Bibliography Help

What is a Bibliography?

A bibliography is a "list of sources (books, journals, websites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic" (OWL). There are several ways to write a bibliography, but District 99 teachers recommend MLA—Modern Language Association—formatting, one of the most common styles.

Where Can I Find Bibliographic Information?

Information for bibliographies can be found directly at the source! The title page will provide the name of the author, the publisher, and where the book was published. Copyright information can be found on the verso page (the page opposite the title page, on the left side). You can also find bibliographic information by using the computer catalog at the library.

Book Citations

Bibliographic citations for books vary. The following examples will guide you as you write a bibliographic entry for one of many styles of books.

Book with one author:
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life As We Knew It. Orlando: Harcourt, 2006.
The author is listed, last name first. The title is underlined. The city where the book was published is listed, followed by a colon and the name of the publisher. Last is the year the book was published.

Book with two authors:
Dart, Iris Rainer and Joyce Brotman. Larry, the King of Rock and Roll. New York: Putman, 2007.
The main author is listed, last name first, followed by the second author, first name first. The title is underlined. The city where the book was published is listed, followed by a colon and the name of the publisher. Last is the year the book was published.

A book that has an editor:
The Girls' Book of Flower Fairies. Ed. Mary Barker Cicely. London: Frederick Warne, 2008.
The title is underlined. Next is the editor's name, first name first, preceded by the abbreviation ‘Ed.' The city where the book was published is listed, followed by a colon and the name of the publisher. Last is the year the book was published.

A book without an author:
Cool Crafts: Over 200 Easy-to-Create Projects for the Whole Family. New York: Filipacchi Publishing, 2007.
The title is underlined. The city where the book was published is listed, followed by a colon and the name of the publisher. Last is the year the book was published.

An article in a book without an author:
"America's Tallest." Guinness World Records 2009. London, England: Guinness World Records, 2008.
The title of the article is listed in quotes, followed by the name of the book, which is underlined. Next is the city where the book was published, followed a colon and the name of the publisher. Last is the year the book was published.

Encyclopedia and Other Reference Books

Encyclopedia articles may or may not have an author listed. The author's name can be found at the end of the article; this is called a signed article. If there is no name listed, this is called an unsigned article.

Signed article:
Means, Bruce D. "Turtle." World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 19. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2009.
The author is listed, last name first, followed by the article in quotation marks. The name of the encyclopedia is underlined. Next is the volume number, followed by the city, a colon, the name of the publisher, and the year the book was published.

Unsigned article:
"Cows." World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2009.
The article is listed first, in quotation marks. Next is the name of the encyclopedia, which is underlined, followed by the volume number, the city where the book was published, a colon, the name of the publisher, and the year the book was published.

Magazines and Newspapers

Magazines and newspapers (also called periodicals), are good sources of current information. Periodical articles may or may not have an author.

Magazines

Signed article:
Tomlin, C.M. "Amazing Animal Heroes." National Geographic Kids. December 2008/January 2009: 20-23.
The author's name is listed, last name first, followed by the title of the article in quotation marks. Next is the title of the periodical, which is underlined, followed by the date of publication. Finally, after a colon, list the page numbers of the article.

Unsigned article:
"Surfing for a Summer Camp." Young Rider. January/February 2007: 18-23.
The article is listed in quotation marks, followed by the title of the magazine, which is underlined. Next is the date of publication, a colon, and the page numbers of the article.

Newspapers

Signed article:
Schmadeke, Steve. "Another Hammond Boy Freezes Tongue to a Pole." Chicago Tribune. 16 January 2009. Section 1, Page 3.
The author's name is listed, last name first, followed by the title of the article in quotation marks. Next is title of the newspaper, which is underlined, followed by the date of publication. Last is the section number and the page number.

Unsigned article:
"Chicago Tribune's ‘To-Go' Edition Debuts on Newsstands." Chicago Tribune. 16 January 2009. Section1, Page 2.
The article is listed in quotation marks, followed by the name of the newspaper, which is underlined. Next is the date of publication, followed by the section number and page number.

World Wide Web/Internet

"Guinea Pigs." Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia. 16 January 2009.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig>.
If there is an author, list it first. The title of the online article is listed in quotation marks and the title of the website is underlined. Then list the date you visited it followed by the website address in brackets followed by a period .

Citation for Articles from an Online Database (such as Infotrac or Biography Resource):
Cordell, Melinda R. "E.B. White and His Spiders." Highlights for Children. October 2008: 32. Infotrac. Downers Grove Public Library, Downers Grove, IL. 16 January 2009.
<http://find.galegroup.com/>
The author's name is listed, last name first, followed by the title of the article in quotation marks. Next is the title of the periodical, which is underlined, followed by the publication date, a colon, and the page numbers. Then list the name of the database, the institution providing the database, its location, the date you accessed the article, and the URL for the homepage of the service.

For further help, see:

808.02/GIB
Gibaldi, Joseph MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 361p.
This manual covers such need-to-know tips such as how to write a research paper, how to prepare a bibliography, and more.

Prepared by Sharon Hrycewicz and Sarah Goers, revised January 2009