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Dance: Citing

Subject guide for Dance

How Do I Cite Sources Using APA style

Apa Style GuideThe Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. (2010) A copy is kept at the Reference Desk, 1st floor, Library North.

Official:

  • APA Style Tips and the APA Electronic References provide official examples from the APA. Neither is comprehensive; the print Publication Manual is the only authoritative source of citation rules.

Unofficial:

  • CSUF APA Citation Style (PDF) provides a 2 page overview of some of the most common citation needs.

Sample Citation in APA Format

Citation as it was found in database:
Nijhawan, Amita, Excusing the female dancer: Tradition and transgression in Bollywood dancing. South Asian Popular Culture; Jul2009, Vol. 7 Issue 2, p99-112, 14p.

Citation now in APA format:
This example is for a print article:
Nijhawan, A., (2009) Excusing the female dancer: Tradition and transgression in Bollywood dancing. South Asian Popular Culture, 
      7(2): 99-112.

This example is for an online article with a DOI number:
Nijhawan, A., (2009) Excusing the female dancer: Tradition and transgression in Bollywood dancing. South Asian Popular Culture,
        7(2): 99-112. doi 10.1080/14746680902920841

This example is for an online article with no DOI number:
Nijhawan, A., (2009) Excusing the female dancer: Tradition and transgression in Bollywood dancing. South Asian Popular Culture,
         7(2): 99-112. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/

Notice a few details:

  • The author's name is listed last name, initials.
  • The year is listed directly after the author's name.
  • The title of the article is in lower case, except for the first word and any proper nouns.
  • The name of the journal is in italics.
  • Notice how the volume and issue are listed.
  • If it is an online article, the citation will end with the DOI.  If there is no DOI listed, list the URL.

What's a DOI?

A DOI is a Digital Object Identifier.  It is a unique set of letters and numbers for a specific article. The DOI identifies the article and can provide inforamtion to access on the Internet. 

For example:
Jackson, Y., Kim, K. L., & Delap, C. (2007). Mediators of control beliefs,
        stressful life events, and adaptive behavior in school age children:
        The role of appraisal and social support. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20(2),
        147-160. doi:10.1002/jts.20192 

If the DOI is available, it is required as part of the citation for a print or electronic articles, according to The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. (2009). If the DOI is not available and a researcher has cited a journal article that has been retrieved electronically, the researcher must add the url of the journal's homepage to the citation.

Valentino, N. A. (1999). Crime news and the priming of racial attitudes
         during evaluations of the president. Public Opinion Quarterly, 63(3),
         293-320. Retrieved from http://poq.oxfordjournals.org

Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule and it may be best to consult your copy of the APA Manual or ask to borrow one from the Reference Desk.

More information about DOIs? APA's Frequently Asked Questions page on the DOI.

Subject Guide

MLA Style

The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. (2009), style authority used by writers in many disciplines in the humanities. Copies are kept at the Reference Desk for in-library use.  [Cover of the 7th edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers]

Unofficial: CSUF MLA Citation Style (PDF) provides a 2 page overview of some of the most common citation needs, includes in-text parenthetical documentation and the reference list.

Also Available Online: OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue University. an excellent source for questions on any citation style, including MLA.