Key Elements of a Citation

Citations are like essential tags that help everyone track information. They guide readers to the original source of quotes, paraphrases, summaries, or ideas you use in your work.

Think of them as the standard ingredients you need for a complete recipe!

1. The Brains Behind the Work: Author

Who created this work?

2. What It's Called: Title

Source title and container title

3. The Timestamp: Publication Date

When was this work published?

4. Where to Find It: Location

Where can readers find this source?

Complete Citation Example

Mason, David, and Alan Ji. "Virtual Production at Cloud901 in the Memphis Central Library." Information Technology and Libraries, vol. 42, no. 1, 2023. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v42i1.16315.

■ Authors |■ Source Title |■ Container & Number |■ Date |■ Location

Key Takeaways

  • • Not all citations will have every element
  • • Different styles (MLA, APA, Chicago) have different formatting rules
  • • The goal is to help readers easily find the source themselves
  • • Gather all information while researching to avoid missing details later