, technical writers, and freelance writers and editors to student writers and the teachers and librarians working with them. Intended for a variety of classroom contexts?middle school, high school, and college courses in composition, communication, literature, language arts, film, media studies, digital humanities, and related fields?the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook offers ? New guidance on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, numbers, italics, and abbreviations ? A new chapter on principles of inclusive language ? Guidelines on setting up research papers in MLA format with updated advice on headings, lists, and title pages for group projects ? Revised, easy-to-use, step-by-step instructions for creating a list of works cited in MLA format ? A new appendix with hundreds of example works-cited-list entries by publication format, including websites, YouTube videos, interviews, and more ? Guidance on finding publication information in a variety of sources ? Newly revised explanations of in-text citations, including advice on how to cite multiple authors of a single work ? Detailed guidance on footnotes and endnotes ? Instructions on quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, and avoiding plagiarism ? Annotated bibliography examples ? Numbered sections keyed to a subject index for quick navigation ? Advanced tips for professional writers and scholars
Call Number: REF Ref Z253 .G53 2016
ISBN: 1603295623
Publication Date: 2021-06-15

The Excelsior OWL has an excellent guide to MLA style. The MLA has a lot of information and tutorials on their website, a quick citation guide by format, a Quick Guide to Works Cited, an interactive template for creating bibliographic citations and information on formatting your paper.

Citation Managers

Citation managers can help you save, organize, and share research and citations. We support three different managers, ZoteroBib, Zotero, and Mendeley. Here are the highlights of each to help you choose which is best for you:

ZoteroBib

You are unable, or don't want to, download software.
You only need the in-text citations or bibliography, you aren't interested in storing and organizing your sources.
You are only using one device.
You need a one-off citation or bibliography for a single project.

Zotero

You plan to use your sources in multiple projects
You want to collaborate with others and share your sources.
You want to store and organize your sources.
You want to use Word or Google Doc add-ins to quickly create your in-text citations and bibliographies.
You want to sync your sources across multiple devices.
You plan to search library databases and/or use non-PDF sources.

Mendeley

You plan to use sources that are primarily PDFs.
You want to annotate and highlight your PDFs directly in the software.
You want to collaborate with others and share your sources with a group smaller than 3.
You want the option to work through web or the desktop application.
You want to use Word to quickly create your in-text citations and bibliographies.

ZoteroBib is a free service that helps you build a bibliography instantly from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software. Your bibliography is stored in your browser’s local storage by default. You can close the page and return to it later, and your bibliography will still be there — no need to worry about saving your data or logging in.

How to Get Started:

Adding References

Go to ZoteroBib
Enter a URL, ISBN, DOI, Title, anXiv ID, PMID in the search box and click Cite.
The citation will appear below the search box. You can edit or delete it at this stage.
Items added should also show under the section Bibliography.

Bibliography and citation styles

Select citation styles from the dropdown menu, e.g. select APA 6th edition from the list.
If something is missing from a reference, e.g. author's name, click the reference to open an editing box. Make changes to the record and click Done.

In-text citations and footnotes in Word

Click the Copy Citation icon on the right of a citation

Add page numbers if you use a direct quote, or omit author, click Copy Citation
Paste this in-text citation onto your word document

Export Bibliography

Select an export option to export references

For more assistance with using ZoteroBib, visit their help site.

Zotero is a free, powerful, easy-to-use research tool that helps you gather, organize, and analyze citations and sources such as pdfs and websites, and then share the results of your research. This personal library of sources can work with your word processing tool to format a paper in your choice of style.

How to Get Started:

Zotero Account

Complete and submit the account registration form.

logo for Zotero

Download

Use Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge
Go to the Zotero Download page
- The site will automatically detect your operating system (Win, Mac, Linux*) and browser.
- Note: Zotero DOES NOT work with Chromebooks or Office 365
Download Zotero 7 and browser Connector

Installation of Zotero

Close any Microsoft Office programs (e.g. Word)
Open the downloaded Zotero file (.exe or .dmg).
Follow the installation directions
- Zotero and an MS Word add-on will be installed
- Installing the browser connector will also add a Zotero add-on to Google Docs
Open the Zotero program
- Go to the Zotero settings box
  - Macs: Click on the "Zotero" menu at the top left and select "Settings"
  - PCs: Click on the "edit" menu at the top left and select "Settings"
- Click on the "Sync" tab on the left side of the settings box, and enter your Zotero account username and password.
Open MS Word or a Google Doc
- Notice the word Zotero on your toolbar.

Installation of Browser Connector (Add-on/extension)

Install the Zotero Connector for your browser
- Browser may restart after installation
- The Safari connector is bundled with the software download, so you only have to download one thing.
  - Once Zotero is installed on your computer, open Safari, click on the "Safari" menu at the top left
  - Click on the "Extensions" tab at the top of the settings box
  - Click the box next to the Zotero extension to activate it
- You'll notice a Zotero icon (a "Z" or a small rectangle) on the right side of your browser toolbar.

NOTE: You just downloaded Zotero 7. This video is on Zotero 6, but all the functionality is the same. We will be adding a tutorial of Zotero 7 soon.

Zotero has an excellent help section, or you can schedule an appointment with a librarian.

Mendeley is a reference manager, academic collaboration network, and crowdsourced database with a unique layer of social information research. Mendeley Reference Manager is available on Mac, Windows and Linux. There is also a free app through iTunes or Google Play.

How to Get Started:

Register for an Account
You will need an account to use Mendeley. You can use any email address to register.
Download Mendeley Reference Manager
Use the Mendeley Reference Manager to build and organize your collection of references and documents. Drag & drop PDF files into the Reference Manager to instantly create references. Annotate PDFs with highlights and sticky notes as you read them.
Install the Mendeley Web Importer
Adding the Web Importer to your favorite web browser makes it easy to import references and documents from academic databases.
Install the Citation Plugin
The plugin allows you to insert citations and bibliographies into your Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, or BibTeX document. Look for the Install link in the Tools menu of Mendeley Desktop.

Mendeley has an excellent help section, or you can schedule an appointment with a librarian.