Goals of Electronic reference

• Credit the author
  
  
• Enable the reader to find the information
  

Things to consider when citing electronic material

• Will the information still be available when the reader wishes to look at the material?
  
  
• Will the information be archived on tape and difficult to obtain?
  
  
• Is the information widely accessible or only available on a local source?
  
  
• If print forms exist, and they are identical to the electronic form, it is better to give the citation for the print form.
  
  
• It is important to state the publication medium used (CD-ROM, Online, Diskette).
  
  
• The date element should indicate the year of publication or the most recent update. If a date cannot be determined, provide an exact date of your search.
  
  
• The availability statement replaces the location and name of a publisher typically provided for text references. Provide information sufficient to retrieve the material. Specify the method used to find the material, such as the protocol (Telnet, FTP, WWW, etc.) the directory and the file name.
  
  
• Be careful about punctuation. Stray punctuation in a path will hinder retrieval. Also be careful of capitalization. Some computer systems are case sensitive.
  
  
• Specify length of article. This may be pages, paragraphs, or even lines.
  
  
• If the journal is subscriber based, provide a document number or accession number for retrieval.
  
  

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  Journals

  APA style
  
  Author. (Year, Month). Title. Journal [Type of medium], volume, length if given. Available: specify path.
  
  Funder, D. C. (1994, March). Judgmental process and content: Commentary on Koehler on base-rate [9 paragraphs]. Psycholoquy [On-line serial], 5(17). Available E-mail: psyc@pucc Message: Get psy 94-xxxxx
  
  Funder, D. C. (1994, March). Judgmental process and content: Commentary on Koehler on base-rate [9 paragraphs]. Psycholoquy [On-line serial], 5(17). Available: FTP: Hostname: princeton.edu Directory: pub/harnad/Psycholoquy/1994.volume.5 File: psycoloquy.94.5.17. base-rate.12.funder
  Barlow, P. (1992, June). The Joshua tree quakes. CORE [On-line serial], 1(8). Available FTP: ftp.eff.org Directory: pub/journals Files: core1.08
  
  Berch, M. C. (1992, August). Buying silence. Quanta [On-line serial], 4(3). Available Telnet: gopher.tc.umn.edu Directory: Libraries/Newspapers, Magazines, and Newsletters/Literary Journals/Quanta/Ascii Issues/Volume IV Issue 3 August 1992 File: "Buying Silence" by Michael C. Berch
  
  Hennequin, W. (1992, March). Sonnet to the Bichanese. DargonZine [On-line serial], 5(1). Available: gopher2.tc.umn.edu Directory: Libraries/Newspapers, Magazines, and Newsletters/Literary Hournals/DargonZine/Vol.5 File: N.01 03-20-92
  
  Quinn, F. (1994, June). A role for libraries in electronic publication. EJournal [On-line serial], 4(2), 886 lines. Available: Gopher File: gopher://e-math.ams.org:70/00/genInfo/e-pubs/quinn2
  
  MLA format
  
  Author. "Title of Article." Journal volume or issue number (year or date of publication): number of pages or paragraphs or n. pag. Publication medium Name of computer network Date of access. An electronic address for accessing the document may appear at the end.
  
  Alston, Robin. "The Battle of the Books." Humanist 7.0176 (10 Sept. 1993): 10 pp. Online. Internet. 10 Oct. 1993. Available FTP: harfang.cc.umontreal.ca.
  
  Quinn, Frank. "A Role for Libraries in Electronic Publication." Ejournal 4.2 (1994): n. Pag. Online. Internet. 20 Oct. 1995.
  
  Steele, Ken. "Special Discounts on the New Variorum Shakespeare." Shaksper 2.124 (4 May 1991): n. pag. Online. BITNET. 1 June 1991.
  
  

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  Individual Works, Books, Monographs

  APA style
  
  Author. (Date). Title (edition), [Type of medium]. Available source: Message:
  
  Condon, C. (1990, October). BITNET user help [Online]. Available e-mail: NETSERV@NITNIC.BITNET Message: Get NETWORK GUIDE
  
  Carroll, L. (1991). Alice's adventures in wonderland (The Millennium Fulcrum edition 2.7a), [Online]. Available FTP: quake.think.com Directory: pub/text/1991 File: alice-in- wonderland.txt
  
  King, M. L. (1963, August). I have a dream [Online]. Available FTP: mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu Directory: gutenberg/freenet File: I-have-a-dream
  
  Perot, R. (1992). An America in danger [Online]. Available Telnet: gopher.tc.umn.edu Directory: Libraries/Electronic Books File: An America in Danger
  
  MLA style
  
  Author. Title of text. Publication information for the printed source. Publication medium. Name of repository of the electronic text. Name of computer network. Date of access. Electronic address for accessing the document may appear at the end.
  
  Octovian. Ed. Frances McSparran. Early English Text Soc. 289. London: Oxford UP, 1986. Online. U of Virginia Lib. Internet. 6 Apr. 1994. Available FTP: etext.virginia.edu.
  
  United States. General Accounting Office. Drug-Exposed Infants: Report to the Chairman, Committee on Finance, U. S. Senate. 6 Nov. 1992. Online. U of Minnesota Lib. Internet. 1 May 1993.
  
  

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  Online Databases

  APA format
  
  Author. (Date). Title. In Source (edition), [Type of medium]. Available: give information sufficient for retrieval of item from supplier.
  
  Apple introduces QuickRing. (1992, May 11). In Dow Jones News. [Online]. Available: Dow Jones News/Retrieval Service File: QUICK
  
  Income statement: quarterly report for 06/28/92. (1992, October 23). In Starbucks Corp. [Online]. Available: Dow-Jones News/Retrieval Directory: DSCLO File SBUX
  
  MLA format
  
  Author. "Title of material accessed." Date of the material Title of database. Publication medium Name of computer service Date of access
  
  Angier, Natalie. "Chemists Learn Why Vegetables Are Good for You." New York Times 13 Apr. 1993, late ed.: C1. New York Times Online. Online. Nexis. 10 Feb. 1994.
  
  "Comex Gold Contracts: Quotes from 4 Nov. 1992 to Dec. 1994." Dow Jones Futures and Index Quotes. Online. Dow Jones News Retrieval. 6 Nov. 1992.
  
  Guidelines for Family Television Viewing. Urbana: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Educ., 1990. ERIC. Online. BRS. 22 Nov. 1993.
  
  

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  CD-ROM Databases

  APA format
  
  Author. (Year, month, day). Title. Magazine [Type of medium], paging if given. Available: give information sufficient for retrieval of article from supplier
  
  Exercise helps clear fat from bloodstream. (1990, June). HeartCare [CD-ROM], p. 13. Available: InfoTrac File: Health Reference Center
  
  LaRosa, S.M. (1992, March). Marketing slays the downsizing dragon. Information Today [CD- ROM], pp. 58-59. Available: UMI File: Business Periodicals Ondisc Item: 92-20889
  
  MLA format
  
  Author. "Title of material accessed." Publication information of the printed source including title and date of print publication. Title of database Publication medium . Name of vendor if known. Electronic publication date.
  
  Angier, Natalie. "Chemists Learn Why Vegetables Are Good for You." New York Times 13 Apr. 1993, late ed.: C1. New York Times Ondisc. CD-ROM. UMI-Proquest. Oct. 1993.
  
  Galloway, Stephen. "TV Takes the Fall in Violence Poll." Hollywood Reporter 23 July 1993: 16. Predicasts F and S Plus Text: United States. CD-ROM. Silver Platter. Oct. 1993.
  
  

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  Computer Programs

  APA format
  
  Author. (Date). Name of program (version), [computer program]. Available: give information sufficient for retrieval of the program.
  
  MacConcord I (KJV) (Apple Macintosh version 1.2), [Computer program]. (No date). Available Distributor: Medina Software, Longwood, FL Order no.: 48842-500
  
  Wu, A.H. & Jenkins, B. (1990, May 1). Diagnostic ordering in clinical medicine (DOS version 1.0), [Computer program]. Available Distributor: Health Sciences Consortium, Chapel Hill, NC (address: 201 Silver Cedar Court, Zip: 27514).
  
  MLA format
  
  Author. Title of work. edition, release, or version. Publication medium (Diskette). City of publication: Name of publisher, Year of publication.
  
  Joyce, Michael. Afternoon: A Story. Diskette. Watertown: Eastgate, 1987.
  
  Lanham, Richard D. The Electronic Word: Democracy, Technology, and the Arts. Diskette. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1993.
  
  

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  Interest Groups, Newsgroups

  APA format
  
  Author. (year, month, day). Subject [Discussion], [Online]. Available e-mail: USENET Newsgroup: name of the group
  
  Algeria News List [Online]. Available e-mail: ALG-NEWS@GWUVM.BITNET
  
  Palo, G. (1993, January 7) The Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple [Discussion], [Online]. Available e-mail: USENET Newsgroup: soc.history
  
  MLA format
  
  Author. Title of document. Date material posted. Online posting. Location of posting. Name of network. Date of access.
  
  Ernandes, Ken. "STA-64 Rev 138 Vector." 18 Sept. 1994. Online posting. Space Flight Forum, Space Shuttle Section. CompuServe. 28 Sept. 1994.
  
  Shaumann, Thomas Michael. "Re: Technical German." 5 Aug. 1994. Online posting. Newsgroup comp.edu.languages.natural. Usenet. 7 Sept. 1994.
  
  

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  World Wide Web

  APA format
  
  Directory of electronic journals, newsletters, and academic discussion lists [Online]. Available URL: Gopher://arl.cni.org/11/scomm/edir
  
  McAdams, C. (1995) Innovation and the World Wide Web. The Canadian Brass; Articles and Reviews, [Online]. Available URL: http://www.canbrass.com
  
  Treloar, A. (1995) Electronic scholarly publishing and the World Wide Web [Online]. Available URL: http://www.deakin.edu.au/people/aet/ausweb95/ausweb95.html
  
  MLA format
  
  Directory of Electronic Journals, Newsletters, and Academic Discussion Lists. Online. Available URL: Gopher://arl.cni.org/11/scomm/edir. 31 October 1995.
  
  McAdams, Charles A. Innovation and the World Wide Web. The Canadian Brass; Articles and Reviews. 1995. Online. Available URL: http://www.canbrass.com. 31 October 1995.
  
  Treloar, Andrew. Electronic scholarly publishing and the World Wide Web. 1995. Online. Available URL: http://www.deakin.edu.au/people/aet/ausweb95/ausweb95.html. 31 October 1995.
  
  

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