You need to cite your sources according to the format specified by your instructor. The two most common citation formats are MLA and APA. Generally students here at Middlesex use the MLA style, however, nursing and criminal justice students use the APA format. Please ask your instructor which style is required. Noodlebib, an online tool, was purchased by the library to assist students in creating a works cited page. It will help you generate a perfectly punctuated source list in MLA, APA style or Chicago/Turabian styles. A help guide and video discussing Noodlebib are available for additional help..
MLA citation style refers to the rules put forth by the Modern Language Association to acknowledge sources used while researching your paper. The MLA style is the default style used at Middlesex. This style uses both parenthetical documentation, including page numbers, within the text and a complete citation at the end of the paper. A help guide is available.
APA citation style refers to the rules established by the American Psychological Association for acknowledging sources used while researching your paper. Nursing students and criminal justice students generally use this format for their papers. Information about the APA style is available in a handout as well as in books in the library.
The Chicago Manual of Style was first published in 1906 by the University of Chicago. In addition to a citation style the manual also gives information on American English grammar and usage required in publishing documents. Noodlebib will assist you in creating citations in this style or for more information please see the Chicago Manual of Style Online.
An annotated bibliography contains your list of sources used in preparing your research paper in the style assigned by your instructor. In addition, each source is followed by a brief description informing your instructor of the relevance and quality of the work cited.
Prepare a two-three sentence description of the work cited and its relevance to your paper. This brief paragraph follows the citation in the works cited page. If using Noodlebib, a place is provided for this information at the bottom of the form. Add an annotation if requested by your instructor.
A parenthetical (OR in-text) reference is a reference within the body of your paper to one of the sources listed in your Works Cited or Reference List . It indicates exactly what you derived from the source, and specifically where it can be found. You need to write a parenthetical, or "in-text" reference whether you quote the material directly, paraphrase it in your own words, or refer to an idea derived from the material.
Typically it includes the author(s) (or title if there is no author) and page number(s). For internet sources, sometimes paragraph numbers are used. EXAMPLE: (Segat 23)
Noodlebib is a web-based tool purchased by the library which perfectly formats and punctuates your works cited page in an APA, MLA, or Chicago/Turabian style format. You must have an account to save your citations. To create an account you must connect here. You will then need to create a Personal ID and password, enter graduation year and initials. A help guide and video are available to help you with this process.
You must create a Noodlebib account, first, before accessing your information from home. If you have not already done so, connect here to create an account. Once you have created this account, you can access Noodlebib directly by going to http://www.noodlebib.com/login.php. If you already have an account, you may be asked to update the information by entering your graduation year and initials. If you are prompted incorrectly for a library card, it may because you have not enabled session cookies in your internet browser. Information on enabling session cookies is available.
Library staff are creating subject guides for specific programs and courses. Each guide contains a tab for citing sources. Within this tab we have added links to helpful web pages, a list of books the library owns, handouts, and tutorials. For a list of the current guides connect on the Subject Guides link on the library home page. A few websites of interest are included below:
Last updated: Oct. 2008