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HIST 202: Course Guide: Cite Sources

This guide is intended to help students in HIST 202 find, use and cite primary and secondary sources for their research.

How do I cite?

For instructions on how to cite your sources, check out the following guides. If you still have questions, ask a librarian! 

Citing Primary Sources in MLA: from a book

If you are using a primary source from a textbook, you can cite the document like a section from an anthology.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Primary Source Document." Title of Book: Subtitle if Any, edited by Editor's First Name and Last Name, Edition if given and is not first, Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication, Page numbers of the primary source.

Works Cited List Example  

Nelson, Robert. "Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada, February 1838." A History of Canada's Peoples: Beginnings to 1867, edited by Margaret Conrad et al., 6th ed. vol 1, Pearson, 2015, pp. 256-257. 

 Note: The first author's name listed is the author of the primary source document. 

 Note: If the book is written by an author (not edited), leave out the words "edited by" in the citation and use the author's name (in place of an editor's name).

 Note: If there is no editor or main author given you may leave out that part of the citation.
In-Text Citation Example  

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Nelson 257)

Citing Primary Sources in MLA: from an online collection

If you are using an online primary source from a website, follow the format below:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Primary Source Document: Subtitle." Year of creation.Title of Website, Publisher of Website, Publication Date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.

Works Cited List Example  

Lord, J.K. "American Furs: How Trapped and Traded." [c. 1866]. Canadiana Online,  eco.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.18349. Accessed 25 Oct. 2017.

 Note: The first author's name listed is the author of the primary source document.

 Note: If the Publisher information is the same as the name of the website, you do not have to repeat it.

 Note: If you only have an approximate date of creation, put it in square brackets. Example: [c. 1920]  The "c." is an abbreviation of circa ("about" in Latin).
In-Text Citation Example  

(Author's Last Name Page/Image Number)

Example: (Lord 3)