Writing Bibliography Cards

Students will be responsible for searching for information about your favorite person. Take notes of facts that you think are important enough to include in the final paper and these sources will be used to create your bibliography cards.

Each student must find at least 5 references to support their research essay. For every reference source used you must fill out an index card with the citation on one side and facts about the source on the other. Be sure to assign a letter beside each source to keep you organized.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Examples

PRINT SOURCES (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Academic Journals) Book - One Author: Fritz, John. The Video Won't Do: Read the Book. Philadelphia: McGraw Hill, 1998. Print. Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Copyright date. Print.


Book - Two and Three Authors: Sutty, Sandy and Eric Sutty. Living With Two Boys and How to Survive. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.
Last Name, First Name and First Name Last Name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Copyright date. Print.


Book That Has An Editor: Cochran, Cristina, ed. Life Is a Poem. Brooklyn, NY: Random House, 1999. Print.
Last Name, First Name, ed. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Copyright date. Print.


Magazine Article With One Author: Cohen, Bud. "Announcing Menu Selections With Flair." Bon Appetit. 4 September 2010: 71- 72. Print.
Last Name, First Name. “Name of Article.” Name of Magazine. Date of Publication: page(s).


Newspaper Article: Kuwik, Sarah. "Great Jazz Musicians." The News Journal. 11 May 2008: D8. Print. Last Name, First Name. “Name of Article.” Name of Newspaper. Date of Publication: page(s). Print.


ELECTRONIC SOURCES (World Wide Web and Databases): Find as much essential information as possible (Author, title, publication data, etc.) to identify the source you are citing. If needed, go back to the home site to find the information. Include the date last updated and when you accessed it for websites and databases.


Website: Johns, Lloyd. “Lord Murugan.” Murugan, Hindu God Murugam, Skanda, Hindu War. God. Lotus Sculpture, 2000-2010. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. Last Name, First Name. “Title of Website.” Name of Home website. Publisher, Date listed (if any). Web. Date accessed.


Online Databases: Check to make sure the MLA citation that is provided on the article is correct. See http://valenciacollege.edu/library/doc_mla_electronic.cfm for specific databases.


Waterman, Stan. "School Discipline." Education Weekly. Aug. 2011: 93-95. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.
Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Name of Source. Date: Page(s). Database Name. Web. Date of access.


Works on Web Cited with Print Publication Data AND Databases without MLA format: Child, L. Maria, ed. The Freedmen’s Book. Boston, 1866. Google Book Search. Web. 15 May 2008.
Follow the print format (use information from above) and Add Title of Website or Database name. Web. Date of access.


Digital File found on Web (PDF, Word Document, etc.): Pitts, Jackie. “The Sanford Way.” The Best Private School Weekly. Winter 2012: 5-7. PDF File.
Follow the print format (use information from above) and Add File Format Name.


Blog: Helmecki, Todd. “Having Fun Teaching History.” Teaching History 101. Sanford School. Web. 2 April 2012.
Last Name, First Name. "Posting Title." Name of Website. Version Number (if any). Sponsor or Publisher. Web. Date of Access.


Online Video (YouTube, etc.): Stocklos, Staci. “Organizing the Best Prom.” YouTube. 12 May 2012. Web. 2 April 2012. Editor, Author, Compiler Name (Last, First). "Posting Title." Name of Website. Version Number (if any). Sponsor or Publisher. Web. Date of Access.