What is a citation?
- A well-constructed citation presents all of the information needed to identify or locate a specific resource (article, book, book chapter, video, etc.)
- Citations are found in print indexes, online databases (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, etc.), and bibliographies.
- Journal articles, books, and other types of resources typically include lists of citations to facilitate access to content that has been quoted or referenced in the text.
What's in a citation?
- The specific elements included in a citation will vary depending upon the type of material being cited.
- The examples below identify citation elements for three of the most common resource types.
A sample journal citation is shown below:
