 Most of the sentences in your science paper must be

sentences that you created yourself.

 They may be sentences that you created by summarizing
information from your sources.
 Add some quotes to your science paper.
 Remember that it is ok to copy sentences directly out of the
source and into your paper as long as you state clearly that
someone, other than you, wrote those words.
 Quotes must be about the topic that is being discussed in the
paragraph. You must have one quote from every source.
▪ Citing a work by one author
Use the author’s surname, followed by the date of
publication.

example:
Restructuring efforts should focus on providing high-quality
education for at-risk students (Slavin, 1993).

or

Slavin (1993) believes restructuring should focus on providing

high-quality education for at-risk students.
If you use the author's name in the sentence, simply
include within parentheses the date of publication
after the author's name:
Barrow (1974) found . . . .
However, if you do not incorporate the author's name
into the sentence, include the author's last name
and publication date within parentheses:
. . . (Barrow, 1974).

Either approach may be used regardless of the

number of authors.
•Two Authors:

example:
School success may be an accurate predictor of both self-
esteem and self-concept (Gage & Berliner, 1989).

or

Gage and Berliner (1989) noted that school success may

be an accurate predictor of both self-esteem and self-
concept.
•Three, Four, or Five Authors:
–1st time:

example:
Smith, Jones, and Black (2001) found…

–After the 1st time:

example:
Smith et al. (2001) found…

–After 2nd time, but inside the same paragraph:

example:
Smith et al. found…
For a source with three, four, or five authors, cite all of the
authors the first time a reference occurs. For any subsequent
occurrences of the same reference, use the first author’s
name with “et al.” signifying the other authors. Follow this
with the date of the publication. Omit the year from each
subsequent occurrence of the same reference falling within
the same paragraph.

(Smith, Rubick, Jones, & Malcolm, 1995)

Smith et al. (1995) argued that. . . .
(Smith et al., 1995)
 When a work has three to five authors, include all the authors
in your first citation; in subsequent citations, use the first
author’s last name followed by et al. and the year.
example:

First citation:
A community college survey confirmed these findings
(Douglas, Bradner, Torrington, & Williams, 1997).

Subsequent citation:
Community colleges are beleaguered by convoluted internal
politics and policies (Douglas et al., 1997).
For a source with six or more authors, include only
the first author's name followed by "et al."

Peffer et al. (1997) contended. . . .

(Peffer et al., 1997)

•Groups as Authors:
–1stCitation:

example:
…(American Psychological Association [APA], 2000).

–Subsequent Citations:

example:
…(APA, 2000).
If a source has a group (corporation, government agency,
association, etc.) as an author, the name is usually spelled
out in every text citation. However, if the name is long and
the abbreviation is easily recognizable or understandable,
spell it out for the first text citation and abbreviate for
subsequent citations.

First text citation:

(Association of College and Research Libraries [ACRL], 1996)

Second or subsequent citations:

(ACRL, 1996)
ACRL (1996) found that. . . .
First citation:

. . . noted in the proposal (American Educational

Research Association [AERA], 2000).

or

The American Educational Research Association (AERA,

2000) proposed . . .

Subsequent citations:

. . . (AERA, 2000). or AERA (2000) . . .

Citing authors with the same surname

example:
…S. T. Smith (2000) and J. D. Smith
(1999)…
▪ Citing a work with no author or with an anonymous
author
When an article, chapter, or web page has no author
identified, cite the first few words of the title as it appears in
the reference list entry and enclose them in double quotation
marks, but italicize the title of a book, brochure or report
with no identified author:
example:

(“Aboriginal Languages,” 2007).

In the article “Aboriginal Languages ”(2007)…

Embracing Web 2.1 (2011) identifies practical strategies . . .

•Two of more works within the same parentheses
–In order alphabetically, as they would appear in references,
separated by semi-colons

example:
…(Jones, 2003; Thomas, 2010).

–If by same author, then by date

example:

…(Jones, 2003, 2007).

▪ Citing a secondary source
Secondary sources should be used sparingly, and only sources
that you have actually read should appear in your Reference list.
If you are unable to consult the original source, you may cite a
secondary source in your text:

example:

Action research uses a spiral process to achieve desired social

purposes: the planning and implementation of interventions are
closely linked to fact-finding on the resulting impact within the
organization (Lewin, 1946, as cited in O’Brien, 1998).

Lewin is cited in the text, but a Reference list entry is created

only for O’Brien.
 CITING SECONDARY SOURCES --When citing in the text a work discussed in a secondary source,
give both the primary and the secondary sources. In the example below, the study by Seidenberg
and McClelland was mentioned in an article by Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins, & Haller.

Seidenberg and McClelland’s study (as cited in Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins, & Haller, 1993) provided a

glimpse into the world…

In the references page, you would cite the secondary source you read not the
original study.

Coltheart, M., Curtis, B., Atkins, P., & Haller, M. (1993). Models of reading aloud: Dual-route and

parallel-distributed processing approaches. Psychological Review, 100, 589-608.

▪ Citing specific parts of a source

(Hookimaw-Witt, 1998, p. 169)

(Wotherspoon, 2004, chap. 2)

▪ Citing personal communications
Unpublished letters, email, nonarchived electronic
forums, personal interviews or conversations etc.
are cited as “personal communication”.

example:
(M. Singer, personal communication, March
3, 1998)

No corresponding Reference list entry is created for a

personal communication.
•Display quotation of fewer than 40 words in
double quotation marks. Include page number
in parentheses (pinpoint citation).

Example 1:

Black (1993) stated, “The ‘placebo effect’ …

disappeared when behaviors were studied in this

manner” (p. 276).

Incorporate quotations under 40 words into the body of your text,
enclosed in double quotation marks:

Example 2:

He also observed that “the intermingling in the school of youth of different

races, differing religions, and unlike customs creates for all a new and broader

environment” (Dewey, 1916, p. 21).

or

Dewey (1916) observed that "the intermingling in the school of youth of

different races, differing religions, and unlike customs creates for all a new and

broader environment" (p. 21).

•Display quotation of 40 or more words in block
quotation (double spaced) without quotation
marks.

example 1:
Black (1993) found the following:

The “placebo effect” had been verified in previous studies. This

effect was found to be indicative of a patient‘s belief that they were

suffering from x diagnosis and were receiving medication which

was helping them to reduce z psychosomatic side effects. (p. 276)

Example 2:

This commitment matured in the course of graduate studies:

As I prepared to begin my doctoral research, I clung to one truth that seemed

enduring. Qualitative approaches to educational research, approaches that relied on

observation, description, and analysis, especially through writing and talking,

seemed most consistent with my increasingly complex perspective on literacy and

learning, my need as a researcher to tap into deeper social and political forces than

I had to date, and my ongoing love for writing as a mode of learning, researching,

and creating connection among people. (Nielsen, 1998, p. 57)

In citing a specific part of a source, indicate the
page, chapter, figure, table, etc. after the
publication year. Abbreviate page or chapter.

Example 1:
He stated, “The impact of technology on student
learning is best observed when conducting focus
groups” (Gallati, 1988, p.38), but he did not go into
much more detail.

Example 2:
Gallati (1998) contended that “the impact of technology on
student learning is best observed when conducting focus
groups” (p.38).
Example 3:

Gallati (1998) discovered the following:

The impact of technology on student learning is best observed when conducting

focus groups. Small, independent studies allow the researcher or instructor to

witness hands-on experiences students have with technology and ways they

employ various forms of technology to enhance projects, research papers, and

group presentations. In addition, students willingly discuss their experiences –

positive and negative - with the researcher, thus documenting the ways in which

technological advances have helped or hindered their experience as a student.

(p.38)
When citing information from a Web page that
doesn’t provide page numbers, use the paragraph
abbreviation (para.) to indicate the paragraph being
cited. If the Web page doesn’t have visible page or
paragraph numbers, cite the heading and the
number of the paragraph following it.

(Myers, 2000, para. 5)

(Lehman, 2001, Recommendation section, para. 2)

Source doesn't have date

Format: Use n.d. (the abbrievation for no date) in place of

the date.
In-Text Example:

The body mass index of all women participating in the

study were within the normal range according to the
Centers for Disease Control (n.d.) interpretations for adults.

Corresponding Reference List Entry:

Centers for Disease Control. (n.d.). How is BMI calculated and

interpreted?. Retrieved April 12, 2008 from
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/about_ad
ult_BMI.htm#Interpreted
Online video

Author, A. A. (Date produced). Online video title [Video file].

Retrieved from http://www.websitename.com
Abbreviations:
Acceptable abbreviations in the reference list for parts of books and other
publications are:
chap. chapter
p. Page
ed. edition
pp. Pages
rev. ed. revised edition
para. paragraph
2 ed.
nd second edition
Pt. Part
Ed. Editor
Suppl. Supplement
Eds. Editors
Tech. Rep. Technical Report
et al. and others (from Latin et alii, et aliae)
Trans. Translator(s)
n.d. no date
Vol. Volume (as in Vol. 4)
No. Number
vols. Volumes (as in 4 vols.)
•Remember reference page is titled
references and they are:
–Double spaced
–In alphabetical order
–And formatted with a “hanging indention”
Easiest way is to type references like your normally would,
select/highlight them all, and then in Word, under FORMAT-
Paragraph-select hanging indention!

Also, Word 2007 has a sort function, so it can alphabetize your

references if you highlight them and select that function.