Accounting Resources: Cite Articles or Books

Why Cite?

Citing your sources may seem more like busywork than an active part of your learning process (especially since we all tend to leave this to the last minute), but it is an important part.  There are some very good reasons to to cite your sources.

• Citations allow others to know what you used and locate that source if they need it.  (Think about all the times you used this process yourself.)
• Citations help establish the credibility of your research.  (Did you use the right types of sources for the topic?)
• Citations help you avoid plagiarism.  (It is not a guarantee, but is a part of the process.)
• Citations allow you to acknowledge the work of other scholars from which you have used ideas, facts, opinions, or data.

So, What do I Need for an Article Citation?

All citations are made up of chunks of information.  While the order and some information chunks vary by the item being cited or the style you use, there are chunks in common with all citations.  If you are doing it by hand or need to double-check your citations, pay attention to the following.

• Authors:  Last name, first name, & middle initial.  Your citation style will tell you if the authors in the text of your document or in the bibliography should be only the first & middle initials or the full names.
   
• Title of article: include the full title including a subtitle if there is one.  Capitalization is important to note - most of the time you will capitalize the first letter of the first word only, or if a subtitle, capitalize the first letter of that first word.  If there is a proper noun in the title, capitalize those.
   
• Title of publication:  your citation style will dictate if the full name or an abbreviation of the title should be used.  Some citation styles will have you italicize the full name of the journal.
   
• Date article was published:  Be sure to include the year.  Additional details like month, month & day may be needed for some citation styles.
   
• Publication details of Volume number and Issue number:  Note the volume of the journal and the issue number if available.  Some citation styles will skip the issue number, but for your notes, it helps to include it.
   
• Page numbers:  include the range of pages of the article
   
• Optional information - check the specifics of your citation style
  URL or DOI: If you accessed the article online, include the URL (web address) or the DOI (aka. digital object identifier - a number unique to the article being cited).
  
  Specific page number:  some citation styles will require a specific page number with the in-text citation (the one within the body of your paper).

You have several ways to get assistance crafting your citations.  The first couple of links are self-serve sites, but you are always welcome to use our Ask a Librarian service for things that just need a conversation.