How To Read a Reference Source Citation

Citing Online Databases

How to Read a REFERENCE Source

Citation

Once you’ve identified your article as a

REFERENCE SOURCE, where do you go from there?

Citing a source is like putting together

a jigsaw puzzle – each piece has to come together just so in order for the

puzzle to make the big picture.

Locate your citation information at the end of your article. Look for “MLA” or “Works Cited” or “How to Cite.”

Example Article

Example Article

Now let’s put the pieces together …

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On

File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

AUTHOR OF ARTICLE

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On

File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

TITLE OF ARTICLE

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On

File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

EDITOR(S) OF REFERENCE BOOK

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur,

and Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History:

The Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts

On File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts

On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts

On File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts

On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

TITLE OF REFERENCE BOOK

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On

File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

VOLUME / EDITION INFORMATION

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On

File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

BOOK PUBLICATION CITY

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts

On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

BOOK PUBLISHER

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On

File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

PUBLICATION YEAR

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts

On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

NAME OF DATABASE

ACCESS DATE(date you printed

the article)

Text Citation:

Thompson, Lana. "Black Death." In Ackermann, Marsha E.,

Michael Schroeder, Janice J. Terry, Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur, and

Mark F. Whitters, eds. Encyclopedia of World History: The

Expanding World, 600 CE to 1450, vol. 2. New York: Facts On

File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On

File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

ItemID=WE49&iPin=WHII034&SingleRecord=True (accessed

April 8, 2014).

Now you’re ready to create your works cited entry in your working bibliography in

NoodleTools.

See the Library for Help.

All Images Provided byBy S. Penttila, The John Cooper SchoolMS Librarian