Some of the outstanding features of two documentation styles are noted here (APA, MLA). For more details and examples, consult the sources listed in the bibliography for each style.

APA

Sources: The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (consult especially for electronic citation information)

In APA Style, in-text citations within parentheses link readers to “References” at the end of the paper, a list of all sources actually used in the paper. Along with the author’s last name, this style cites the date of publication because the currency of a source is particularly important in the social sciences.

To use APA style within a paper:

1. Give publication date within parentheses immediately after an author’s name that is included in the text:

Vande Brake (2000) stated that . . .

2. Use an author’s last name followed by a comma and the date for paraphrases and summaries:

The latest web page designs are available from Montreat College (McMurtry, 2000).

3. Give an author’s last name, comma, date, comma, and specific page  numbers (including “p.”) for direct quotations:

“Our present decade has seen many changes in the writing center” (Kiser, 2000, p. 2).

 4. For two authors’ names included in the text, use both names every time the reference is mentioned; and within the narrative, separate the names with “and”:

Bower and Maharaj-Boggs (2000) attested to the rigors of early morning hikes.

For parenthetical references, use an ampersand (&):

Early morning hikes were quite invigorating at the Ithaca conference (Bower & Maharaj-Boggs, 2000).

For more than two authors’ names included in the text, cite all authors at the first mention of the reference:

Bower, Kiser, Millsaps, McMurtry, and Vande Brake (2000) found that . . .

For subsequent references to the same source, cite only first author’s last name, followed by et al. , comma, with the date:

Bower et al. (2000) found that . . .

To use APA style to list all sources actually used in the paper:

1. Label this list “References” and put it at the end of the paper.

2. Double space.

3. Invert all authors’ names, listing last names and initials for all authors.

4. Arrange all sources in alphabetical order.

5. If an author has two or more publications, arrange them chronologically:

Kiser (1997).

Kiser (2000).

6. If an author has two or more publications within the same year, arrange these alphabetically (ignore articles a, an, and the when alphabetizing).

     Bower (2000). A clean, well-lighted writing center. New York: Harcourt Brace.

     Bower (2000). To err is human, thus the need for writing centers. New York: McGraw Hill.

7. Underline (italicize) all titles of books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. Do not underline or use quotation marks around article titles (also underline the volume number).

     Millsaps (1997). Faculty interdisciplinary collaboration on a college-wide writing guide. Language and Literature in the Disciplines, 34, 10-36.

8. Capitalize only the first word of the title and the subtitle, plus any proper nouns (see the above example).

9. Use regular paragraph indention for the first line, with all other lines beginning at the left margin.

To use APA style to document electronic sources:

Because the documentation style for electronic sources is still changing, always consult the on-line source (APA).  In general, however, give as much of the standard information required of all APA sources as possible. Then include the following:

1. For the World Wide Web: Retrieved [month day, year] from the World Wide Web: http://www.givefulladdress

2. For databases, the basic retrieval statement is as follows: Retrieved from [source] database [name of database], CD-ROM< [release date], [item no.—if applicable]

3. For on-line databases, the basic retrieval statement is as follows: Retrieved [month day, year] from [source] on-line database [name of database,] [item no.—if applicable]

4. For databases used from the Web: Retrieved [month day, year] from [source] database ([name of database], [item no.—if applicable]) on the World Wide Web: [URL]

5. For e-mail communications, cite as personal communication within the narrative:

K. Vande Brake (personal communication, June 3, 2000) stated that. . .

NOTE: Personal communications are not included in the reference list at the end of the paper.

6. Since electronic sources usually lack page or paragraph numbers, omit these. Instead, someone checking a reference can use the URL to locate the article; the person can then go to “Edit,” choose “Find,” and type in some key words from the reference to zero in on the specific place.

7. For in-text citations of electronic sources, use the same type of reference for non-electronic sources: (author, date).

MLA

Sources: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers; MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (consult especially for electronic citation information)

In MLA style, in-text references within parentheses link readers to “Works Cited” at the end of the paper, a list of all works actually used in the paper. Because the timeliness of a piece is usually not critical for literary discussions, the in-text citation includes the author’s last name and the specific page number used, rather than the date as in APA style.

To use MLA Style within a paper:

1. Give author’s last name and the specific page number(s) referenced (no comma between), whether quoted or paraphrased, within parentheses before the period at the end of the sentence (see example for #3 below).

2. For more than three authors, put the last name of the first author followed by et al. within parentheses:

The process of writing the online tutor training manual was divided among five professors (Bower et al. 2).

3. When citing a direct quotation, put the closing quotation marks, the parenthetical information, and then the period:

“Our present decade has seen many changes in the writing center” (Kiser 2).

To use MLA style to list all sources used in the paper:

1. Label this list "Works Cited" and put it at the end of the paper.

2. Include only those works that are actually referenced in the paper.

3. Double space. Type the first line of each entry at the left margin; indent all subsequent lines five spaces (1 tab):

Kiser, Charlene. My Trip to Greece: I
	Came, I Saw, Students Conquered.
	New York: Midas, 2000.

4. For one to three authors/editors: invert the first author’s/editor’s name, put a comma, and then list the remaining names in normal order, with and before the last name:

Bower, Virginia, Ellen Millsaps, and
	Kim McMurtry. Rocking with the
	Red Rocker. Black Mountain, NC:
	Inn Around the Corner Press, 2000.

5. For more than three authors/editors, invert the first author’s name, put a comma, and then use et al.:

Vande Brake, Katherine, et al. The
	Joys of E-Mail. Black Mountain,
	NC: Inn Around the Corner Press,
	2000.

6. Arrange all entries in alphabetical order, giving the author’s last name first. For two or more works by the same author, arrange entries alphabetically by title, give the author’s name for the first entry, and use three spaced hyphens followed by a period instead of the author’s name in subsequent entries.

Bower, Virginia, Ellen Millsaps, and
	Kim McMurtry. Rocking with the
	Red Rocker. Black Mountain, NC:
	Inn Around the Corner Press, 2000.

Kiser, Charlene. My Trip to Greece: I
	Came, I Saw, Students Conquered.
	New York: Midas, 2000.

---. History of the Writing Center.
	Johnson City, TN: Milligan Press,
	2000.

Vande Brake, Katherine, et al. The
	Joys of E-Mail. Black Mountain,
	NC: Inn Around the Corner Press,
	2000.

7. Capitalize the first word of the title and all others except articles, conjunctions, and prepositions. Underline (italicize) book, journal, magazine, and newspaper titles; use quotation marks for article titles:

Millsaps, Ellen. “Faculty
	Interdisciplinary Collaboration on
	a College-Wide Writing Guide.”
	Language and Literature in the
	Disciplines 54 (1996): 10.

8. Provide appropriate publication information.

For books:

• place of publication (use first city if more than one is listed)
• publisher’s name (omit “Inc.,” “Company,” “Publishers; abbreviate U for University, P for  Press)
• date (give the most recent date on the copyright page)

For journals: 

• volume (and issue number if applicable)
• date
• total page numbers of article (if article is not on consecutive pages, list first page number followed by a + --see number 7 above for an example).

For magazines: 

• date 
• total page numbers of article (if article is not on consecutive pages, list first page number followed by +).

For newspapers: 

• date (day month year)
• section
• total page numbers of article (if article is not on consecutive pages, list first page number followed by +).

To use MLA style to document electronic sources:

Since guidelines change to reflect advances in computer technology, be sure to check the MLA Web site for the most current information. The following information is taken from this Web page. 

Follow the usual MLA pattern for as much information as you have. Also include publication information for any print version of the source. Include as much of the following as is available:

1. Title of the scholarly project, database, periodical, or professional or personal site (underlined); or, for a professional or personal site with no title, a description such as Home page.

2. Name of the editor of the scholarly database or project (if available).

3. Version number of the source (if not part of the title) or, for a journal, the volume number, issue number, or other identifying number.

4. Date of electronic publication, of the latest update, or of posting.

5. For a posting to a discussion list or forum, the name of the list or forum.

6. The number range or total number of pages, paragraphs, or other sections, if they are numbered (if your source lacks page numbers, you will have to omit numbers from your in-text citations).

7. Date when the researcher accessed the source.

8. Electronic address, or URL, of the source <in angle brackets>.