Where is that cite button?

CITATION GENERATORS IN LIBRARY DATABASES

Learning how to cite your resources can be one of the most challenging aspects of writing a research paper.

Especially when there are so many different citation styles to learn. (MLA, APA, Chicago to name a few)

Did you know that many of our library databases will not only help you find resources for your research paper, but help you cite those resources too?

Sometimes students have a hard time noticing or finding the option for creating a citation in a databases. You will normally find it within the record for the resource, some place at the top, side or bottom.

Following are a few example screenshots from some of our more popular library databases, showing the placement of the citation generator.

EbscoHost/Search Almost Everything

Opposing Viewpoints

CQ Researcher

ProQuest

Credo Reference

Credo is sneaky. They like to put their citations all the way down at the bottom.

Statista

Oxford English Dictionary

Films on Demand

Not all of our library databases will provide you with citations. Instead, you will have to use the information in the record to put the citation together yourself, in whatever format your instructor has required.

So, all of this becomes….

Phillip, Bruce. "Trolls At The Social Media Gate." Canadian Business 87.15/16 (2014): 22. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.

It’s also very important to remember that the citation the database generates may not ALWAYS be correct.

A database is a research tool, not a brain so you will need to use your brain to review the citation the database creates for you and make sure all the capitalization, punctuation and all other formatting has been done correctly.

If you are having a hard time figuring out how to cite your resource, our Citing Sources Guide might help. You will find a link to the guide on our library website.