How to Cite Primary Sources

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Recognize different citation styles.

   Depending on the discipline or preferred tastes, there are different styles of citations for published primary sources such as books, memoirs, and reports.However, these styles contain the same basic information and only vary in the format in which you write the citation.The two primary forms of citing published primary sources are:
   Chicago, used mostly in history and other humanities fields.
   
   This is also sometimes called "Turabian" style.
   
   For the specifics of Chicago citation format, see: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/chicago.html Modern Languages Association, or MLA, used mostly for literature.
   
   For the specifics of MLA, see: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/mla.html.
2. 2

   Step 2: Create in-text citations.

   In addition to creating a bibliography of references at the end of your text, you will usually need to cite your primary sources as you go.
   
   There are different ways of doing in-text citations, depending on the style guide you use.
   
   Chicago style does not generally use parentheses to mark in-text citations.Instead, you place a superscript number after your reference to indicate a footnote or endnote, like so: "In Chicago style, use a superscript number to indicate a citation."1 For Chicago style, you list the full reference in the footnote.
   
   MLA style uses parenthetical citation to cite sources within texts.
   
   In most cases, you will use the author's last name and the page number.You can cite the author's name in the actual sentence, followed by a parenthetical citation:
   According to Wordsworth, poetry expresses "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
   
   You can cite the author's name and page number in the parenthetical:
   Poetry is the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263). , The first entry of your published material citation is the author’s name.
   
   This gives the author credit for the work while helping your reader more quickly locate the source if she chooses.Write the author's last name, first name, and then middle initial.If there is no author that you can find, write “anonymous” or “author unknown.” For example:
   O’Connor, Edward M. , The second entry of your published material citation is data about the title.
   
   This gives your reader further information about how to best locate the source.Italicize the title information.Keep the title information within manageable limits.If the title is three lines long, use the primary title and first clause.
   
   For example:
   The Final Report of the United States Displaced Persons Commission instead of Memo to America:
   The DP Story:
   The Final Report of the United States Displaced Persons Commission.
   
   For example:
   O’Connor, Edward M.
   
   The Final Report of the United States Displaced Persons Commission. , For published primary material, your third entry within the citation should designate the format of the source.
   
   This information, in particular, can make it easier for your reader to find the source.Describe the format type with designations such as manuscript, letter, pamphlet, map, chart, photograph, film, or newspaper.In some cases, websites may be primary sources.For example:
   O’Connor, Edward M.
   
   The Final Report of the United States Displaced Persons Commission.
   
   Manuscript. , The fourth item of information in a published primary citation is the publication data.
   
   This ascribes credit to the proper company or body, and may help you or other readers obtain a copy of the source.Record the publication city, publishing company, and copyright date.
   
   This information is generally located in places such as the inside cover of manuscripts, the back of photographs, or the box of films.You may not be able to locate this information.
   
   In this case, note as much publication information as you can.
   
   For example:
   O’Connor, Edward M.
   
   The Final Report of the United States Displaced Persons Commission.
   
   Manuscript.
   
   Washington, DC:
   Government Printing Office,
   1952. , You may need to indicate where you found your published primary source if it did not come from the general library stacks.
   
   This information can allow you and your reader to more readily access the material either at the source or order it.You should always know the source of your material.
   
   This is absolutely vital to proving you’ve done the work.
   
   For example:
   O’Connor, Edward M.
   
   The Final Report of the United States Displaced Persons Commission.
   
   Manuscript.
   
   Washington, DC:
   Government Printing Office,
   1952.
   
   From Library of Congress, The Papers of Edward M.
   
   O’Conner, 1942-1955. , Institutions are increasingly digitizing their collections and making sources available online to the public.
   
   If your published source is from the Internet, you will need to include the website and last time you accessed the page.For example:
   O’Connor, Edward M.
   
   The Final Report of the United States Displaced Persons Commission.
   
   Manuscript.
   
   Washington, DC:
   Government Printing Office,
   1952.
   
   From Library of Congress, The Papers of Edward M.
   
   O’Conner, 1942-1955. http://xxx (last accessed May 1, 2014). , Before you publish or submit your work, review your citations.
   
   Because of the amount of information required in citations, it is easy to conflate items or miss a vital element.
   
   This can protects you from allegations of not doing the work or misrepresenting your sources.
3. 3

   Step 3: Note the author’s name.

4. 4

   Step 4: Report the title information.

5. 5

   Step 5: Designate the format.

6. 6

   Step 6: Indicate publication data.

7. 7

   Step 7: Provide the source.

8. 8

   Step 8: Include web data if necessary.

9. 9

   Step 9: Review your citations.

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