Once you've found all your sources, it's time to give credit where credit is due and properly cite them.
Follow these pro-tips to save some frustration, and seriously reduce the risk of accidental plagiarism:
Try writing your citations (or even just drafts) as soon as you find your sources.
Incorporate citations as you write -- be meticulous about documenting what came from where.
It's OK if you don't know every nuance of your citation style -- even librarians don't! The important thing is knowing how to look up or ask for help when you're not sure how to cite something.
Don't forget that you can always ask a librarian for help with citations. And, ask a librarian, your professor, or the Writer's Workshop if you are unsure what needs to be cited. Academic integrity is serious business!
MLA Citations
Basics of MLA Style, 9th Edition:
If you are unsure, check with your professor. Note that MLA Style was revised in April 2021. This page includes examples of the current (9th) edition. For the most-recently used 8th edition, see our citation help guide's MLA Style page.
Need more help? Use the resources listed in the MLA Citation Guides tab.
Book with one author
Norris, Bruce. Clybourne Park. Faber and Faber, 2011.
Ebook with one editor
An e-book—that is, a book that lacks a URL and that you use software to read on a personal device or computer—is considered a version according to the MLA Handbook’s template of core elements:
Bigsby, Christian, editor. The Cambridge Companion to August Wilson. E-book, Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Journal article from an online database
Teague, Jessica E. "The Recording Studio on Stage: Liveness in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." American Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 3, 2011, pp. 555-571. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41237566.
Film review from a newspaper
Scott, A.O. "All the Blues Fit to Howl." Review of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, directed by George C. Wolfe. New York Times, 18 Dec 2020. ProQuest Central, holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www-proquest-com.holycross.idm.oclc.org/newspapers/all-blues-fit-howl/docview/2470839246/se-2?accountid=11456.
Note:
- For online sources, you should include a location to show readers where you found the source. Many scholarly databases use a DOI (digital object identifier). Use a DOI in your citation if you can; otherwise use a URL. Delete “http://” from URLs. The DOI or URL is usually the last element in a citation and should be followed by a period.
- All works cited entries end with a period.
MLA Style Citation Guides:
RefWorks:
When conducting your research, it's important not to lose track of your sources of information!
With RefWorks, you can import references from Holy Cross databases to create your own personal list of references and bibliographies for your papers. This will help you with formatting as well as with keeping track of all of the different sources you've drawn on for your research.
A few RefWorks caveats and tips:
- ALWAYS proofread your citations. RefWorks only knows what the database feeds it -- if there is anything wrong with the information in the database or other source you used, RefWorks will repeat that incorrect information.
- Be aware of RefWorks' strengths and weaknesses. RefWorks works well for traditional, published sources of information. It is less accurate at recording the correct citation details and formats for things like websites and social media.
- Actively curate your RefWorks library. As an initial step, you can absolutely do a quick export and walk away. But long-term, it's to your benefit to make use of folders and other organizational tools and to edit your references, to correct things like all-caps and misspellings and add relevant notes. Taking the time to do this at the front-end means that the process of converting those disparate references into a bibliography will go much more smoothly.
- RefWorks will often import the author's official abstract or summary along with the citation. Be wary of this if you are using the annotated bibliographies feature, to make sure that the final bibliography includes your writing, not theirs.
Need more help with RefWorks? You can always set up an appointment for a one-on-one "tutorial."
You should also check out the helpful Research Guides below:
- How to: Use RefWorks
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How to: Export Citations to RefWorks
by HC Libraries Research Help Last Updated Aug 15, 2024 49 views this year
Citing in Videos and Podcasts:
Even if you're not writing a traditional research paper, you still have to show your work! Your listener(s)/viewer(s) will want to know where you got your information from and how reliable it is -- they may even want to undertake further reading of their own.
Some examples of ways that you can include citations in multimedia projects:
- Use a verbal version of in-text citations. For example:
“Morrison said in a 2003 interview with New York Magazine that…”,
“Associate Professor of English Nadine Knight writes in the journal MELUS that…”
- Create a “bibliography” slide for the end of your video presentation.
- Include an accompanying handout or other visual with your presentation. Make it visually engaging!
The resources below have additional suggestions/recommendations:
A note on images:
If you use images, these must be cited the same as any other source! And, if you intend to share your final product outside the bounds of this class (ex., posting it on the open web), check the license terms for those images -- some images can’t be used without paying!
This guide has information on citing images and other visual sources, as well as how image licensing works: