– ADDING FOOTNOTES, ENDNOTES, AND PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS–
92
You should also use this format if you are
citing a source that you have already used, and
the citations are not consecutive. The word
“Ibid” should only be used when you are refer-
ring to the same source twice in a row.
Citing Electronic Sources
In this age of readily available computer infor-
mation, it is very likely that you have done a
great deal of your research on your computer.
Since this phenomenon is relatively new in
terms of style procedures and precedents, you
might be wondering how to cite electronic
material. Electronic information usually falls
into several broad categories:
1. articles posted and written for the Web
by specific authors
2. online journals and magazines
3. material gathered from general and spe-
cific databases and search engines
4. informal or anonymous listings posted
on the Internet in chat rooms or bulletin
boards.
To cite an electronic document when
there is no author provided, simply begin with
the title. If there is more than one such docu-
ment, alphabetize each piece according to its
title. Similarly, if you have consulted a specific
website or several websites, list them alphabet-
ically, but be sure to include their precise and
complete addresses. When writing your bibli-
ography and/or footnotes, use the following
format:
1. the author’s name (followed by a
period)
2. the name of the article in quotation
marks, followed by a period
3. the name of the web site (underline the
site name—followed by a period)
4. the date of its posting
5. the official web address (be sure to
include all backslashes, brackets etc.)
Example A:
1
Sue Miller. “Kennedy’s Top
Advisors.” Go
vernment Issues. March 20,
2000. www
.go
vernmentissues.com
Similarly, to cite an article from an online
journal or magazine, simply provide:
1. the author of the article (first name fol-
lowed by last name)
2. the title of the article in quotation marks
3. the title of the journal (underline the
title)
4. the volume or issue number
5. the specific page or paragraph number
6. the date of posting and electronic publi-
cation
7. the electronic address
The format is identical to the example
that is listed above and luckily, many online
publications provide paragraph numbers as
well as page numbers, so be sure to include
them whenever available. Remember the more
specific that you can be, the better. Finally, if
you are citing an online posting that comes
from an informal source such as a chat room
or bulletin board, simply write the name of the
person to whom you can attribute a statement,
list the name of the site, and include the date.
A citation would look like this:
Example B:
2
Tim Arnold. “My Thoughts on
Kennedy.” K
ennedy Communicatio
ns Bulletin
Board. January 2, 2001.
Lastly, if you consulted an article from a
reference database on CD-ROM, simply:
1. state the article name (use quotation
marks followed by a period)
2. state the name of the journal (underline
the name-followed by a period)
3. list the format: CD-ROM (followed by a
period)
4. list the place of origin (followed by a
colon)
5. list the software company (followed by a
comma)
6. list the date the software was manufac-
tured or licensed (followed by a period)
In other words, a CD-ROM listing would
look like this:
EXAMPLE C:
3
“Kennedy’s Years In The
White House.” Go
vernment Perspectives.
Seattle: Microsoft, 2000.
Later, if you have consulted different
material from several CD-ROM’s, simply list
the CD-ROM’s in alphabetical order for your
bibliography.
Summary
As you first learn the proper format for cita-
tions, it may seem complex and hard to follow.
It is really not difficult if you take your time
and if you have a thorough guide or an exam-
ple on hand to use as a model. Once you write
a few citations, the process becomes simpler—
almost second nature. When selecting a guide
or style manual, remember to check with your
instructor first to find out what type of guide
he or she prefers, as well as what kind of doc-
umentation procedure is required. What is
more important, however, is that you under-
stand what types of statements need citations
and why you must provide them. Again, while
citing your sources may seem unnecessary and
tedious, it is an important process that pro-
tects you from any charges of plagiarism. In
addition, it gives credibility to your work and
analysis and demonstrates to your reader the
careful and meticulous job that you have done!
– ADDING FOOTNOTES, ENDNOTES, AND PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS–
93
. were researching and writing your paper. This list includes all printed matter and any
other sources from which you derived your information. A standard. articles posted and written for the Web
by specific authors
2. online journals and magazines
3. material gathered from general and spe-
cific databases and search