How to Cite a PDF
Gather all the pertinent information., Choose which style you want to use., Insert an in-line citation right after you’ve referenced a text., Format your bibliography correctly.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather all the pertinent information.
For both in-line and bibliographic citation, you’ll need to know basic information about its creation.
Journal Articles:
You’ll need to copy down the author’s name, title of the article, name of the journal, volume number, issue number, date of publication, page numbers of the physical copy, and the web address of the journal article.Ebooks:
You’ll want to know the author’s name, the title of the book, the publisher, place of publication, year of publication, date accessed, and website where the ebook can be located.
On occasion, publishers of physical books will out-source the production of ebooks.
If this is the case, a separate publisher will be listed for the ebook version.
You’ll need to have information for both publishers. -
Step 2: Choose which style you want to use.
The most commonly used styles in academic and professional writing are MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style (sometimes also called “Turabian” after the style manual’s editor).
Choose the style used by your field, or the style stated as preferred by your profession or workplace.
Use MLA if you study literature, arts, or the general humanities.
Use APA if you study psychology, education, linguistics, or other social sciences.
Journalism and communications often use APA style as well.
Use Chicago Manual of Style if you study history, political science, information science, or journalism and communications.
Publishing and editing commonly use a form of Chicago style.
In certain cases,the publisher may request a specific citation style that is not commonly used in the field, or may refer you to their own “in-house” style guide.
Use whatever is appropriate for your writing., If you want to avoid charges of plagiarism, you’ll insert a citation into the body of your text.
Your goal is to tell the reader that the information just presented is taken from another author.
It shows the reader that you are well-versed in the existing literature and that you are interested in building off of others’ work.Where the citation goes, and the type of citation, depends on what style you are using.
Examples for each major style are given in this article. , Learn how to format a bibliography/works cited page.
Depending on the style you settle on, you’ll need to follow different guidelines.
For the most part, you’ll need to alphabetize your sources.
Where the section title goes, how it is formatted, and the spacing between each entry differs depending on whether you are using MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style. -
Step 3: Insert an in-line citation right after you’ve referenced a text.
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Step 4: Format your bibliography correctly.
Detailed Guide
For both in-line and bibliographic citation, you’ll need to know basic information about its creation.
Journal Articles:
You’ll need to copy down the author’s name, title of the article, name of the journal, volume number, issue number, date of publication, page numbers of the physical copy, and the web address of the journal article.Ebooks:
You’ll want to know the author’s name, the title of the book, the publisher, place of publication, year of publication, date accessed, and website where the ebook can be located.
On occasion, publishers of physical books will out-source the production of ebooks.
If this is the case, a separate publisher will be listed for the ebook version.
You’ll need to have information for both publishers.
The most commonly used styles in academic and professional writing are MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style (sometimes also called “Turabian” after the style manual’s editor).
Choose the style used by your field, or the style stated as preferred by your profession or workplace.
Use MLA if you study literature, arts, or the general humanities.
Use APA if you study psychology, education, linguistics, or other social sciences.
Journalism and communications often use APA style as well.
Use Chicago Manual of Style if you study history, political science, information science, or journalism and communications.
Publishing and editing commonly use a form of Chicago style.
In certain cases,the publisher may request a specific citation style that is not commonly used in the field, or may refer you to their own “in-house” style guide.
Use whatever is appropriate for your writing., If you want to avoid charges of plagiarism, you’ll insert a citation into the body of your text.
Your goal is to tell the reader that the information just presented is taken from another author.
It shows the reader that you are well-versed in the existing literature and that you are interested in building off of others’ work.Where the citation goes, and the type of citation, depends on what style you are using.
Examples for each major style are given in this article. , Learn how to format a bibliography/works cited page.
Depending on the style you settle on, you’ll need to follow different guidelines.
For the most part, you’ll need to alphabetize your sources.
Where the section title goes, how it is formatted, and the spacing between each entry differs depending on whether you are using MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style.
About the Author
Gloria Flores
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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