Cite It Right! - ELISER - Singapore Polytechnic

Singapore Polytechnic LibraryCite It Right!A Guide to Citing ReferencesWhat does “citing references” mean?When writing a paper or report, you may need to quote or incorporate ideas, information, diagrams orstatistics from other sources (e.g. books, reports, articles, websites). When this is done, properacknowledgement to the source should be provided.Why do I need to do this?There are 3 important reasons:1. To give credit to the person who originated the idea or information.2. To allow your readers to trace your sources easily if they are interested to learn more aboutyour subject.3. To show how well and thoroughly you have done your research.How do I cite references?You may cite references using one of several standard styles, e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago Style, HarvardStyle, etc. that have been developed by various organisations. Once you choose a style, use itconsistently throughout your report.This guide will show you how to cite your references using the Harvard Style, which is one of thesimplest and is widely used in many educational institutions.The Harvard Style is made up of two components:1. Citing within the text – This provides brief details of the author and date of publication.2. Citing at the end of the text – You must include a list of References at the end of your text.This is a list of all the books, journal articles and other sources of information you have referredto in your paper or report. Full bibliographic information must be provided.Citing references is not difficult. The key is to be consistent!

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!Contents Harvard Style of Citation PageCiting within the Text…………………………………………………... 2Quotations……………………………………………………………….. 4Illustrations / Tables / Charts / Pictures ……………………………… 4Websites………………………………………………………………… 4Compiling a List of References……………………………………….. 51. Books…………………………………………………………….. 52. Article within a book……………………………………………. 63. Publication from a government or private organisation…….. 64. Journal articles………………………………………………….. 65. Newspaper / magazine articles……………………………….. 76. Conferences…………………………………………………….. 77. Theses and dissertations……………………………………… 78. Standards……………………………………………………….. 89. Research reports……………………………………………….. 810. Statutes and subsidiary legislation…………………………… 811. Law reports……………………………………………………… 812. Films / Videos / VCDs / DVDs………………………………… 913. CD-ROMs……………………………………………………….. 914. Articles from an electronic journal / database……………….. 915. Internet resources………………………………………………. 1016. Emails……………………………………………………………. 10Tips for Making Your Task Easier….…………………………………. 10Other Major Style Guides ……………………………………………... 11References………………………………………………………………. 12Harvard Style of CitationCiting within the TextWhen referring to a source or document in the body of your report/paper, indicate the author’s surnameand year of publication.One author:ExamplesGates (1996) said that the Internet was not always the top priority in Microsoft’s strategy.orThe Internet was not always the top priority in Microsoft’s strategy (Gates 1996).Multiple authors / Multiple sources:ExamplesYablonski and Mancuso (2002) advised against controlling microbial contamination incosmetics by adding more preservatives.These techniques have been used for determining total fluorine in environmental andbiological samples (Sweetser 1965; Kissa 1986).For 4 authors or moreCohen, et al. (1999) described how the DNA encoding these tumor-cell proteins can beinjected into cells that might help people mount an immune response against the cancers.[Note: “et al.” represents the rest of the authors]2

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!Anonymous / No author:Asian Authors:AnonymousA recent article (Anon 2001) stated that the Service & Support Professionals Association(SSPA) is the world's largest technical support industry association.No authorBusiness Week Online’s (2004) interview with Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs revealed that one ofhis strategies is “saying no to 1,000 things” so as to concentrate on the “really important”innovations.Chinese namesExampleAuthors: Sunny T.H. Goh and Khoo Kheng-HorThe main purpose of an advertisement is to win sales, not awards (Goh and Khoo2003).Malay namesExampleAuthor: Rindra Mohktar bin RamliRindra Mohktar (2002) found that the most common and popular electronicinformation resource was the Internet.Indian namesExamplesAuthor: Hiru BijlaniHiru (1999) recommends providing training programmes for managers who do nothave experience in the global marketplace.Author: G. SivalingamThere are many competing and conflicting theories of what determines the price orvalue of a stock (Sivalingam 1990).Sikh namesExamplesAuthor: Ranjit SinghSingh (1990) also describes group strategies as a set of individual strategies.However, the joint plans discussed in this paper include actions and plans performedby other agents or teams with appropriate synchronization.Material published by an organisation or company:ExamplesAccording to the World Health Organisation (1985), the safe level of protein intake for anadult is 0.75g/kg body weight per day.Survey results showed that simple home pleasures such as reading a book or watchingtelevision are the most popular pastimes for Singaporeans (Visa International 1996).3

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!QuotationsA short quotation should be included in the body of the text in quotation marks, and the page numbergiven.ExampleHe observed that “humor is by far the most significant behavior of the human brain” (De Bono1992, p. 8).If it is longer than a line, the whole quotation should be indented:Creativity is not a mystical talent that some people have and others can only envy.Lateral thinking is the type of creative thinking that can be learned, practiced, andused by everyone. Some people will be better at it than others, as with any skill.(De Bono 1992, p. 310)Web documents usually do not have fixed page numbers. For documents without pagination,alternatives such as number of lines, paragraphs or screens etc. may be used e.g. (l. 65), (para. 2) or(screen 4).Illustrations / Tables / Charts / PicturesWhen referring to data from a table or chart, include the author and page number to enable the readerto verify the data.ExampleThe survey found that 6.9% of Singapore residents aged 18 to 69 years were obese(Singapore Ministry of Health 2004, p. 25).If the source of data is not the author’s own, but from another source, it is cited as a second handreference:Historical figures show that only sixty percent of households had televisions in Britain by the1970s. (National Statistics Office 1985 cited in Amazon 2005, p. 310)If the entire illustration, table, chart or picture is to be reproduced in your report, place the citation as afootnote:Weight Status (%) of Singapore residents aged 18-69 years, by gender, 2004Weight Status Males Females TotalUnderweight 6.2 12.2 9.2Normal weight 58.8 57.9 58.3Overweight (Pre-obese) 28.6 22.6 25.6Overweight (Obese) 6.4 7.3 6.9(Singapore Ministry of Health 2004, p.25).WebsitesInclude the name of the author or organisation responsible for the website and the date of website’screation or last revision.ExampleFood companies are required to comply with stipulated food regulations and standards (SpringSingapore, 12 Oct 2006).4

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!You can also include web addresses directly in your text. Be careful not to create any misinterpretationof any sentence punctuation taken as part of the punctuation in the website addresses. To avoid that,enclose the web addresses with arrow brackets.ExampleHealth Sciences Authority’s web site < http://www.hsa.gov.sg/ > provides information on healthproducts regulation.Compiling a List of ReferencesAt the end of your report, compile a list of publications that you have made reference to, and arrangethe publications alphabetically by author. This list will provide your reader with details of the informationsources that were cited in the body of the text. The following show what details to provide for each typeof information source.1. BooksDetails to provide• Author(s)• Year of publication• Book title (in italics)• Edition (if not the first)• Place of publication• PublisherExamplesGates, B. and Hemingway, C., 1999. Business @ the speed of thought: using a digital nervoussystem. New York: Warner Books.Burrows, T.D., et al., 2001. Video production: disciplines and techniques. 8th ed. Boston:McGraw-Hill.Anonymous author:Anon., 2002. Maximum Windows 2000 security. Indianapolis, Indiana: Sams.No author:Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary, 2003. 11th ed. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster.Note:For book without an author, the title is used in the reference list. Titles beginning with anyarticles e.g. a, an, or, the, etc. are disregarded from the alphabetical arrangement.ExamplesAngelides, M.C. and Agius, H.W., 2000. ..The digital crime network….Fogey, B., 2001…Asian Authors:Chinese namesAuthors: Sunny T.H. Goh and Khoo Kheng-HorGoh, S. T. H. and Khoo, K. H., 2003. Marketing wise: an unconventional approach to strategicmarketing for Asia. Selangor, Malaysia; London: Prentice Hall.5

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!Malay namesAuthors: Muhamad bin Zakaria and Mustafa Ali MohdMuhamad bin Zakaria and Mustafa Ali Mohd, 1994. Traditional Malay medicinal plants. KualaLumpur : Fajar Bakti.Indian namesAuthor: Krishna Sankar, et al.Krishna, S., et al., 2004. Cisco wireless LAN security. Indianapolis, Indiana: Cisco.Author: G. SivalingamSivalingam, G., 1990. Modern portfolio management. Singapore: Longman Singapore.Sikh namesSingh, M., 2006. Heated, humidified air for the common cold (Cochrane Review). TheCochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3.2. Article within a bookDetails to provide• Author of the article/chapter• Year of publication• Article/chapter title• Editor(s) of book• Book title (in italics)• Place of publication• Publisher• Article/chapter pagesExampleMoregu, A., 2001. Principles of heat transfer. In: D.B. Marghitu, ed., Mechanical Engineer’sHandbook. San Diego: Academic Press, pp. 446-559.3. Publication from a government or private organisationDetails to provide• Name of organisation• Year of publication• Title of publication (in italics)• Place of publication• PublisherExamplesEuromonitor, 2001. Consumer Asia. London: Euromonitor.Singapore Department of Statistics, 2001. Yearbook of Statistics Singapore. Singapore:Ministry of Trade & Industry.4. Journal articlesDetails to provide• Author• Year of publication• Article title6

• Journal title (in italics)• Volume• Issue (if available)• PagesSingapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!ExampleAngelides, M.C. and Agius, H.W., 2000. Eight scenarios of the national informationsuperhighway development. Journal of Information Technology, 15(1), 53-67.5. Newspaper / magazine articles6. ConferencesDetails to provide• Author• Year of publication• Article title• Newspaper/magazine title (in italics)• Date of publication• PagesExampleMoreau, R., 2001. Saving the coral reefs. Newsweek, 12 Nov, p. 60.Details to provide• Author of paper• Year of publication• Title of paper• Editor(s) of conference proceedings• Conference title (in italics)• Location (if available)• Date of conference• Place of publication• Publisher• PagesExampleOlivella, J., 2000. The need to control the ship’s stability in port operations. In: F. Piniella , ed.New maritime impulses in the presence of a new century: 2nd international congress onmaritime technological innovations and research proceedings, 8-11 November 2000. Cadiz,Spain: Servicio De Publications, Universidad de Cadiz, pp. 117-122.7. Theses and dissertationsDetails to provide• Author• Year of Publication• Thesis/dissertation title (in italics)• Type of document (e.g. Ph.D. thesis, degree dissertation)• Awarding institutionExample:Teh, Y.C., 1990. The organisation of Singapore Polytechnic. Thesis (M. Ed.), University ofManchester.7

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!8. StandardsDetails to provide• Organisation• Year of publication• Standard number and year• Title of standard (in italics)• Place of publication (if known)• Name of publisherExampleBritish Standards Institution, 1990. BS5605:1990. Recommendations for citing and referencingpublished material. Milton Keynes: BSI.9. Research reportsDetails to provide• Author• Year of publication• Report title (in italics)• Research Report No. (if available)• Place of publication (if known)• PublisherExampleEdwards, A., 1995. Asia-Pacific travel forecasts to 2005. Research Report R460. London:Economist Intelligence Unit.10. Statutes and subsidiary legislation11. Law reportsDetails to provide• Country/state name• Title (in italics)• Year of publication• Chapter number• Regulation number, if availableExamplesSingapore. Companies Act 1994 (c. 50).Singapore. Factories (Building Operations and Works of Engineering Construction) Regulations1999 (c. 104, r. 8).This is one way law reports may be cited:Details to provide• Case title (in italics)• Year of report• Volume number• Abbreviation of the law report series• PagesExampleLee Hin Realty Pte Ltd v Lee Tah Wee David [1995] 3 SLR 521-530.8

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!12. Films / Videos / VCDs / DVDs13. CD-ROMsDetails to provide• Series title and number (if any)• Programme Title (in italics)• [Medium: Format]• Year of publication• Place of publication• PublisherExamplesManufacturing Engineering Magazine Video series. Manufacturing insights: Flexible materialhandling [video:VHS], 1998. Dearborn, Michigan: Society of Manufacturing Engineers.Computer animation extravaganza [DVD], 2000. Chatsworth, California: Odyssey Productions.Details to provide• Author• Year of publication• Title (in italics)• [CD-ROM]• Place of publication• PublisherExamplesAlbers, J., 1994. Interaction of color [CD-ROM]. New Haven: Yale University Press.World Bank, 2000. World Development Indicators [CD-ROM]. Washington, D.C., World Bank.14. Articles from an electronic journal / databaseDetails to provide• Author(s)• Year• Title of article• Title of journal/magazine (in italics)• [Online] or [CD-ROM]• Date of publication• Volume number (issue number)• Pages (if available)• Available from or database title• [Accessed date]ExamplesIovine, J., 2001. Hexapos walker robot. Poptronics [online], December 2001, 2(12), 42-46.Available from: Proquest [Accessed 28 September 2001].Fogey, B., 2001. The skyscraper age is far from over. The Straits Times [online], 23 August2001. Available from: Factiva.com [Accessed 27 June 2002].Swaine, R., 2000. Flavor chemistry and innovation. Perfumer & Flavorist [CD-ROM], Nov/Dec,25, pp. 1-6. Available from: Perfumer & flavorist: 25 years, 1976-2000 [Accessed 3 June 2002].9

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!Monroe, L.K., 2002. Anatomy of a building. Buildings [online], 96(4), 24-27. Available from:http://www.buildings.com [Accessed 6 May 2002].15. Internet resources16. EmailsDetails to provide• Author/editor• Year (if available)• Title (in italics)• [Online]• Place of publication (if available)• Publisher (if available)• Available from • [Accessed date]ExamplesHolland, M., 1999. Guide to citing Internet sources [online]. Poole: BournemouthUniversity. Available from:http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/using_the_library/html/harvard_system.html[Accessed 17 September 2001].Corporate/Organizational author:Nokia, 2005. Nokia Singapore [online]. Available from: http://www.nokia.com.sg[Accessed 10 August 2005].No author:If the website does not have an author, begin the citation with the title.GVU’s 10th user survey, 1998 [online]. Available from:http://www.gvu.gatech.edu/user_surveys/survey-1998-10/ [Accessed 10 August 2005].Details to provide• Sender surname, initials.• Sender’s email address (in brackets)• Day, month and year the email was sent• Subject of message in italics• The words Email to followed by the recipient’s initials, surname• Recipient’s e-mail address (in brackets)ExamplesTan, M. (margrettan@yahoo.com.sg), 20 March 2006. Re:How to cite an email. Email to W.P.Sng (wpsng@hss.com.sg).When citing emails it is important that you get the permission of the owners of the emailsbefore citing it.Tips for Making Your Task Easier1. Plan your information search strategy in advance, rather than do searches randomly.2. Keep a record of all the searches you have done, and jot down the source for each article orpiece of information. This will save you from having to repeat your searches or locate theinformation source again when you write your report.10

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!Other Major Style GuidesThese are some other frequently used citation styles:APA Style• Often used in writings in psychology, education, and other social sciences• The reference guide to the APA style:Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 2001 is available from theLibrary at Call No. 808.1:150 PUB (R)• There are also some guidelines for citing electronic sources athttp://www.apastyle.org/elecsource.htmlChicago Style• Often used with all subjects in books, magazines, newspapers, and other non-scholarlypublications• The Chicago manual of style, 1993, is available from the Library at Call No. 808.1(02) UNI (R)MLA Style• Frequently used in literature, arts, and humanities publications• MLA style manual and guide to scholarly publishing by Joseph Gibaldi, Modern LanguageAssociation, 1998, is available from the Library at Call No. 808.1 GIB (R)Turabian Style• Designed for college students to use with all subjects• A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations by Kate L. Turabian, 1996 isavailable from the Library at Call No. 808 TUR11

Singapore Polytechnic Library – Cite It Right!ReferencesAmerican Psychological Association, 1994. Publication manual of the American PsychologicalAssociation. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.British Standards Institution, 1989. BS1629:1989. Recommendations for references to publishedmaterials. London: BSI.British Standards Institution, 1990. BS5605:1990. Recommendations for citing and referencingpublished material. Milton Keynes: BSI.Delaney, R. Citation styles for research papers [online]. B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library, LongIsland University. Available from: http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citation.htm [Accessed17 June 2002].Fisher, D. & Hanstock,T., 1997. Citing References: a guide for users [online]. 2nd ed. Nottingham:Nottingham Trent University. Available from: http://www.ntu.ac.uk/lis/library/citrefs.pdf [Accessed 10January 2002].HOLLAND, M., 2004. Guide to citing Internet sources [online]. Poole: Bournemouth University. Availablefrom: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/library/using/guide_to_citing_internet_sourc.html[Accessed 20 December 2006].International Islamic University Malaysia. APA format for reference list [online]. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:International Islamic University Malaysia. Available from:http://www.iiu.edu.my/draa/files/APA%20format.doc [Accessed 2 November 2004].International Organisation for Standardization, 2002. Excerpts from International Standard ISO 690-2[online]. Ottawa, Canada: National Library of Canada. Available from: http://www.nlcbnc.ca/iso/tc46sc9/standard/690-2e.htm[Accessed 3 June 2002].Multimedia University. Citation style for reference list [online]. Malaysia: Multimedia University. Availablefrom: http://www.mmu.edu.my/~crpp/content/appendix(I)_citation1.doc [Accessed 2 November 2004].Snooks & Co., 2002. Style manual for authors, editors and printers. 6th ed. Canberra: John Wiley &Sons Australia.June 2002Revised Jan 2007Copyright © Singapore Polytechnic Library. All Rights Reserved.12