Research Tools > How to Cite a Source
Questions To Ask Yourself
Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you write your report. If you want to, you can print this out and take it home with you.
Download a worksheet [pdf, 8 KB] to help you. (Requires Acrobat™ Reader)
What kind of information goes into a report? Lots of kinds: facts, ideas, conclusions, quotes, etc. Where does the information come from? Sometimes it comes straight from you. For example, say you do a science experiment, and you write a report about it. The source of the information in your report is the results of your experiment. Since you are the person who did the experiment, the source is you. You don't need to give credit to anyone else.
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
But often, the information comes from something you have read. Whenever you read something and use it in a report, there's a rule you must follow. You have to give credit to the person who wrote the information you're using. This is called "citing the source."
There are several ways to cite a source. Your teacher may have special rules for citing sources. If so, you should follow them. The point behind these rules is simple. When citing a source, always tell the reader at least two things:
- the name of the person who wrote the source
- the title of the source
An Example
Let's say you're writing a report on tree frogs. You read Sara Murray-Plumer's U.S. Kids article "Fitting In" as part of your research. In the article, you learn that some tree frogs hide by changing their skin color. You find out that tree frogs use this camouflage ability to hunt for insects. You decide to use this information in your report. So you must cite the source.
You can do this in several ways. You could mention the author in your report itself. For example, you might write, "According to Sara Murray-Plumer, some tree frogs change their skin color to help them find food." Another way is to put a bibliography at the end of your report. A bibliography is just a list of the sources you used to find the information that goes into your report. Here's an example:
Bibliography
Murray-Plumer, Sara. "Fitting In." U.S. Kids, June 1997, pages 19-23.
Prescott, Lyle. "High-up Hoppers." Ranger Rick, July 1995, pages 4-6.
Wehner, Karey. Tree Frogs, 1996.
Wilsdon, Christina. "Rrrribbit! Tree Frogs." National Geographic World, October 1994, pages 23-28.
This bibliography lists four sources: three magazine articles and one book.
Each citation has a certain form. They all start with the author's name, last name first. Then comes the title of the article or book. If it's an article, the title appears in quote ("") marks. If it's a book, the title is either written in italic style or is underlined. When the source is a magazine, the magazine's title comes next. Just as with book titles, the magazine title is either written in italics or is underlined. Next comes the publication date. If the source is a book, that's all you need to write. If your source is a magazine, newspaper, or encyclopedia, you should end with the page numbers for your article.
Your teacher may prefer a different citation form. Always follow your teacher's rules.