Citing Sources of Information

When you research information, you must document your research, in other words, state where you found the information. This is called citing your source.

There are three main reasons for citing sources of information:

1. So that the reader can easily find the information source you used.
2. To show that you have conducted research on your topic.
3. To give credit to the original author.

The Valleys Senior Public School follows the citation format of the American Psychological Association - this is often referred to as APA style. The information required is different for various sources, (e.g. books, encyclopedias, Internet) but the basic format is consistent. Wherever possible, you need to supply:

• The author's name (last name, first initial)
• The date of publication (in parentheses)
• The title of the book or article
• If your source is a magazine or encyclopedia, give the name of the magazine or encyclopedia
• The city or place where the book, magazine etc was published.
• The name of the publisher.

Example for a book:

Gilbert, G. (2008) Tour de France. New York: Weigl

Last Name, First Initial. (Publication Year) Book Title. City: Publisher

The Valleys citation guide gives you examples of how to do this.

As you research, remember these things when you cite your sources of information:

• if you are writing jot notes, write the citation in the margin next to the notes
• if you are using the Internet, copy and paste the citation into your research document
• the publication information you need from books is almost always in the first few pages of the book.
• some web sites help you to create a citation. (Remember to select the APA style.)
  • Citation Machine - type required information from the book
  • BibMe - type in the ISBN of the book (usually found above the back cover book barcode, or in the first few pages)
  • OttoBib - - type in the ISBN of the book (usually found above the back cover book barcode, or in the first few pages)