Writing and Citing: Bibliographic References (Arthur Lakes Library)

Writing and Citing: Bibliographic References

Contents

Bibliographic references

A bibliography or list of references is a list of all sources (printed and electronic) from which you have taken information directly (by literal quotation) or indirectly (through paraphrase), or if you have used information or reproduced material from the source. You must acknowledge all sources used to obtain information by indicating the original author or authors, as well as the specific location of the facts, arguments and quotations. References are used to:

Provide the evidence on which you have based statements, arguments and conclusions in your research.
Enable the reader to consult the sources you have used with a minimum of effort.
Acknowledge the author or authors from which the information was taken.

This is done by:

Clearly identifying your sources (author and work).
Precisely stating where (on which page, electronic location) or under which circumstances (personal interview, e-mail) you obtained the information.

Reference styles and formats

The reference or citation format [AKA style ] includes the order in which the information appears, punctuation and abbreviations. There are numerous style manuals available to assist you in writing references. Different academic disciplines often prefer specific reference styles. Ask your professor or editor if he or she has a preferred style guide for references. Once you have selected a reference style, you should follow that standard throughout your work.

Selected style manuals

Biology	Scientific style and format : the CSE manual for authors, editors, and publishers — T11 .S386 2006 (Reference Room Floor 2)
Chemistry	American Chemical Society (ACS) ACS Style Guide: A manual for authors and editors — QD8.5 .A25 1997 (Reference Room Floor 2)
Computer Science	IEEE Computer Society Recommends Chicago manual of style (see Multidisciplinary)
Economics	Recommend Chicago manual of style (see Multidisciplinary)
Engineering	American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ASCE Author–Date References American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) ASME References Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE Style Manual look in "editing references" Quick Reference IEEE Style Also included in A Guide to Writing as an Engineer
Geology	Suggestions to authors of the reports of the United States Geological Survey — I19.2:Su 3/5/991 (Government Publications Reference Floor 1)
Government Publications	Citing Government Information
Liberal Arts	MLA handbook for writers of research papers — LB2369 .G53 2003 (Reference Room Floor 2) "Aimed at high school and undergraduate students" MLA style manual and guide to scholarly publishing — PN147 .G444 1998 (Reference Room Floor 2) "Aimed at graduate students, scholars, and professional writers"
Materials & Metallurgy	Suggest either Chemistry or Engineering
Mathematics	American Mathematical Society (AMS) A manual for authors of mathematical papers — QA42 .M3 1979 (Reference Room Floor 2 or Book Stacks Floor 2M)
Mining	Suggest Engineering
Multidisciplinary	Chicago manual of style — Z253 .U69 2003 (Reference Room Floor 2) Quick Reference Chicago Style Columbia guide to online style — PN171.F56 W35 1998 (Reference Room Floor 2) "A useful reference book for citing electronic sources regardless of the specific bibliographic style you may be required to use" Columbia Guide to Online Style: Basic CGOS Style. Updates and excerpts sections of the printed style guide, especially citation of electronic formats.
Petroleum	American Association of Petroleum Geologist (AAPG) AAPG Reference Style Quick Reference AAPG Reference Style Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) SPE Publications Style Guide look in section 8.8 Quick Reference SPE Publication Style
Physics	American Institute of Physics (AIP) AIP Style Manual

Thesis writing and technical writing

CSM Thesis Writer’s Guide. A set of guidelines for writing and producing final copies of the thesis. Obtain from the Colorado School of Mines Graduate School.
Guide to the successful thesis and dissertation : a handbook...
LB2369 .M377 1998 (Book Stacks Floor 3)
A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations / Kate L. Turabian.
LB2369 .T8 1996 (Reference Room Floor 2)
A Guide to Writing as an Engineer
T11 .B396 1997 (Reserve Desk, Book Stacks Floor 2M)
How to write & publish a scientific paper
T11 .D33 1998 (Reference Room Floor 2M)
How to write and publish engineering papers and reports
T11.M418 1990 (Books Stacks Floor 2M)
The scientist's handbook for writing papers and dissertations
T11 W48 1991 (Reference Room Floor 2)

Internet Sites

Campus Writing Program from the CSM Writing Center
Online! Citation Styles
Duke Libraries Guide to Citing Sources
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Writers Handbook from University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center
Online Handbook Engineering Communication Program at the University of Toronto
Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students, from Virginia Tech. See Appendix B, Documentation of Sources.
Assignment Calculator University of Minnesota
Dissertation Calculator University of Minnesota

Where to find bibliographic information

Material Type	Bibliographic elements to look for	Where to look
Book	Author Date of publication Title of chapter Title of book Edition Place of publication Publisher Pages of book Series	Title page Imprint page (back of title page)
Journal article	Author Date of publication Title of article Title of journal Volume Issue or number Pages numbers of article	Cover Table of contents page Article
Technical report	Author Date of publication Date of release Title of report Sponsoring entity Report/series number Contract number Publisher	Cover Title page Imprint page (back of title page)
Conference proceedings	Author Date of publication Title of article or abstract Title of proceedings Editor of proceedings Name/number of conf. Conf. location Publisher Place of publication Sponsoring organization Pages of article or abstract	Cover Title page Imprint page (back of title page) Abstract or article
Electronic information (FTP, WWW, Telnet, Email, Listserv, Newsgroup, and fixed media such as CD-ROM)	Author Title of document Title of complete work Version or file number Document date or date of last revision Protocol/site/path/file Access date	Byline or signature Email header Listserv or newsgroup post URL
Unpublished information (Speeches, notes, conversations)	Author Presentation date Creation date Title Author affiliation Organization location	Varies