When writing an essay or thesis be sure to check and see what citation style you need to use, then follow the guidelines for those styles. Here are links to two commonly used citation formats in the computer science field.
Andersen Library supports two citation managers, listed below. To get help setting one up or using it, contact the librarian listed in the linked LibGuide.
Webpage (html file, URL significant)
Information Needed
Author: Jakob Nielsen
Date: 1994
Title: Heuristics for User Interface Design
Page: Ten Usability Heuristics
URL: http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html
Webpage Using ACM
NIELSEN, J. 1994. Ten usability heuristics. Heuristics for user interface design. http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/
Webpage Using IEEE
[1] J. Nielsen, "Ten usability heuristics," 1994, http://www.useit.com/papers/ heuristic/heuristic_list.html.
"Documents" within a Website (URL significant)
Needed Information
Author: Microsoft Corporation
Date: 2003
Title: Site Management Cycle
Site: Commerce Server Concepts
URL: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/comsrv2k/htm/cs_gs_concepts_ntqq.asp
Documents within a website using ACM
MICROSOFT CORPORATION. 2003. Site management cycle. Commerce server concepts. http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/comsrv2k/htm/cs_gs_concepts_ntqq.asp.
Documents within a website using IEEE
[2] Microsoft Corporation, "Site management cycle," 2003, http://msdn.microsoft.com/ library/en-us/comsrv2k/htm/cs_gs_concepts_ntqq.asp.
Journal Article with a DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
Information Needed
Author: Heather L. O'Brien and Elaine G. Toms
Date: April 2008
Title: What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology
Journal: Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (JASIST)
Specifics: Volume 59, Issue 6, pages 938-955
DOI: 10.1002/asi.20801
Note: The DOI is a unique number used to identify a specific article.
Journal Article Example Using ACM
O'BRIEN, H.L. AND TOMS, E.G. 2008. What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 59, 6, 938-955.
Journal Article Example Using IEEE
[6] H.L. O'Brien and E.G. Toms, "What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 938-955, Apr. 2008.
Journal Article (multiple online formats; URL to a directory)
Needed Information
Author: E.F. Vasechkina and V.D. Yarin
Date: 2001
Title: Evolving polynomial neural network by means of genetic algorithm: some application examples
Journal: Complexity International
Specifics: Volume 09
URL: http://www.csu.edu.au/ci/vol09/vasech01/
Note: The URL goes to a directory where the format is selected.
Journal Article Example Using ACM
VASECHKINA, E.F. AND YARDIN, V.D. 2001. Evolving polynomial neural network by means of genetic algorithm: Some application examples. Complexity International, 09. http://www.csu.edu.au/ci/vol09/vasech01/.
Journal Article Example Using IEEE
[7] E.F. Vasechkina and V.D. Yarin, "Evolving polynomial neural network by means of genetic algorithm: Some application examples," Complexity International, vol. 09, 2001, http://www.csu.edu.au/ci/vol09/vasech01/.
Journal Article (multiple online formats; URL to a file)
Information Needed
Author: O. Edelstein, E. Farchi, Y. Nir, G. Ratsaby, S. Ur
Note: This gives an example for more than three authors, to be cited as Edelstein et al.
Date: 2002
Title: Multithreaded Java program test generation
Journal: IBM Systems Journal
Specifics: Volume 41, No. 1, pages 111-125
URL: http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/411/edelstein.html
URL: http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/411/edelstein.pdf
Note: When there is a URL for both formats, use the PDF instead of the HTML.
Journal Article Example Using ACM
EDELSTEIN, O., FARCHI, E., NIR, Y., RATSABY, G., AND UR, S. 2002. Multithreaded Java program test generation. IBM Systems Journal, 41, 1, 111-125. http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/411/edelstein.pdf.
Journal Article Example Using IEEE
[8] O. Edelestein, E. Farchi, Y. Nir, G. Ratsaby, and S. Ur, "Multithreaded Java program test generation," IBM Systems Journal, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 111-125, 2002, http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/411/edelstein.pdf.
Journal Article (print; no URL)
Information Needed
Author: R.R. Yager
Date: July 1977
Title: Multiple objective decision-making using fuzzy sets
Journal: International journal of man-machine studies
Specifics: Volume 9, Number 4, 375-382
NOTE: Articles published in the 1970's or earlier are usually available in print format only.
Note: Journal names are often abbreviated. The abbreviation for the International Journal of Man-Machine Studies is Int. J. Man-Machine Studies. Although you will see abbreviations used in published journals, as a student it is best to use the journal's full name in your list of references. For your thesis, consult with your advisor.
Note: Sometimes the name of a journal is changed to better reflect the area of interest. In 1994, the International Journal of Man-Machine Studies was renamed the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. Always use the journal name that matches the date of the article you are going to reference.
Journal Article (Print; no URL) Example Using ACM
YAGER, R.R. 1977. Multiple objective decision-making using fuzzy sets. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 9, 4, 375-382.
Journal Article (Print; no URL) Example Using IEEE
[9] R.R. Yager, "Multiple objective decision-making using fuzzy sets," International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, vol. 9, no. 4, pp.375-382, Jul. 1977.
Conference Paper (from Proceedings)
Information Needed
Author: Kun-Lung Wu, Charu C. Aggarwal and Philip S. Yu
Date: 2001
Title: Personalization with Dynamic Profiler
Proceedings: Proceedings Third International Workshop on Advanced Issues of E-Commerce and Web-Based Information Systems, WECWIS 2001
Place of Conference: Santa Juan, California
Date of Conference: 21-22 June 2001
City where Proceedings Published: Los Alamitos, California
Publisher of Proceedings: IEEE Computer Society
Pages: 12-20
Conference Paper Example Using ACM
WU, K.-L., AGGARWAL, C.C. AND YU, P.S. 2001. Personalization with dynamic profiler. In Proceedings of the third international workshop on advanced issues of e-commerce and web-based information systems, WECWIS 2001, Santa Juan, California, June 2001, IEEE Computer Society, Los Alamitos, CA, 12-20.
Conference Paper Example Using IEEE
[10] K.-L. Wu, C.C. Aggarwal, and P.S. Yu, "Personalization with dynamic profiler," in Proceedings of the third international workshop on advanced issues of e-commerce and web-based information systems, 2001, pp. 12-20.
Article in Online Magazine or Newsletter (HTML document; URL significant)
Needed Information
Author: Chris Sherman
Date: 2002 April 2
Title: Teoma vs. Google, Round Two
Newsletter: SearchDay
URL: http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/02/sd0402-teoma.html
Online Magazine/Newsletter Article Using ACM
SHERMAN, C. 2002. Teoma vs. Google, round two. SearchDay. http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/02/sd0402-teoma.html.
Online Magazine/Newsletter Article Using IEEE
[3] C. Sherman, "Teoma vs. Google, round two," April 2, 2002, http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/02/sd0402-teoma.html.
In order to construct your citations, you must first collect a basic set of information for each one of your references. The you will format this information to match an accepted Bibliographic Style (ACM or IEEE). On this page you will find a list of the information that is needed, along with several examples.
ACM = Association of Computing Machinery
Sample citation [Phillips 2001] -- List References alphabetically, using the author's last name.
IEEE = Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Sample citations [1] or [8, 10] -- List References numerically, in the order that you have cited them.
Once you select a style, keep all of your references in the same style.
|
Internet Sources |
Journal Articles |
Books, Standards, & Reports |
|---|---|---|
|
Webpage (HTML document; URL significant)
Website (with many pages; URL significant)
Wikipedia There are no examples because this is not a scholarly resource. |
Journal Article with DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
Journal Article (multiple online formats; URL to a directory) Information needed
Journal Article (multiple online formats; URL to a file)
Journal Article (print; no URL) Other Periodicals Conference Paper (from Proceedings) Article in Online Magazine or Newsletter (HTML document; URL significant) |
Book (one or more authors)
Authored Chapter in a Book (one or more editors)
International Standard (print source; no URL)
International Standard (HTML format; URL significant)
Technical Report (print source; no URL)
Technical Report (HTML format; URL significant) |
Book (by one or more authors)
Information Needed
Author: Trevor Hastie, Robert Tibshirani, and Jerome H. Friedman
Date: 2001
Title: The elements of statistical learning: data mining, inference, and prediction (Springer Series in Statistics)
Place where published: New York, NY
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Example using ACM
HASTIE, T., TIBSHIRANI, R. AND FRIEDMAN, J.H. 2001. The elements of statistical learning: Data mining, inference, and prediction, Springer Series in Statistics. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.
Example using IEEE
[11] T. Hastie, R. Tibshirani, and J.H. Friedman, The elements of statistical learning: Data mining, inference, and prediction, Springer Series in Statistics. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2001.
Authored Book Chapter (by one or more editors)
Information Needed
Author: M.T. Maybury
Date: 2001
Title of Chapter: Intelligent user interfaces for all
Title of Book: User interfaces for all: concepts, methods and tools
Editor: Constantine Stephanidis
Place Book Published: Mahwah, New Jersey
Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Pages: 65-80
Note: The abbreviation for one editor is Ed. (for more than one editor use Eds.)
Example using ACM
MAYBURY, M.T. 2001. Intelligent user interfaces for all. In User interfaces for all: Concepts, methods and tools, C. STEPHANIDIS, Ed. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ, 65-80.
Example using IEEE
[12] M.T. Maybury, "Intelligent user interfaces for all," in User interfaces for all: Concepts, methods and tools, C. Stephanidis, Ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001, pp. 65-80.
International Standard (print source; no URL)
Information Needed
Designation: ANSI T1.602
Date: 1989
Title: Telecommunications -- Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) --
Data-Link Layer Signaling Specification for Application at the User-Network Interface
Example using ACM
ANSI T1.602. 1989. Telecommunications -- Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) -- Data-Link Layer Signaling Specification for Application at the User-Network Interface.
Example using IEEE
[13] ANSI T1.602-1989, Telecommunications-Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) - Data-Link Layer Signaling Specification for Application at the User-Network Interface.
International Standard (HTML document; URL significant)
Information Needed
Designation: ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34
Date: 1998
Title: Document Description and Processing Languages
URL: http://www.ornl.gov/sgml/sc34/document/0029.htm
Example using ACM
ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34. 1998. Document Description and Processing Languages. http://www.ornl.gov/sgml/sc34/document/0029.htm.
Example using IEEE
[14] ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34:1998, Document Description and Processing Languages, http://www.ornl.gov/sgml/sc34/document/0029.htm.
Technical Report (print; no URL)
Information Needed
Author: P.T. Cox and T. Pietrzykowski
Date: 1984
Title: Advanced programming aids in PROGRAPH
Organization: Technical University of Nova Scotia
Technical Report Number: 8404
Place where published: Halifax, NS
Publisher: School of Computer Science, Technical University of Nova Scotia
Example using ACM
COX, P.T. AND PIETRZYKOWSKI, T. 1984. Advanced programming aids in PROGRAPH. Technical University of Nova Scotia, TR No. 8404. School of Computer Science, Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS.
Example using IEEE
[15] P.T. Cox and T. Pietrzykowski, Advanced programming aids in PROGRAPH, Technical University of Nova Scotia, Report 8404. Halifax, NS: School of Computer Science, Technical University of Nova Scotia, 1984.
Technical Report (PDF; URL significant)
Information Needed
Author: Vlado Keselj and Nick Cercone
Date: January 2002
Title: A Graph Unification Machine for N.L. Parsing
Organization: University of Waterloo
Technical Report Number: CS-2002-01
URL: http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/cs-archive/CS-2002/01/CS-2002-01.pdf
Example using ACM
KESELJ V. AND CERCONE, N. 2002. A Graph Unification Machine for N.L. Parsing. University of Waterloo, TR No. CS-2002-01. http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/cs-archive/CS-2002/01/CS-2002-01.pdf.
Example using IEEE
[16] V. Keselj and N. Cercone, A Graph Unification Machine for N.L. Parsing, University of Waterloo, Report CS-2002-01, January, 2002, http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/cs-archive/CS-2002/01/CS-2002-01.pdf.
Thank you to to the librarians at Dalhousie University who were willing to share their guide.