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Citing Sources: Citing books and e-books

A guide to citing sources in MLA, APA, and Chicago format.

Citing Books and E-Books

Items in green indicate variations in the citation based on the format.

 

Book with one author

 
In Note:
 
    1. Wallace E. Dixon, Twenty Studies that Revolutionized Child Psychology (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003), 47.
 
 In Bibliography:
 
Dixon, Wallace E. Twenty Studies that Revolutionized Child Psychology. Upper
     Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003.
 

Book with two or more authors

 
In Note:
 
    1. Eric J. Mash and David A. Wolfe, Abnormal Child Psychology (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1999), 221-225.
  • Although you may use the term "et. al" to replace multiple authors in a note, you should list all authors in the Bibliography.
In Bibliography: 
 
Mash, Eric J., and David A. Wolfe. Abnormal Child Psychology. Belmont, CA:
    Wadsworth, 1999.
 

Book without an author

 
In Note:
 
    1. The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Childcare: From Newborn
to Preteen (New York: Hearst Books, 1995), 3.
 
 In Bibliography:
 
The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Childcare: From Newborn
     to Preteen. New York: Hearst Books, 1995.
 
 

Electronic book (e-book) with URL

 
In Note:
 
    1. Michel Hersen and Robert T. Ammerman, eds. Advanced Abnormal Child
Psychology, 2nd ed. (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000), 300,  http://0www.netlibrary.com. library2.pima.edu/2000.
 
In Bibliography:
 
Hersen, Michel, and Robert T. Ammerman, eds. Advanced Abnormal Child
     Psychology. 2nd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000.
     http://0www.netlibrary.com. library2.pima.edu/2000.
 

Graphic Novel / comic book

 
In Note:
 
    1. Frank Miller, Sin City: The Hard Goodbye, (Milwaukee, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2010), 54.
 
 In Bibliography:
 
Miller, Frank.  Sin City: The Hard Goodbye. Milwaukee, OR: Dark Horse Books, 2010.
 

Book published in 2nd or subsequent edition

 
In Note:
 
    1. Ray E. Helfer, Ruth S. Kempe and Richard D. Krugman, The Battered
Child, 5th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997), 322.
 
 In Bibliography:
 
Helfer, Ray E., Ruth S. Kempe, and Richard D. Krugman. The Battered
     Child. 5th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997.
 

Book with editors instead of authors

 
In Note:
 
    1. James D. Torr, ed. Crime and Criminals (San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004), 15.
  • An edited book is a collection of articles or chapters, often written by various authors. It has an editor instead of an author, indicated by the "ed." or "eds." after the list of editors.
  • Use these examples if you are citing the book as a whole. To cite one of the articles in the book, see section on Articles or Chapters within a Book
In Bibliography:
 
Torr, James D., ed. Crime and Criminals. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004.

Citing Anthologies or Chapters

Anthologies, reference books and edited collections often have chapters or entries, each written by different authors.  For this type of book, cite the author and the chapter before citing the book title and the editor of the book.

 

Work in an anthology or edited book

 
In Note:
 
    1. George W. Brown, "Emotion and Clinical Depression: An Environmental View," in Handbook of Emotions, 2nd. ed., ed. Michael Lewis and Jeanette M. Haviland-Jones (New York: Guilford Press, 2000). 75-90.
 
 In Bibliography:
 
Brown, George W. "Emotion and Clinical Depression: An Environmental
     View." In Handbook of Emotions. 2nd. ed., edited by Michael Lewis and
     Jeanette M. Haviland-Jones, 75-90. New York: Guilford Press, 2000.
 

Electronic article/chapter from an online reference book

 
In Note:
 
    1. Annette Baran and Betty Jean Lifton, "Adoption," in Encyclopedia of Bioethics, 3rd. ed., Vol. 1, ed. S. G. Post (New York: MacMillan Reference, 2004). 68-74, Gale Ebooks.
 
In Bibliography:
 
Baran, Annette and Betty Jean Lifton. "Adoption." In
Encyclopedia of Bioethics. 3rd. ed. Vol. 1, edited by S. G. Post, 68-74. New York: MacMillan Reference, 2004. Gale Ebooks.
 
Note: Chicago recommends that instead of a link/url to a database entry or ebook you use either a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or simply include the name of the database if a DOI cannot be found. However, check with your instructor to determine if they prefer a link.