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Citing Sources Guide

Iona University Libraries Research Guide on Citing Source

Reference Page Examples


Reference Page

Contains all works cited in the text of your paper

  • Titled
    • References - Bold and Centered
  • Double spaced
    • Do not add a space between sources
  • Hanging indent if reference is longer than one line
    • Create the indent with the ribbon on your processing app (Word, Google Docs, Pages)
    • Do not use the enter and tab keys to create the indents
  • Use a period after the author, the date, the title, and the source
  • Include either a DOI or URL if the reference has one unless it is a Journal Article in an Academic Database and no DOI is available 
    • If the URL is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), follow the Journal Article in Print format.
    • Do not place a period after a DOI or URL
  • Do not use a comma between the journal volume and issue numbers
    • Put the issue number in parentheses directly after the volume number

 

  • Invert all names
  • Use initials for first and middle names
  • Use one space between initials
  • Use a comma to separate the author's initials from the following author
  • Use an ampersand (&) before the final name
  • Provide names for up to 20 authors
  • Include Suffixes and use a comma to separate
    • Author, A. A., Jr., & Author, B. B., III.
  • Do not include titles

Two authors 

  • Author, A. A., & Author, B. B.

Three to 20 authors - use a serial common before the ampersand

  • Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C.

21+ authors - If there are 21+ authors, provide the first 19 author names, insert ellipses (...), then add the final author's name

  • Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., Author, G. G., Author, H. H., Author, I. I., Author, J. J., Author, K. K., Author, L. L., Author, M. M., Author, N. N., Author, O. O., Author P. P., Author, Q. Q., Author R. R., Author S. S., ...Author, Z. Z.

Nonprimary authors - included using the word "with" in parentheses

  • Meyers, K. (with Long, W. T.)
    • the intext citation would only use the primary author's name
      • (Meyers, date)

One-named or multipart-named authors

  • Keep the name as is
    • Plato.
    • Malcolm X.

Multiple Group Authors -  Use an ampersand to separate names, but do not use a comma

  • American Psychological Association & National Institute of Health.

Hyphenated names

  • Keep the hyphen
  • include a period after each initial, but remove the space
    • For Ai-Jun Xu
      • Xu, A.-J.
For more than one author, please see the "Author Guidance" tab

 

Journal Article in a Database with a DOI

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other authors, if any. (Year). Title of article. Title of JournalVolume number(Issue number), Page numbers. DOI

Example:

Arshad, M. R. (2021). The inevitable contingency of ethics on theistic foundations. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 11(1), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.111.09

 

Journal Article in an Academic Database with a URL (no DOI available)

If the URL is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), follow the Journal Article in Print format.

 

Journal Article with a nondatabase URL (no DOI available)

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other authors, if any. (Year). Title of article. Title of JournalVolume number(Issue number), Page numbers. URL

Example:

Viviroli, D. (2011). Climate change and mountain water resources. European Geosciences Union 15(2), 471–504. https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/15/471/2011/

 

Pre-print Journal Article 

NOTES:

Try to use the final published version if available.

PsyArXiv and PubMed Central often have pre-print articles.

Pre-print articles might not be the final version; they may be updated when the article is published.

If you retrieve from the ERIC database, include the document number in parentheses after the title of the work.

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initials. (Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title/Database. URL

Example:

Dellanna, L. (2018). Learning as the creation of stable representations of stimuli. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/erxp4

 

Journal Article in Print

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other authors, if any. (Year). Title of article.Title of JournalVolume number(Issue number), Page numbers.

Example:

Baddeley, A. D. (2021). Developing the concept of working memory: The role of neuropsychology. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 36(6), 861–873.

For more than one author, please see the "Author Guidance" tab

Articles in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews are proprietary, and the material is only available in that database, so include the name of the database. Do not italicize the database name if it appears in the text (the title).

Journal Article in a Proprietary Database with a DOI

Format:

Author’s Last name, Author’s First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other authors, if any. (Year). Title of article. Name of Database. DOI/URL

Example:

Lane, D. A., & Lip, G. Y. H. (2013). Treatment of hypertension in peripheral arterial disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviewshttps://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003075.pub3

For more than one author, please see the "Author Guidance" tab

Articles in UpToDate are proprietary, so include the name of the database in italics but do not repeat the database name if it is used in the title. Include a retrieval date, as articles in UpToDate have information that changes over time and use the year of the last update.

Journal Article in a Proprietary Database with a DOI

Format:

Author’s Last name, Author’s First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other authors, if any. (Year). Title of article. Name of Database. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

Bordeaux, B., & Lieberman, H. R. (2020). Benefits and risks of caffeine and caffeinated beverages. UpToDate. Retrieved February 26, 2020, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/benefits-and-risks-of-caffeine-and-caffeinated-beverages

For more than one author, please see the "Author Guidance" tab

 

Newspaper Article from an Academic Database with a URL (no DOI available)

If the URL is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), follow the Newspaper Article in Print format but omit the page number.

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initial. (Year, Month, and Day of publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper.

Example:

Dunn, J. (2021, Dec 01). Here to help: How to deal with social anxiety during the holidays. The New York Times.

 

Newspaper Article with a Retrievable URL

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initial. (Year, Month, and Day of publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. URL

Example:

Silva, M. (2022, Nov.19). Alan MacMasters: How the great toaster hoax was exposed. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/the-reporters-63622746

 

Journal Article without a URL (no DOI available), with a nondatabase URL

Newspaper Article in Print

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initial. (Year, Month, and Day of publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper, Page numbers.

Example:

Dunn, J. (2021, Dec 01). Here to help: How to deal with social anxiety during the holidays. The New York Times, A3.

For more than one author, please see the "Author Guidance" tab

 

Magazine Article from an Academic Database with a URL (no DOI available)

If the URL is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), follow the Magazine Article in Print format but omit the page number.

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other authors, if any. (Year, Month, and Day of publication, if available). Title of article. Title of MagazineVolume number(Issue number, if available). 

Example:

Shaw, G. (2021, August). The impetus behind AAN's new section on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Exceptional Parent51(8).

 

Magazine Article with a Retrievable URL

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other authors, if any. (Year, Month, and Day of publication, if available). Title of article. Title of Magazine. URL or DOI

Example:

Waxman, O. (2023, October. How the Yom Kippur War changed Israel. Time. https://time.com/6322802/yom-kippur-war-israel-history/

 

Magazine Article in Print

Format:

Author's Last name, Author's First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other authors, if any. (Year, Month, and Day of publication, if available). Title of article. Title of MagazineVolume number(Issue number, if available), page number.

Example:

Flora, C. (2005, January-February). Bad moods: Decaffeination: The next disorder. Psychology Today38(1), 21.

If you only use a chapter of a book, cite the entire book (and not the individual chapter) unless there is an editor and the chapters are authored by different people, in which case follow the example for "Chapter in a Print Edited Book."

If there are 21 or more Authors include the first 19 authors, then place an ellipsis followed by the final author (skip all authors after 19 up until the last author.

E-book

Format:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B. (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital letter for subtitle. Publisher Name. DOI/URL

Example:

Rainie, L., & Wellman, B. (2012). Networked: The new social operating system. The MIT Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5vjq62  

 

Print Book with a Single Author  

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital letter for subtitle. Publisher Name. 

Example:

Hoy, A. W. (2010). Educational psychology. (11th ed.). Merrill.

 

Print Book with Two Authors

Format:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital letter for subtitle. Publisher Name.

Example:

Deese, J., & Hulse, S. H. (1967). The psychology of learning. McGraw-Hill.

 

Print book with an Unknown Author

Format:

Title of work. (Year of Publication). Publisher Name. 

Example:

Modern oil painting of Japan. (2003). Lingnan Fine Arts Publishing House.

 

Edited Print Book with an Author

Format:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of Publication). Title of work (E. Editor, Ed.). Publisher Name. 

Example:

Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer (D. Wright, Ed.). Chelsea Green Publishing.

 

Print Book with an Editor as Author

Format:

Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital letter for subtitle. Publisher Name. 

Example:

Eells, T. D. (Ed.). (2006). Handbook of psychotherapy case formulation. The Guilford Press.

 

Translated Print Book

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital letter for subtitle. (T. T. Translator, Trans; # ed.). Publisher Name. 

Example:

Jacobi, J. (1973). The psychology of C. G. Jung: An introduction with illustrations. (R. Manheim, Trans; 8th ed.). Yale University Press.

 

Chapter in an Edited Book 

Only cite a chapter if different people author the book chapters.

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter: Capital letter for subtitle. In E.E. Editor (Ed.). Title of Work: Capital letter for subtitle. (edition, page numbers). Publisher Name. DOI/URL (if electronic resource)

Example:

Blumenfeld, W. J. (2000). Prejudice and discrimination. In M. Adams (Ed.). Readings for diversity and social justice (pp. 21-29). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Entry Online

Dictionaries are updated and not archived, so include a retrieved date.

When a dictionary is continuously updated, use n.d. for the date.

Format:

Organization. (Year of Publication).  Word. In Title of work: Capital letter for subtitle. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Theory. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/theory?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld

 

Entry in Print

Format:

Organization. (Year). Word. In Name of the source. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

Merriam-Webster. (2020). Amity. In Shorter Oxford English. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amity

Diagnostic Materials Viewed Online

Format:

Organization. (Year). Name of source (edition). URL

Example:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Website With an Author

Format:

Author. (Year, month day). Title of webpage. Site Name. URL

Example:

Chrousos, G. P., Mentis, A. A., & Dardiotis, E. (2020, July 20). Focusing on the neuro-psycho-biological and evolutionary underpinnings of the imposter syndrome. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01553/full

 

Website Without an Author

If the group and site name are the same, you don't need to enter the site name

Format:

Name of the group. (year, month day). Title of webpage. Site Name. URL

Example:

World Health Organization. (2021, May). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Mythbusters. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

For more than one author, please see the "Author Guidance" tab

Government Agency Online

Format:

Name of Organization. (Year, Month Day). Title of report (Identifying number). Publisher name. URL

Example::

National Institute of Health. (2019). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and teens: What you need to know (NIH Publication No. 21-MH-8159). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/health/publications/21-MH-8159_ADHDInChildrenTeens.pdf

Statute or Law

To insert the section symbol (§) in Word, navigate to Insert, then choose Symbol. Choose "Latin 1-Supplement" or enter "00A7" in the Character code box. For a range (e.g., 145-168-307), use two symbols (§ §).

Format:

Name of Act, Volume Source § section number (year).

Example:

New York Consolidated Laws, Social Services Law - SOS § 413. Persons and officials required to report cases of suspected child abuse or maltreatment (2024). https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/SOS/413

Court Decision

Format:

Name v. Name, Volume Source Page (Court Date).

Example:

In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court ruled racial segregation in schools unconstitutional.

Religious Work Viewed Online

Format:

Title of work. (Date). Publisher. URL (Original work published Date)

Example:

The New American Bible. (2003). The New American Bible Online. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/_INDEX.HTM (Original work published 1970)

 

Religious Work Viewed in Print

Format:

Title of work (edition or name of translator). (Date). Publisher. (Original work published Date)

Example:

The Torah: The five books of Moses (3rd ed.). (2015). The Jewish Publication Society of America. (Original work published 1962)

Instagram Photo or Video

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, or Name of Group. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Source Type]. Site Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

Tcwhc. [@thecounselingcenters]. (2021, November 13). World kindness day [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CWOGP8tNWR5/

 

Instagram Profile of Highlight

Include a retrieval date, as the content is designed to change and is not archived.

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, or Name of Group. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Source Type]. Site Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

The New York Public Library [@nypl]. (n.d.). The raven [Highlight]. Instagram. Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17962199170163462/

 

TikTok Video

Follow the same format as an Instagram photo.

 

TikTok Profile

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, or Name of Group. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). [TikTok profile]. Site Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

Witherspoon, R. [@reesewitherspoon]. (n.d.). [TikTok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://tiktok.com/@reesewitherspoon

 

X Post (formerly Tweet)

Use the first 20 words of the post as the title, formatted in italics.

If the post contains an image, video, poll, or a thumbnail image with a link, note this in square brackets after the title: [Image attached], [Video attached], [Thumbnail with link attached].

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, or Name of Group. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). [TikTok profile]. Site Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

CDC [@CDCgov]. (2020, June 11). Scientists do not know if having antibodies to the virus that causes #COVID19 can protect someone from getting infected again [Image attached] [Post]. X. https://x.com/CDCgov/status/1271180413134876672

 

X Profile

Profiles begin on the "Posts" tab. If you want to cite another tab, use that name instead (i.e. Media, Likes, Highlights, or Replies).

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, or Name of Group. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Title [X profile]. Site Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Example:

Jordan, M. B. [@michaelb4jordan]. (n.d.). Replies [X profile]. X. Retrieved January 9, 2020, from https://x.com/michaelb4jordan/with_replies

 

Reddit or Online Forum Post

Note

If the real name is not known, provide the screen name without brackets

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, or Name of Group. [screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Online forum post]. Site Name. URL

Example:

Gates, B. [thisisbillgates]. (2017, February 27). I’m Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ask me anything [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/5whpqs/im_bill_gates_cochair_of_the_bill_melinda_gates/dea82mk/

 

Reddit or Online Forum Comment

Note

If the real name is not known, provide the screen name without brackets

To access the URL of the comment and not the entire post, select the date stamp of the comment and copy and paste the URL from your browser.

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, or Name of Group. [screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Commont on the online forum post Full title of post.]. Site Name. URL

Example:

Gates, B. [thisisbillgates]. (2017, February 27). Philanthropy is small as a part of the overall economy so it can’t do things like fund health care or [Comment on the online forum post I’m Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ask me anything.]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/5whpqs/im_bill_gates_cochair_of_the_bill_melinda_gates/dea82mk/

Podcast Episode

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other primary contributors, if any. (Function). (Year, Month, and Day, if available). Title of episode (No. episode number) [Audio or video podcast]. In Title of the series. URL

Example

Stewart, D., Marchiano, L., & Lee, J. (Host). (2018, April 18). Hookups (No. 2) [Audio podcast]. In The Jungian Lifehttps://thisjungianlife.com/podcast/

 

YouTube

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other primary contributors, if any. (Year released, Month and Day). Title of the video [Video]. Streaming Service. URL

Example:

CrashCourse. (2014, February 3). Intro to psychology: Crash course psychology #1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo4pMVb0R6M

 

TV Series Watched on a Website

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other primary contributors, if any. (Function). (Year, Month Day). Title of the episode. (Season #, Episode #)[TV series episode]. In First and middle initials followed by Last name Executive Producer or Producers), Title of series. Production company; Website name.

Example:

Lembeck, M. (Director). (1995, September 21). The one with Ross's new girlfriend. (Season 2, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In K. Bright, Kauffman & Crane (Executive Producers), Friends. Warner Bros.; Netflix.

 

Film watched on TV or in a Theater

Format:

Last name, First and Middle initials, & Last names and initials of other primary contributors, if any. (Function). (Year, Month, and Day, if available). Title of the film. [Film]. Studio or Distributor.

Example:

Coppola, F. F. (Director). (1972). The Godfather. [Film]. Paramount Pictures.

Image Viewed Online

Format:

Artist Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Piece). Title of Piece [Medium or Format]. Name of Institute, City, Country. URL

Example:

Kandinsky, W. (1913). Composition VII [Painting]. The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia. https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/vasily-kandinsky-counterpointcomposition-vi-composition-vii/UgKCjKX9MXThIw

 

Image Viewed In Person

Format:

Artist Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Piece). Title of Piece [Medium or Format]. Name of Institute, City, Country.

Example:

Matisse, H. (1910). Dance [Painting]. Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, United States.

For more than one author, please see the "Author Guidance" tab

Note:

If the artist or group uses a name variation, write their name as shown on their work.

If the work features a separate artist, in parenthesis after the main artist's name, place the word "featuring" and then the artist's name.

If the work is a remix of an original, place "Remix" in parentheses after the song's title.

It is not necessary to specify the platform you listened on, but you can include the format in square brackets.

You do not need to include a URL unless the song is only found in one location (a personal website or SoundCloud).

Song in an album

Format:

Recording Artist/Group Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Piece). Title of Piece [Type of Audio].On Title of album. Name of music label; Name of music label.

Example:

The Beatles. (1968). Rocky raccoon [Song]. On The white album. EMI; Trident.

 

Song without an associated album

Format:

Recording Artist/Group Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Piece). Title of Piece [Type of Audio]. On Title of album. Name of music label; Name of music label.

Example:

The Smiths (featuring The Shins). (2017). Panic (Remix) [Song]. Columbia Records.

Slides such as: PowerPoint, Canva, Slidesgo

Websites such as: Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle...

Format:

Professor Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Name of slides [PowerPoint slides]. Platform@IU. URL

Example:

White, W. (2023). Psychotherapies [PowerPoint Slides]. Blackboard@IU. https://online.iona.edu/ultra/course

If your professor permits the use of AI, you must create a reference and use in-text citations per APA Style guidelines when quoting or paraphrasing AI-generated information.

  • APA suggests detailing your usage of AI in your "Methods" section of a research paper or your "Introduction" when writing an essay.

 

Example of a statement within the paper's body:
Generated text was produced on February 13, 2023, using ChatGPT software (https://chat.openai.com/chat) and the prompt "Summarize the plot of A Christmas Carol in the style of H. P. Lovecraft."

Due to the non-retrievability of ChatGPT output, it is recommended to append a copy of both the response and prompt. Since AI does not reproduce responses and they cannot be retrieved, it is essential to include the precise text for the sake of transparency and reproducibility.

 

Reference Format:

Name of the AI Model. (Year of the Version used). Name of the Model (Version number) [Large language model]. URL

Example:

OpenAI. (2023) ChatGPT (March 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

 

In-Text Citation:

An in-text citation is needed when paraphrasing, quoting, or providing the full-text response from ChatGPT in the paper.

Example:

(OpenAI, 2023)

 

APA Style guidance:

Author: AI tool used

Date: year of the version used

Title: the model of the AI tool used

Version: version of AI 

Bracketed text: descriptor. This is not used with peer-reviewed material. Use square brackets. Review how the AI companies describe their models.

URL: If your generated response is retrievable, use that URL; otherwise, use the general URL of the tool

 

APA Style provides additional guidance on "How to cite ChatGPT" at https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt.