How can I tell what kind of citation I have?

Answered By: APUS Librarians

Last Updated: Sep 07, 2022 Views: 12365

It helps if you are familiar with how different types of citations (for books, periodical articles, websites, etc.) are formatted. To see examples of different citations in APA, MLA, Chicago and Bluebook, visit your style guide.

Each style guide formats citations a bit differently, but there are some common clues for each source type. Since articles, books, and book chapters are commonly-confused citation types, let's take a closer look at those three types of citations:

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ARTICLE CITATION: There is always two titles: one for the article, and one for the periodical. The article title is listed first. The periodical title is listed after the article title. Often include volume and issue numbers. Usually include the article's page numbers.
BOOK CITATION: List only one title (though it may have two parts, separated by a colon). May include a city, and a publishing company's name.
BOOK CHAPTER CITATION: Always include two titles: one for the chapter, and one for the book. May list both chapter's author(s) and book's editor(s) names. Usually include the chapter's page numbers. May include a city, and a publishing company's name.