A bibliography, sometimes referred to as references, reference or works cited page is a list of sources that have been used in research for your paper or assignment. It is a necessary part of any research paper and contains full citations for all sources that have been directly referenced in the paper or consulted during research. This bibliography sample provides examples of some common source types that you may need to include in your bibliography such as books, journal articles, websites and more.
Before starting your bibliography review what citation style, like APA, MLA, Chicago or another is required for your paper as this will dictate formatting for sources. Citation styles provide guidelines for laying out elements such as author names, dates of publication, titles and more in a consistent way. Checking your citation style now will help you format sources properly.
Your bibliography should be placed at the end of your paper on a new page with the title “References” or “Works Cited” centered at the top in the same format as your paper’s title. List entries in alphabetical order by the first word of the citation, usually the author’s last name. Use hanging indentation for citations so each line after the first is indented to clearly stand apart source entries.
Book – Single Author Citation
Last name, First name. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published.
Example:
Johnson, Bob. How to Write a Research Paper. New York: Academic Press, 2019.
Book – Two or Three Authors Citation
Last name, First name, First name Last name, and First name Last name. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published.
Example:
Smith, John, Susan Johnson, and William Jones. How to Perform Scientific Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017.
Book – More Than Three Authors Citation
Last name, First name, First name Last name, First name Last name, et al. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published.
Example:
Brown, Susan, Larry Johnson, Amy Thomas, Mark Miller, et al. Conducting the Perfect Experiment. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2014.
Journal Article from Database – One Author
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Date): Page range. Database Name, https://www.[databaseURL].library.edu/doi/xx.xxx/xxxxxx
Example:
Roberts, John. “How to Critique a Research Article.” Science Journal 45, no. 3 (2020): 12-30. Academic Search Complete, https://www.library.edu/doi/10.1080/00365020209373232
Journal Article from Print – Two or More Authors
Last name, First name, and First name Last name. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Date): Page range.
Example:
Williams, Susan and Amy Johnson. “Effective Search Strategies for Library Databases.” Library Resources and Technical Services 60, no. 1 (2016): 35-45.
Newspaper Article
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name, Date of Publication.
Example:
Jones, Sara. “New Library Opening Thursday.” The Daily Gazette, May 15, 2022.
Website – General Structure
Last name, First name or username if available. “Page Title.” Site Name, Date of Publication/Last Update. URL.
Example:
Smith, John. “How to Cite Sources.” Purdue OWL, January 15, 2022. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html
You should place items in your bibliography in alphabetical order according to the first element of the citation (usually the author’s last name or title if no author). Consistent formatting is key so carefully follow citation style guidelines. This bibliography sample provides examples of some common source types but be sure to check your specific citation style’s guidelines for any other sources used in your research paper.