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21.3: Index and Guide to Documentation

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    Although formal differences exist among the conventions for documenting sources, the underlying principle of all documentation systems is the same: When borrowing words, facts, or ideas from someone else, writers must indicate that the material is borrowed. They do this by providing a citation in the text of their paper that points readers to detailed publication information about the source of the material, usually at the end of the paper but sometimes in footnotes. The following examples are in MLA style:

    Citation in the Text

    Describing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s visit to India, Isabel Wilkerson notes that King was taken aback by the suggestion that Black Americans were the equivalent of the Dalits in the Indian caste system (22).

    Works-Cited Entry

    Wilkerson, Isabel. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Penguin, 2020.

    Documentation Styles by Discipline

    Each discipline has its own authority or authorities that provide rules about issues such as spelling of technical terms, preferred punctuation, and editing mechanics, as well as documentation style. In addition, if you write for publication in a magazine, professional journal, book, or website, the publisher will have a “house” style, which may vary in some details from the conventions listed in the authoritative guidelines for the discipline in which you are writing. Below are the sources of style manuals for various disciplines. Always check with your instructor about which style to use in a class.

    Table \(21.6\)
    Discipline Documentation Style
    languages, literature, philosophy, and some arts Modern Language Association (MLA)
    social sciences, education, and some other sciences American Psychological Association (APA)
    history, religion, fine arts, and business Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)
    life sciences Council of Science Editors (CSE)
    chemistry American Chemical Society (ACS)
    physics American Institute of Physics (AIP)
    journalism Associated Press (AP)
    medicine American Medical Association (AMA)
    law Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation

    Index to MLA Documentation Models

    The models, listed numerically, provide examples of in-text citations and works-cited entries (MLA). The models themselves are located in Handbook Section 13 (H13).

    In-Text Citation Models

    1. One author
    2. Two or more works by the same author
    3. Two authors
    4. Three or more authors
    5. Authors with the same last name
    6. Organization, government, corporation, or association as author
    7. Unknown author
    8. Work in more than one volume
    9. Work with no page or other reference numbers
    10. One-page or entire work
    11. Source quoted in another source (indirect quotation)
    12. Literary works
      • Poetry and verse plays
      • Fiction and prose plays
    13. Two or more works in the same citation
    14. Sacred text

    Endnotes and Footnotes (MLA)

    Format of the List of Works Cited (MLA)

    Authors and Contributors (MLA)

    1. Book: one author
    2. Book: two authors
    3. Book: three or more authors
    4. Book: two or more works by the same author
    5. Author and editor
    6. Author and translator
    7. Author and illustrator
    8. Work by an organization, a government, a corporation, or an association
    9. Unknown author

    Articles in Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers (MLA)

    1. Basic format for a journal article in a database
    2. Article in an academic journal
      • Database
      • Print
      • Online
    3. Article in a weekly or biweekly magazine
      • Database
      • Print
      • Online
    4. Article in a monthly or bimonthly magazine
      • Database
      • Print
      • Online
    5. Article in a newspaper
      • Database
      • Print
      • Online
    6. Editorial or letter to the editor
    7. Review

    Books and Parts of Books (MLA)

    1. Basic entry for a book
    2. Print book
    3. E-book
    4. Book, anthology, or collection with an editor
    5. Work in an anthology or chapter in an edited collection
    6. Two or more works in an anthology or edited collection
    7. Revised or later edition
    8. Multivolume work
    9. One volume of a multivolume work
    10. Book in a series
    11. Republished work
    12. Sacred text
    13. Introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword
    14. Published letter
    15. Conference paper

    Websites and Parts of Websites (MLA)

    1. Basic format for a short work or page on a website
    2. Short work or page on a website
    3. Blog post
    4. Entire website
    5. Wiki

    Social Media (MLA)

    1. Basic format for a social media post
    2. Social media post
    3. Online forum post
    4. Online comment

    Personal Communication (MLA)

    1. Email
    2. Text message
    3. Personal letter

    Video, Audio, and Other Media Sources (MLA)

    1. Film
    2. Online video
    3. Television programs
      • TV series
      • TV episode
    4. Advertisement
      • Print
      • Online
    5. Cartoon or comic
      • Print
      • Online
    6. Painting or other visual artwork
      • Original work
      • Reproduction
      • Online
    7. Map, chart, or diagram
      • Print
      • Online
    8. Sound recording
      • Album
      • Song
      • Online
    9. Radio
    10. Podcast
    11. Interview
      • Broadcast
      • Online
      • Personal interview
    12. Video game, software, or app

    Other Sources (MLA)

    1. Live lecture, speech, address, or reading
    2. Live performance
    3. Letter in an archive
    4. Dissertation
    5. Pamphlet

    Index to APA Documentation Models

    The models, listed numerically, provide examples of in-text citations and reference entries (APA). The models themselves are located in Handbook Section 14 (H14).

    In-Text Citation Models (APA)

    1. One author
    2. Two authors
    3. Three or more authors
    4. Authors with the same last name
    5. Organization, government, corporation, or association as author
    6. Unknown author
    7. Two or more works in the same citation
    8. Work with no page numbers
    9. Source quoted in another source (indirect quotation)
    10. Entire work
    11. Personal communication

    Format of the References List (APA)

    Authors (APA)

    1. One author
    2. Two authors
    3. Three to twenty authors
    4. Work by an organization, a government, a corporation, or an association
    5. Unknown author
    6. Two or more works by the same author

    Articles in Journals, Magazines, and Newspaper (APA)

    1. Basic format for an article in an academic journal
    2. Article in an academic journal
      • With DOI
      • With URL
      • Without DOI or URL
    3. Article in a magazine
      • Database
      • Print
      • Online
    4. Article in a newspaper
      • Database or print
      • Online
    5. Blog post
    6. Published interview
    7. Editorial or letter to the editor
    8. Review

    Books and Parts of Books (APA)

    1. Basic entry for a book
    2. Print book or e-book
    3. Book, anthology, or collection with an editor
    4. Article in an edited book, anthology, or collection
    5. Translated or reprinted book
    6. Revised edition
    7. One volume of a multivolume work
    8. Report or publication by a government agency or other organization
    9. Conference paper

    Web Sources (APA)

    1. Basic format for a page or work on a website
    2. Page or work on a website
    3. Wiki

    Social Media (APA)

    1. Social media post
    2. Online forum post

    Video, Audio, and Other Media Sources (APA)

    1. Film
    2. Online video
    3. Television programs
      • TV series
      • TV episode
    4. Music recording
    5. Radio
    6. Podcast
    7. Painting or other visual artwork
    8. Map, photograph, or other visual
    9. Video game, software, or app

    21.3: Index and Guide to Documentation is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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