How to Write a Bibliography
You've finished writing a brilliant research paper. Don't forget to give credit where credit is due with a bibliography.
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You Will Need
- Word processing software
- Research sources
- A format handbook (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Format the page
Format a page with double spaces and one-inch margins, and center "Bibliography" at the top. Align the first line of each entry against the left margin, and indent any additional lines five spaces.
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Step 2
Alphabetize sources
Alphabetize sources by the author's last name. If no author is listed, use the first word of the title of the source, excluding "A," "An," or "The."
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Step 3
List author's name
Start each entry with the author's last name and then first name, separated by a comma, and followed by a period. Additional authors are cited with first names followed by last names. The final author is preceded by "and."
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Step 4
List article title
Cite the title of an article in a book, magazine, or internet source two spaces after the period. The title should be followed by a period and be contained inside quotation marks.
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Consult a format handbook for how to cite less common sources.
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Step 5
List source title
List the name of the book, magazine, or internet source in italics two spaces after the period. Include volume and issue numbers for magazines and, for internet sources, precede the title with the date the source was written.
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This source is sometimes underlined. Check any guidelines you were given to see if there is a preference.
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Step 6
Add publisher information
Provide the publisher information for a source from a book. Type the city of the publisher, followed by a colon, then the publisher's name, comma, and then the year of publication.
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Step 7
Add magazine or internet information
For a magazine, add the date of the issue followed by a comma and the pages where the article appears. For an internet source, put the date you accessed the source followed by the URL in angle brackets. End with a period.
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Did you know? According to a national survey, 54 percent of U.S. students admitted plagiarizing from the internet.
