How to Create a Citation for a Book
To cite a book, you
will need the following pieces of information:
-
Author
(usually available on the book’s title page, though sometimes individual
chapters are written by different authors, so if you do use a selected chapter,
check to see if the chapter is written by a different author).
-
Title of
the chapter used
-
Title of
the book
-
City and
state of publication (you can usually find this information on the title page,
or on the back side of the title page)
-
Year of
publication (you can usually find this information on the back side of the
title page)
-
Name of
editor(s) (usually found on the title page)
-
Page
numbers used (if you only used a section of the book)
-
If you use
an online version of a book (such as through a library database), include
access information: the date you looked at the book online, the URL, the name
of the database you used, and what institution provided access to the online
version
Below are citations
for three different books. Each is cited
first in MLA style, then in APA style.
Notice the formatting, punctuation and capitalization for each.
Citation for a book with more than one author:
MLA Style
Boni, William C. and Gerald L. Kovacich. I-Way Robbery: Crime on the Internet.
APA Style
Boni, W.C. and Kovacich,
G.L. (1999). I-Way
robbery: Crime on the internet.
Citation
for a book with an editor and separate author for the chapter used
MLA Style
Dick, Susan. “Literary
Realism in Mrs Dalloway, To the
Lighthouse,
APA Style
Dick, S. (2000). Literary realism in
Mrs. Dalloway, To the lighthouse,
Citation
for a book in which one chapter was used
MLA Style
Chinn, Mike. “Illustrating the Script.”
Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel: Everything You Need
to Know to Create Great Graphic Works.
APA Style
Chinn, M. (2004).
Illustrating the script. In Writing and illustrating the graphic novel:
Everything you need to know to create great graphic works (pp. 70-113).
Hauppauge, NY: Barron's
Online
Book Available Through a Library Database:
MLA Style:
Mabe, Dave. BlackBerry Hacks.
APA Style:
Mabe, D. (2005). BlackBerry hacks.
Where to Learn More:
For additional details
and explanations on how to cite books with other characteristics (such as
anthologies or books that are translated), refer to the following print and
online resources:
1. A style manual
- For MLA: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (call number LB2369 .G53 2009); in the INDEX, look up “Books,” then look for the “in works cited” section.- For APA: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (call number BF76.7 .P83 2001); in the TABLE OF CONTENTS, check the “Reference List” chapter for the Books, Brochures and Book Chapters section.
2. Online citation sites: http://www.nvcc.edu/library/bow_citingref.htm