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Learn the simple steps to show readers where you found your information.
Imagine you spent weeks building a giant LEGO castle, but then your friend told everyone they built it themselves. How would you feel? Citations are how we give 'shout-outs' to creators so we never accidentally steal their hard work!
To give credit, you first have to find the 'Big Three' pieces of information. These are the Author (the person who wrote it), the Title (the name of the book or article), and the Date (when it was published). Finding these is like being a detective. On a book, look at the cover or the first few pages. On a website, look at the very top or the very bottom of the page. If you can't find a person's name as the author, sometimes a company or group (like 'NASA') is the author!
Quick Check
If you are looking at a book cover and see the name 'Roald Dahl,' which of the 'Big Three' have you found?
Answer
The Author
Let's cite the book 'Charlotte's Web' by E.B. White, published in 1952.
1. Identify the Last Name: White 2. Identify the First Name: E.B. 3. Identify the Title: Charlotte's Web 4. Identify the Year: 1952 5. Put it together: White, E.B. Charlotte's Web. 1952.
Quick Check
In a book citation, do we put the author's First Name or Last Name first?
Answer
Last Name
You found an article called 'Mars Rover Facts' by Sarah Stone on the NASA website. It was written in 2023. The link is www.nasa.gov/mars.
1. Author: Stone, Sarah. 2. Article Title: "Mars Rover Facts." 3. Date: 2023. 4. URL: www.nasa.gov/mars. 5. Full Citation: Stone, Sarah. "Mars Rover Facts." 2023. www.nasa.gov/mars.
Sometimes, a source is tricky. You might find a website that doesn't list a person's name. In that case, the Organization becomes the author. If you find a book with two authors, you usually just list the first one shown. Accuracy is the most important part of being a researcher. If you can't find a date, you can use the abbreviation 'n.d.' which stands for 'no date,' though it is always better to look hard for that copyright symbol !
Cite a page from the 'National Geographic' website titled 'All About Tigers.' There is no person listed as the author. The date is 2021. URL: www.natgeo.com/tigers.
1. Since no person is listed, use the organization: National Geographic. 2. Title: "All About Tigers." 3. Date: 2021. 4. URL: www.natgeo.com/tigers. 5. Full Citation: National Geographic. "All About Tigers." 2021. www.natgeo.com/tigers.
Which of these is the correct way to start a book citation for author Beverly Cleary?
What extra piece of information is required for a website citation that is NOT usually in a book citation?
If a website doesn't have a person's name listed as the author, you should use the name of the Organization or Site instead.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to write down the 'Big Three' pieces of information needed for any citation without looking at your notes.
Practice Activity
Pick your favorite book from your shelf and try to write a perfect citation for it using the formula!