How to Write a Bibliography

A bibliography or reference section is necessary for any research paper. Unfortunately, there are as many ways to write a bibliography as there are names for it. Here is the standard method.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Report Covers
• Research Paper Manuals
• Bonded Paper
• Word-processing Software

1. Create a page at the end of the paper. Call it either "Bibliography" or "Works Cited."
2. List, alphabetically by author's last name, all the sources used in writing the paper.
3. Write the last name of the author first, followed by a comma and his or her first name, followed by a period.
4. Write the name of the book in italics, followed by a period. You can also underline the book title.
5. Cite the name of an article, in quotation marks, in place of a book title. Then write the name of the journal or magazine from which it came (italicize the name or underline it). Include a volume number, if applicable.
6. Write the name of the city in which the work was published, followed by a colon.
7. Include the name of the publisher, followed by a comma.
8. Conclude the entry with the date of publication, followed by a period.
9. Number your bibliography page when adding numbers to your paper.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy a good writer's handbook that gives examples of research writing for your area of study: science, social science or humanities. Each discipline has its own format for bibliographies. Ask your instructor what method of citation he or she prefers.
• Cite material from the Web by following steps 3 to 5, above. Then add the following information: any version or file number, the date that the document was posted or last revised, the complete URL and the date you accessed the document (in parentheses).