In this section

• AMA
• APA
• Chicago
• MLA

Creating a Bibliography

Purpose

Preparing a good bibliography is an important part of writing any research paper. An accurate and thorough bibliography reflects the depth of your research—the foundation on which your argument or analysis rests. It is an important aid to readers who wish to verify your facts or to pursue further some of the topics you have discussed. This is your opportunity to impress the reader with the effort and diligence that have gone into your work.

No matter how thorough, your bibliography will only be useful if it can be readily understood. This requires that all your citation notes and bibliographic entries be presented in a uniform style, one with which most of your readers are likely to be familiar. Different bibliographic styles have been developed by major scholarly societies and publishers. Which style you choose depends on the preference of your instructor or your editors, but it is likely to reflect the subject area of your paper. Whatever your choice, it is essential that you follow one bibliographic style accurately and consistently throughout the entire paper. A sloppy or inconsistent style could create the impression that your bibliography's contents, and even your argument itself, are of doubtful quality.

How to Use this Guide

This guide provides patterns and examples for citing different types of works in your notes and bibliography. First, determine the bibliographic style preferred by your instructor or editors. Select that style in the sidebar for an explanation of its general format and conventions. Next, on the page for the bibliographic style you selected, choose a particular type of work—books, articles, Web sites, etc.—and follow the citation pattern and examples given for that type. If you can't find the exact type of work you are looking for, you might be able to apply the pattern for a closely related type. Links to additional resources are also given on each style page to help you find any other patterns and examples you might need. See also the links to other resources provided at the end of this page.

Some Common Bibliographic Styles:

• AMA
• APA
• Chicago
• MLA

Other Resources

You might wish to consult other online guides to bibliographic styles. Here are a few sites that discuss multiple styles:

• The Columbia University Press provides a useful guide for citing online works, The Columbia Guide to Online Style. This guide provides patterns and examples for a number of different electronic formats, including email, online databases, and software programs. Note also the older recommendations in Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic Information by Xia Li and Nancy B. Crane.
• The Internet Public Library maintains a list of recommended online style guides, as does Karla Tonella of the University of Iowa.
• The University of Pennsylvania Library provides links to a number of bibliographic guides and style manuals. An annotated bibliography of style manuals, some available online, is maintained by Duke University Libraries. Guides to several major bibliographic styles can be downloaded from the University of California Berkeley Library.
• Besides the APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, the guide prepared by the Bedford/St. Martin's press describes the bibliographic style of the Council of Science Editors. It also provides references to the style guides of several other scholarly organizations.
• The Dr. Abel Scribe, PhD, series includes guides for many common bibliographic styles that can be downloaded to computers running the Windows operating system. Briefer guides are also available in PDF format.
• The National Archives and Records Administration provides guides for citing government documents. Some modification may be necessary for conformance with the specific bibliographic style you are using.

Page updated: February 26, 2008