1. Introduction

2. Search Strategies

3. Books

4. Journals

5. Databases

6. Organizations

7. Citing Sources

8. Library Password

9. Ask A Librarian

10. Library Exercise

When writing a research paper, it is important to give credit to your sources to avoid commiting plagiarism. Cal Poly Pomona is very serious about academic integrity. If you'd like to learn more about plagiarism, take this quiz.

There are many different styles for citing sources in research papers. Some of the most popular styles for research papers are MLA, Turabian, Chicago–style, and APA. To choose which style manual you should use for a research paper, always ask your instructor.

The library has copies of these style manuals for referral at the Reference Desk and for check-out. Below are their titles and call numbers.

MLA
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
By Joseph Gibaldi
LB2369 .G53 2003

Turabian
A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations
By Kate Turabian
LB2369 .T8 1996

The Chicago Manual of Style
The Chicago Manual of Style
By University of Chicago Press Staff
Z253 .U69 2003

APA
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association
BF76.7 .P83 2001

While searching for books and articles for your paper, keep track of the following for each of your sources:

• Author (last name, first name)
• Title of the book, journal, or newspaper
• Title of the article or chapter heading
• Volume and issue number for journals
• Page number(s)
• Date of publication (year, month, day)
• Publisher name
• City of publication
• Database name (if applicable)
• Website (if applicable)
• Date of download/visit (if applicable)

You will also want to keep track of any quotes and paraphases you use in your paper by including their authors, page numbers, and date of publication.

Examples

Article (APA style):

Van Gorp, A., Maitland, C.F., & Hanekop, H. (2006).
          The broadband Internet access market: The
          changing role of ISPs. Telecommunications
          Policy, 2, 96.

Book (APA style):

Kularatna, N. & Dias, D. (2004). Essentials of Modern
          Telecommunications Systems. Boston: Artech
          House.

For more examples of each style, visit

• Style Manuals
• Style Manuals for Electronic Formats

For help on drafting and revising your paper, contact the University Writing Center.

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