Media Ethics: Citing a Book

Reference Page

• Author names are always formatted as Lastname, comma, Initials. 
  • Do not include full first names.
• When you have more than one author you will list ALL of the authors on the reference page (if it's less than 21 authors).
• Book titles are italicized and capitalized sentence style.
  • Sentence style capitalization means you capitalize the first word, proper nouns (names & places) and the first word in a subtitle (after the : colon).
• Note where periods and commas separate pieces of information.
• The copyright and publisher information can be found on the title and copyright pages near the front of the book

Information you will need:

Author. (Copyright year). Book title (italicized and capitalized sentence style). Edition number (if available), Publisher Name.

Modlin, J., & Jenkins, P. (2004). Decision analysis in planning for a polio outbreak in the United States (2nd ed.).  Pediatric Academic Societies.

In-Text Citation

Two Authors:

(Last name & Last name, year)

(Modlin & Jenkins, 2004)

Three or More Authors: 

(Last name et al., year)

(Modlin et al., 2004)

Edited books are cited a little differently. These have information written by multiple people. Some of your textbooks are edited books. Look for Edited by or Eds. on the cover or title page of your book. 

Editors. (Ed. or Eds. if more than one). (Copyright year). Book title italicized, sentence style capitalization, (Edition number if available). Publisher Name.

Lockey, P. (Ed.) (2004). Allergens and allergen immunotherapy (3rd ed). Marcel Dekker.

If you are citing part of a book, like a chapter, that has a different author, you will need the authors of the chapter you are referencing, the title of the chapter and the editor of the book. The title of the chapter will be capitalized sentence style, just like the title of the book. You might do this if you have a book of stories or articles by different authors.

In the example below, Solensky is the author of the chapter (Drug Allergy….). The word In follows the name of the chapter, telling your reader that this chapter was found in the book you will then describe. After In you will list the editor of the book (Initials, then last name), followed by (Ed.) so we know they are the editor. Then you will list the title of the book and the page numbers for the chapter. Last is the publication information.

Solensky, R. (2004). Drug allergy: Desensitization and treatment of reactions to antibiotics and aspirin. In P. Lockey (Ed.), Allergens and allergen immunotherapy (3rd ed). (pp. 585-606). Marcel Dekker.

Reference Page

• Author names are always formatted as Lastname, comma, Initials. 
  • Do not include full first names.
• Book titles are italicized and capitalized sentence style.
  • Sentence style capitalization means you capitalize the first word, proper nouns (names & places) and the first word in a subtitle (after the : colon).
• Note where periods and commas separate pieces of information.
• The copyright and publisher information can be found on the title and copyright pages near the front of the book

eBooks and audiobooks are cited like print books, but we need to include one or two additional pieces of information. 

eBooks

If you found your eBook online, you'll include the URL or DOI. 

Author. (year). Title italicized and capitalized sentence style. Publisher. URL or DOI

Silo, L. M. (2010). The turquoise ledge: A memoir. Viking Books. https://doi.org/11111

Audiobooks

Audiobooks will also include the person reading the book (abbreviated as Narr.) but formatted as First Initial Lastname, which is opposite of the author. You'll also include the format [Audiobook]. If you found your audiobook online, you'll include the URL.

Author. (year). Title italicized and capitalized sentence style (Narrator Name, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Publisher. URL

Lee, L.(2014). To kill a mockingbird (S. Spacek, Narr.) [Audiobook]. HarperAudio. www.yourURLhere.com

In-Text Citation

(Last name, year)

(Silo, 2010)