Q. How do I create a bibliography or works cited page?

First, find out which citation manual and edition your professor wants you to use.

Different disciplines or fields of study use different citation styles (APA, MLA, CSE, etc.) Each citation style publishes a manual. If you don't have a copy of the citation style manual you need, the library may have a copy you can look at. The citation style manual will give you all the rules you will need to follow to create your citations and bibliography.

As you collect articles or other information you will add to your paper, be sure to print or write down all of the citation information that your citation style manual specifies.

Resources to help you understand and create bibliographies:

• The Purde Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers online help and tutorials on various citation styles: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
• RefMe is a free online citation manager. You can enter and save your citations in a personal online account. RefMe can automatically generate a bibliography for you based on the citations you enter. Learn more or create an account at: https://app.refme.com

Common citation styles:

• APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. Find Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association at the library. 
• CSE (Council of Science Editors) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the natural sciences, including biology, geology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. CSE style provides two different citation systems: the Name-Year system and the Citation-Sequence system (sometimes called the Superscript system). Find Scientific Style and Format at the library.
• MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. Find the MLA style manual at the library. Find MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers at the library.

Contact a librarian if you have more questions about using citations and bibliographies. We can help you through the process!