Citation Explained Module 2: How do I get started?

Citation Explained

Introduction

Module 1
Background

Module 2
In-Text Citing

Module 3
The Reference List

Module 4
Making It Easier

Module 2 - In-Text Citing

How do I get started?

It is important to think about citing when you are doing research. For example, a photocopy of an article may not include all the information you will need in order to cite it. Make certain that you have the full list of authors, title of article, name of the journal, volume, issue and pages. It will be much more difficult to obtain this information afterwards.

Citing Web sites requires you to be even more careful at the time you gather information since the Web site may change. Citation information may be challenging to obtain; for example, you may need to follow the URL to the site's homepage to determine the author of the site. Be careful, because a site may be linked by an organization not associated with it. In addition, be sure to note the date that you accessed the Web site (or any electronic resource) because you will need that information for the citation.

For example, assume you are doing a paper for an education class on children who have trouble in school because they cannot process what the teacher says to them. You find a useful online site that would be perfect for your paper. Think ahead and make certain that the page contains all the information you will need to write your citation.. On the following screen, I've circled some information you need.

Web page - URL and title

But what is NIDCD and where is the date and publication number? To find out more, you would scroll down and see the following information at the bottom of the Web page.

Web page - date and publication number

You see that NIDCD are the initials of the government agency (author): National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. You also note that the publication has a publication number and date.

Now you have all the information you need to create the citation below.

Citation:

National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness and Other

Communication Disorders. (2001, March). Auditory

processing disorder in children: What does it mean? (NIH

Pub. No. 01-4949). Retrieved October 25, 2002, from

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/pubs_vsl/auditory.html

If the full name of NIDCD had not been available on this page, you might have needed to click on the home button or search the source of the URL (www.nidcd.nih.gov) for additional information.