Instructions on How to Write a Bibliography

You must cite every book you consult in your research.

Writing a bibliography can seem like a daunting task at first, with so many specific requirements about where to place certain punctuation marks and whether or not to abbreviate the month the resource was published. However, if you work from standard templates that lay out exactly how to format each type of bibliography entry, citing sources becomes a simple matter of filling in the blanks. Most bibliographies are written in MLA (Modern Languages Association) format, but you can also use APA (American Psychological Association) or Chicago Manual of Style templates in the same way.

Instructions

Write an MLA Bibliography

1. Start a fresh page at the end of your paper and title it "Works Cited."

2. Enter each source on its own line, following the specific MLA guidelines for formatting entries for that particular type of source (i.e. book, magazine article).

3. Cite a book in the following manner:

   {Lastname}, {Firstname}. {Title of Book}. {Location of Publication}: {Publisher's Name}, {Year of Publication}. Print.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the book. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the name of the book.

4. Cite a magazine article in the following manner:

   {Lastname}, {Firstname}. "{Title of Article}." {Title of Magazine} {Issue Day} {Issue Month} {Issue Year}: {Page Range}. Print.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the magazine article. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the name of the magazine.

5. Cite a webpage in the following manner:

   "{Title of Webpage}." {Title of Website}. {Website Publisher}, n.d. Web. {Access Day} {Abbreviated Access Month} {Access Year}.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the webpage. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the name of the website.

6. Alphabetize the bibliography entries by the authors' last names. If an entry doesn't have an author, use the first word in the title of the source.

Write an APA Bibliography

1. Add a new page to the end of your research project. Title the page "References."

2. Start a new line for each entry. Consult the APA style guidelines for instructions on how to format the exact type of entry for each source (i.e. textbook, interview, book).

3. Format magazine article citations in the following way:

   {Lastname}, {Firstname} ({Publication Year}). {Title of Article}. {Title of Magazine}, {Volume #}({Issue #}), {Page Range}.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the article. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the title of the magazine and the volume number.

4. Format book citations in the following way:

   {Lastname}, {Firstname} ({Publication Year}). {Title of Book}. {Location of Publisher}: {Publisher Name}.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the book. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the title of the book.

5. Format webpage citations in the following way:

   {Lastname}, {Firstname} ({Publication Date}). {Title of Webpage}. {Title of Website}. Retrieved from {URL of Webpage}.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the webpage. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the title of the website.

6. Alphabetize the bibliography according to the first word in each entry.

Write a Chicago Manual of Style Bibliography

1. Start a new page at the end of your essay. Title the page "Bibliography."

2. Type the entry for each source on its own line. Consult the Chicago Manual of Style for formatting instructions for each type of source (e.g. periodical article, website, book).

3. Cite webpages according to the following format:

   "{Title of Webpage}." {Title of Website}. {Website Publisher}. n.d. {URL of Webpage}.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the webpage. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the title of the website.

4. Cite periodical articles according to the following format:

   {Lastname}, {Firstname}. "{Title of Article}." {Title of Magazine}, {Issue Month} {Issue Year}.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the magazine article. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the title of the periodical.

5. Cite books according to the following format:

   {Lastname}, {Firstname}. {Title of Book}. {Location of Publication}: {Publisher's Name}, {Year of Publication}.

   Replace items inside the brackets with the details of the books. Remove the { and } marks. Italicize the title of the book.

6. Alphabetize the bibliography according to the authors' last names. Use the first word in the title of the source if no author is listed.

References

• Purdue University Online Writing Lab: Chicago Manual of Style
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab: General APA Guidelines
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab: General MLA Guidelines

Resources

• Modern Language Association: Strengthening the study and teaching of language and literature
• APA Style: Official Site
• Chicago Manual of Style: An online reference for all who work with words