How to Type a Bibliography

Take Good Notes

• 1

  For every book used in your paper, record the author(s), title, date published, city and state of publisher and publisher.

• 2

  For every journal article, record the author(s), title, journal name, date, volume number, issue number and pages.

• 3

  Write down information such as editors, translators, editions and other details. This will be important in your bibliography.

Creating a Bibliography

• 4

  Alphabetize your references by authors' last names. If a reference has multiple authors, use the last name of the author listed first on the book or article.

• 5

  Open a new word processing document, center the cursor and type "Bibliography."

• 6

  Double-check your professor's style guide for specifics. For example, your paper may require APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association) or CSM (Chicago Manual of Style) formatting.

• 7

  Make your first entry. If it is a book, list the author's last name, first name, title of the book underlined, date published, city published, state, then publishing company. It will look something like this:

  Last, F.N. TITLE. 2010. City, State: Publisher.

• 8

  If you need more than one line for a bibliographic entry, indent five spaces, single spaced, immediately under the first line of the entry.

Entering Journals, Websites and More

• 9

  Journals typically follow this format, with the journal title underlined:

  Last, F.N. "Title of Article." Journal Name Volume Number (Issue Number), pages.

• 10

  Websites follow this format:

  Last, F.N. "Web Page Title." Website Name. Website address. Date accessed.

• 11

  An article in an edited book will look like:

  Last, F.N. "Title of Article or Chapter." In Name, Editor (Ed.) Title of Book. City, State: Publisher. Date.