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Citing Sources - US

1. Author

In the Author element, list the primary creator of the work you are citing.

The Author can be any type of creator and can be an individual, group, organization, or government. For example, the author can be:

  • writer
  • artist (painter, photographer, etc.)
  • music group
  • government organization, like the Central Intelligence Agency
  • international organization, like the World Health Organization

Include pseudonyms, stage names, and online usernames, especially if the the author is well known by that form of name (ex: Mark Twain, Lady Gaga). Names of groups should not be abbreviated, so instead of CIA you would write out Central Intelligence Agency.

The Author element is always followed by a period. If there is no author, skip to the next element, Title of Source.

14. Author Sequence

Author (element 1) - Sequence: Last name first, first name last for one author. For two authors, Last name first, first name last, first name first last name last. For three or more authors, only include the first author followed by et al. Place name suffixes after middle name, or first name if there is no middle name. 

Egan, William. (one author, no middle name or initial)

Egan, William, and David Gusitsch. (two authors, no middle name or initial)

Jagger, Mick, and Keith Richards. (two authors, no middle name or initial)

Harris, Neal P.  (one author with middle initial)

Harris, Neal Patrick. (one author with middle name)

Egan, William J., and Neal P. Harris. (two authors with middle initials)

Egan, William James., and Neal Patrick Harris. (two authors with middle names)

Egan, William, et al. (for three or more authors)

Potter, Harry, et al.  (for three or more authors)

Connick, Harry, Jr. (suffix)

King, Martin Luther, Jr.  (middle name and suffix)

 

13. Corporate Author

 

Do not reverse corporate authors. Associated Press is correct. (not Press, Associated). A corporate author is a tricky concept. The Central Intelligence Agency is the author of The World Factbook, but a periodical such as New York Times is never listed as a corporate author. On the other hand, the Associated Press, which is a news agency, is a corporate author. United States government agencies are tricky. Use the agency as a corporate author and the United States as the publisher. There are often agencies within agencies (e.g., Choose My Plate -> Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion -> Department of Agriculture -> United States. This complicates the container listing. If you are confused, ask for help. 

Also, several websites provide incorrect recommendations for citations. Biography.com, History.com, and Encyclopaedia Britannica are just three of the many websites that lead students astray on citations. This is especially relevant when it comes to the corporate author piece. History.com suggests that you include “History.com Staff” as the corporate author. Encyclopedia Britannica makes a similar recommendation on their Cite link. Don’t do what they tell you!

3. Abbreviations

 

Citations - Abbreviations: No abbreviations. Spell it out (e.g., TED is Technology, Engineering, and Design [not TED Talks!], NPR is National Public Radio; BBC is British Broadcasting Corporation, CNN is Cable News Network). 

  • A&E: Arts and Entertainment (publisher of Biography.com and History.com)
  • BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation
  • Biography.com: Biography
  • CNN: Cable News Network
  • Encyclopedia.com: Encyclopedia
  • History.com: History
  • MSNBC: Microsoft National Broadcasting Company
  • NPR: National Public Radio
  • PBS: Public Broadcasting Service 
  • TBS: Turner Broadcasting Systems (publisher of Cable News Network)
  • TED: Technology Engineering and Design
  • UNESCO: United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organization
  • UNICEF: United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund