Scribd
Upload
2 views

Proper Citation Style

The document outlines the proper citation style for the BY450 Ecology course, emphasizing the importance of crediting sources in research projects and assignments. It specifies the use of internal citations formatted with author names and publication dates, along with examples for various types of sources including articles, theses, books, bulletins, meeting abstracts, and websites. Additionally, it warns against using non-peer-reviewed web sources and requires a literature cited section at the end of papers.

Uploaded by

grace
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2 views

Proper Citation Style

The document outlines the proper citation style for the BY450 Ecology course, emphasizing the importance of crediting sources in research projects and assignments. It specifies the use of internal citations formatted with author names and publication dates, along with examples for various types of sources including articles, theses, books, bulletins, meeting abstracts, and websites. Additionally, it warns against using non-peer-reviewed web sources and requires a literature cited section at the end of papers.

Uploaded by

grace
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

PROPER CITATION STYLE

BY450 Ecology
Spring 2008

In both your research projects and in any other assignments, it is essential that you use
correct formatting when citing a reference. When you either directly quote something (data,
interpretation, etc) from another source OR if you paraphrase and idea, method, etc from
another source, you must give that source credit in your paper. There are multiple different
ways to "correctly" cite papers, depending on which discipline you are in, however for
papers in Ecology, the style is specific. I have provided examples from that style below.

Even though the many different styles provide the information necessary to find the source,
it is the formatting that varies.

For this course, we will use internal citations (In the style of Ecology). Internal citations are
placed at the end of the sentence/paragraph with the pertinent information and consist of
the author(s) last name(s) and the date of the publication, all inside parentheses. Multiple
citations are separated by commas and listed in date order (oldest first), but with all by the
same author together. If it is a direct quote, list the page from which it came. If the source is
a website that does not have a specific author, list it by its main page. Web sources can be
suspect, so make sure it is from a viable and respectable agency. I will not accept those from
non-peer reviewed sites.

EXAMPLES:

Paraphrasing an idea/ multiple citations:

Transpiration provides moisture for clouds, eventually resulting in precipitation (Raven and
Berg 2001).

Transpiration is important for the hydrologic cycle, recycling a great portion of the
precipitation to the atmosphere (Krebs 1994; Raven and Berg 2001).

Website: The USGS provides scientific information to describe and understand our earth
(usgs.gov).

If there are more than two authors for the supporting paper the proper citation with in a
sentence is (Mendelssohn et al. 1987, Bertness et al. 1999, Silliman et al. 2005). Remember to
place them in chronological order with the oldest first!

If you choose to directly make a statement from a paper the proper form is as follows:

In a model that parallels cyclic succession of macrophytes, Goldsborough and Robinson


(1996) envisioned four wetland states , each dominated by a different form of microalgae.
Kilsborough et al. (1964) stated that the competitive nature of assassin beetles was directly
correlated to resources availability.

Bibliography:
At the end of the paper, include a literature cited section which will list the bibliographic
information for all of the sources you used, and ONLY the sources that are actually cited
in the paper. Sources are listed alphabetically and in a specific format.

Use the following format for the following types of sources

Articles:

Alward, R. D., J. K. Detling, and D. G. Milchunas. 1999. Grassland vegetation changes and
nocturnal global warming. Science 283:229-231.
Amsberry, L., M. A. Baker, P. J. Ewanchuk, and M. D. Bertness. 2000. Clonal integration
and the expansion of Phragmites australis. Ecological Applications 10:1110-1118.
Bart, D., and J. M. Hartman. 2000. Environmental determinants of Phragmites australis
expansion in a New Jersey salt marsh: An experimental approach. Oikos 89:59-69.
Brewer, J. S. 2002. Disturbances increase seedling emergence of an invasive native shrub in
pitcher-plant bogs. Natural Areas Journal 22:4-10.
Burdick, D. M., R. Buchsbaum, and E. Holt. 2001. Variation in soil salinity associated with
expansion of Phragmites australis in salt marshes. Environmental and Experimental
Botany 46:247-261.

Theses:
Bailey, A. R. 1997. Detecting and monitoring Phragmites invasion of coastal wetlands: a
comparison of remote sensing techniques. Master's Thesis. University of Delaware,
Newark, DE..

Books:
Baker, H. G. 1996. Patterns of plant invasion in North America. p. 44-57. In H. A. Mooney
and J. A. Drake (eds.), Ecology of Biological Invasions of North America and
Hawaii. Springer-Verlag, New York, N. Y.
Cheplick, G. P. 1998. Population Biology of Grasses, 1st ed. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, England.
Cronk, Q. C., and J. L. Fuller. 1995. Plant Invaders. Chapman Hall, New York, New York.

Bulletins:
Cross, D. H., and K. L. Fleming. 1989. Control of Phragmites or common reed. Fish and
Wildlife Leaflet 13.4.12, Washington D.C.
Gammill, S. 2002. Hydrologic investigation of the Louisiana Chenier Plain. Louisiana
Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Restoration Division, Baton Rouge, LA.
Gosselink, J. G., C.L. Cordes, and J.W. Parsons. 1979. An ecological characterization study
of the Chenier Plain coastal ecosystem of Louisiana and Texas. FWS/OBS-78-9,
U.S. Fish and Widlife Service, Washington D.C.

Meeting Abstracts:
Havens, K. J., W. I. Preist III, and H. Berquist. 2002. Phragmites into constructed wetlands:
are we mortgaging our wetland future? p. 11 In M. P. Weinstein, J. R. Keough, and
G. R. Guntenspergen (eds.), Phragmites australis: A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing? A
Special Technical Forum and Workshop, Cumberland County College, Vineland, NJ,
USA.

Websites:

The use of websites is generally not a good idea due to the inaccuracy and non-peer reviewed
nature of this information. Therefore, I must approve any web-based citations before you
may include these.

If I do approve a website, you must list the authors, followed by the year and the URL.

You might also like