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Asian Canadian History and Archives

Citing an Archival Finding Aid

These are instructions for citing the finding aid, not the actual fonds or collection. If referencing information you have learned from an archival finding aid, not just from the archival materials themselves, you need to cite the finding aid as its own document.

Some general tips to keep in mind while citing finding aids:

  • If the finding aid is fully integrated into RBSC's archival database (AtoM), the author and year information should be available at the bottom of the top-level description in the "Dates of creation, revision and deletion" note. If the finding aid is published as a PDF, the author and year information should be available on the title page.
  • Some details for citation (e.g., author) may be missing, in which case do your best with the information available. All three guides have specific rules for missing reference information. APA Style has compiled strategies for how to create APA style citations with different pieces of missing reference information.
  • At the end of the title field, put "[finding aid]" to make clear that you are citing the finding aid, not the materials themselves.
  • If there are multiple dates are listed in the "Dates of creation, revision and deletion" note (e.g., "created 2015, revised 2017")
  • Although not required, it is recommended to include a date of access in your bibliography entries, especially if there is no date on the finding aid itself.

Below are example citations of each kind of finding aid RBSC uses in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.


Below is an example of a bibliography entry in MLA style of a finding aid integrated into AtoM, the McLennan family fonds finding aid:

Shriver, Chelsea. McLennan family fonds [finding aid]. Revised by Gillian Dunks, July 2017, https://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca/index.php/mclennan-family-fonds. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. Accessed 9 Aug. 2023.

Below are examples of in-text citations in MLA style of the same finding aid:

The typical in-text citation should be ([author's last name]), e.g., (Shriver)

If you are citing multiple works by the same author, the citation should be ([author's last name], [finding aid title]), e.g., (Shriver, McLennan family fonds [finding aid])

In the case that no author information was available, the citation should be ([finding aid title]), e.g., (McLennan family fonds [finding aid])


Below is an example of a bibliography entry in APA style of a PDF finding aid for the Andrew family fonds:

Daniells, L. (1982). An inventory of the Margaret and Geoffrey Andrew papers Ethel Wilson collection [finding aid]. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. Retrieved August 9, 2023, from https://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca/uploads/r/university-of-british-columbia-library-rare-books-and-special-collections/6/5/65839/Andrew.pdf.

Below are examples of in-text citations in APA style of the same finding aid:

The typical in-text citation should be ([author's last name], [year]), e.g., (Daniells, 1982). Alternatively, if citing a specific page, the typical in-text citation would be ([author's last name], [year], p. [page number]), e.g., (Daniells, 1982, p. 2)

If you are citing multiple works by the same author, the citation should be ([author's last name], [finding aid title], [year]), e.g., (Daniells, An inventory of the Margaret and Geoffrey Andrew papers Ethel Wilson collection [finding aid], 1982)

In the case that no author information was available, the citation should be ([finding aid title], [year]), e.g., [An inventory of the Margaret and Geoffrey Andrew papers Ethel Wilson collection [finding aid], 1982)


Some of RBSC's finding aids are hybrids--in other words, they are published in separate sections in PDF and integrated into RBSC's archival database. When citing, treat these sections as two separate documents. If referencing from only one document, cite that one document. If referencing both, then cite both documents.

Below is an example of a bibliography entry in the Chicago notes and bibliography style of the Vancouver Status of Women fonds PDF finding aid:

Clark, Donna E, Louise May, Peter Janzen, and Christine Jones. "Vancouver Status of Women, 1971" [finding aid], 1986. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca/uploads/r/university-of-british-columbia-library-rare-books-and-special-collections/7/d/a/7da2e2742f5e8e30cb000ae9e7a2ba060864134c4aaeb26bafc11fc6e336e69d/Vancouver_Status_of_Women_1971-1978.pdf.

In Chicago style's notes and bibliography system, a note can be full or shortened. A full note is recommended when there will be no bibliography, while a shortened note is recommended when there will be a bibliography. Below are examples of shortened notes in the Chicago notes and bibliography style of the same finding aid:

A typical shortened note for a finding aid with four or more authors would be: [first author's last name] et al., "[finding aid title]". An example using this finding aid is: Clark et al., "Vancouver Status of Women, 1971" [finding aid]. If citing a particular page number, append it to the citation. For example, if citing page 2, the note would be: Clark et al., "Vancouver Status of Women, 1971" [finding aid] 2.

In the case that no author information was available, the shortened note should merely exclude the author field, e.g., "Vancouver Status of Women, 1971" [finding aid].

Note that if a finding aid only has one author, the typical shortened note would be: [author's full name], "[finding aid title]". An example using this finding aid would be: Donna E Clark, "Vancouver Status of Women, 1971" [finding aid].

Rules for formatting author names in notes generally, including for works by two or three authors, are available in the Chicago Manual of Style.

Below is an example of a bibliography entry in the Chicago author-date style of the Vancouver Status of Women fonds finding aid that is integrated into RBSC's archival database:

Dunks, Gillian, Sadaf Ahmadbeigi, Mya Ballin, and Gabriella J Cigarroa, eds. 2023. "Vancouver Status of Women Fonds" [finding aid]. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca/index.php/vancouver-status-of-women-fonds.

Note that this finding aid does not have an author. If the finding aid had an author, the bibliography entry would be the following:

[author's last name], [author's first name]. 2023. "Vancouver Status of Women Fonds" [finding aid]. Edited by Gillian Dunks, Sadaf Ahmadbeigi, Mya Ballin, and Gabriella J Cigarroa. Dunks, Gillian, Sadaf Ahmadbeigi, Mya Ballin, and Gabriella J Cigarroa, eds.University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. https://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca/index.php/vancouver-status-of-women-fonds.

Below are examples of in-text citations in the Chicago author-date style of the same finding aid:

A typical in-text citation would be ([author last name] [year]) or ([author last name] [year], [page number]

An in-text citation for a finding aid with editors but no author would be ([author last name] [year]), e.g., (Dunks et al. 2023)

An in-text citation for a finding aid with no authors, editors, contributors, etc. would be ("[finding aid title]" [year]), e.g., (“Vancouver Status of Women Fonds" [finding aid] 2023)

Citing a Library Catalogue Record

If referencing information you have learned from a library catalogue record, not just from the library materials themselves, you need to cite the catalogue record as its own source. There is no specific guidance in the MLA, APA, or Chicago style manuals addressing how to cite a library catalogue record, so the following guidance is adapted from rules on citing webpages.

Look for the following information in a catalogue record to assist in your citations:

  • The name of the website: The University of British Columbia: UBC Library
  • Title: As shown in the Title field of the catalogue record
  • URL for the catalogue record: Make sure you pull this information from the permalink field, not your browser's address bar
  • Date: The date you viewed the catalogue record
  • Call number

These instructions have been adapted from style guides' guidance on citing webpages.

The following are examples of citations in each style for the UBC Library catalogue entry for The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now newly imprinted.


MLA

MLA uses "core elements" assembled in a specific order. Those applicable to library catalogue records are: Title of source, Title of Container, Number, Publication Date, and Location.

Following these, a bibliography entry should be composed of the following:

"[catalogue record's title field]." [website name], [call number], [publication/revision date if available], [URL]. [access date].

An example bibliography entry is:

"[Works. 1896] The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Now Newly Imprinted" [catalog record]. The University of British Columbia: Library, PR2751 .A1 1623, https://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=8394155. Accessed 9 Aug. 2023.

The in-text citation would be based off of the catalogue record's title: ("[catalogue record's title field]"), e.g., (“[Works. 1896] The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Now Newly Imprinted.”)


APA

APA Style provides the these guidelines for citing websites. Note that for a webpage from an organization's website with no individual authors, the name of the organization should be used as the author.

Following this guidance, a bibliography entry should be composed of the following:

[organizational author]. [(publication/revision date)]. [catalogue record's title field]. [website name]. Retrieved [access date], from [URL]

An example bibliography entry is:

UBC Library. (n.d.). [Works. 1896] The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now newly imprinted [catalog record]. The University of British Columbia: UBC Library. Retrieved August 9, 2023, from https://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=8394155

The in-text citation would be based off the organizational group as an author and the publication/revision date, e.g., (UBC Library, n.d.). If citing more than one source with this author and year, then the in-text citation would be based off the organizational group as author, the catalogue record title, and the publication/revision date, e.g., (UBC Library, [Works. 1896] The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now newly imprinted [catalog record], n.d.).


Chicago

The Chicago Manual of Style's guidance on citing web pages can be found here.

Following this guidance, a bibliography entry in the bibliography and notes style should be composed of the following:

[organizational author]. ["catalogue record's title field"]. [website name]. [(publication/revision date, if available)]. Accessed [access date]. [URL].

An example bibliography entry in the bibliography and notes style is:

UBC Library. "[Works. 1896] The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now newly imprinted" [catalog record]. The University of British Columbia: UBC Library. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=8394155.

An example of a shortened note in the bibliography and notes style is: UBC Library, “[Works. 1896] The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Now Newly Imprinted” [catalog record].

Following the Chicago Manual of Style's guidance for author-date style, a bibliography entry should be composed of the following:

[organizational author]. [(publication or revision date)]. ["catalogue record's title field"]. [website name]. Accessed [access date]. [URL].

An example bibliography entry in the author-date style is:

UBC Library. n.d. "[Works. 1896] The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now newly imprinted" [catalog record]. The University of British Columbia: UBC Library. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=8394155.

The in-text citation would be based off the organizational group as an author and the publication/revision date, e.g., (UBC Library n.d.). If citing more than one source with this author and year, then the in-text citation would be based off the organizational group as author, the catalogue record title, and the publication/revision date, e.g., (UBC Library, "[Works. 1896] The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now newly imprinted" [catalog record], n.d.).

Citing a LibGuide

If referencing information you have learned from a LibGuide, you need to cite the LibGuide as its own source. If citing the LibGuide as a whole, cite it as you would a website. If citing a particular page of the LibGuide, cite it as you would a webpage. Below are examples of citations in APA, Chicago, and MLA styles.

Some general tips to keep in mind while citing LibGuides:

  • The author(s) of a LibGuide may not be readily apparent. Check to see if the LibGuide has an Acknowledgements page. If you cannot find individual authors, cite the website's organizational author (e.g., University of British Columbia Library).
  • A "last updated" date is available if you scroll to the bottom of the LibGuide. The "last updated" date refers to the last time any part of the LibGuide was updated, and may not apply to the specific material you are citing. Each citation style has different rules on whether you may use the "last updated" date in this case--see below to learn more.
  • Since websites are updated often, it is recommended that you include an access date in your citation.

MLA

Some tips:

  • MLA indicates that using a "last updated" date is acceptable, as it indicates to a reader the currency of the information referenced.

The format of a bibliography entry for a website, along with an example, is below:

[author.] "[web page title]." [website title], [publication or update date], [URL]. Accessed [access date].

UBC Library. “Finding and Using Materials in Rare Books and Special Collections.” University of British Columbia Library, updated 9 Aug. 2023, https://guides.library.ubc.ca/c.php?g=714141&p=5299796. Accessed 9 Aug. 2023.

The format of an in-text citation for a website is the following:

([author], [year])

(University of British Columbia, 2023)

This part of the guide has drawn from the MLA 9th Edition Citation Style Guide's "Webpages & News Sites" page.


APA

Some tips:

  • The last updated date may be used only if you know that the date refers specifically to the content you are citing.
  • Use "n.d." if you do not know the date the material was published.
  • Refer to APA Style's Missing Reference Information page for a comprehensive table with strategies on how to address missing elements.
  • Groups, companies or organizations can also be used as authors; if the name of the corporate author is the same as the name of the website, you do not need to include the website name.

The format of a bibliography entry for a website, along with an example, is below:

[author] ([publication date]. [web page title]. [website title]. Retrieved [access date], from [URL]

University of British Columbia Library. (n.d.). Finding and Using Materials in Rare Books and Special Collections. Retrieved August 9, 2023, from https://guides.library.ubc.ca/c.php?g=714141&p=5299796

The format of an in-text citation for a website is the following:

([author], [year])

(University of British Columbia, n.d.)

This part of the guide has drawn from the APA Citation Style Guide's "Webpages & News Sites" page.


Chicago

Chicago differs from other citation styles in that it treats website and web page citations as similar to personal communication. As such, these citations typically appear only as an in-text citation or in the notes. Websites and web pages are only cited formally in the bibliography if they are used extensively or if a publication requires it. In this guide, additional citation examples are provided, as students often seek to cite all sources formally.

Some tips:

  • If a website does not have a date of publication listed, type n.d. (for no date) in place of a publication date. Chicago recommends providing a revision date if available. If no revision date is available, include an access date.
  • The word "website" or "web page" may be added in parentheses after a title to add clarity.
  • If citing two or more works by the same author in the same year using the author-date system, differentiate them by appending "a", "b," and so on to the date. Learn more here.

A bibliography entry in Chicago style's bibliography and notes system should comply with the following format. If an element is unavailable, you may skip that element. The format for a bibliography entry, along with an example, is below:

[author last name], [author first name]. "[title of LibGuide]." [title of website hosting the LibGuide]. [publication date]. [date last updated or access date]. [URL].

University of British Columbia Library. “Finding and Using Materials in Rare Books and Special Collections.” The University of British Columbia Library (website). Accessed August 9, 2023. https://guides.library.ubc.ca/spcoll_finding.

A shortened note includes the author's last name or organizational author's full title, as well as the web page or website's title. The web page or website's title may be shortened. An example is below:

University of British Columbia Library, “Finding and Using Materials in Rare Books and Special Collections.”

A full note includes should resemble with bibliography entry, with the cited elements separated by commas rather than by periods. Additionally, a full note present's the author's name in standard order, not inverted. An example is below:

University of British Columbia Library, “Finding and Using Materials in Rare Books and Special Collections,” The University of British Columbia Library (website), accessed August 9, 2023, https://guides.library.ubc.ca/spcoll_finding.

A reference in Chicago style's author-date system should comply with the following format. If an element is unavailable, you may skip that element (with the exception of publication date, in which case you should use "n.d."). Additionally, organizations with longer names may be abbreviated, in which case the reference must be alphabetized under that abbreviation in the reference list. The format for a reference, along with an example, is below:

[author last name], [author first name]. [publication date (use "n.d." if publication date is unavailable)]. "[title of LibGuide)]." [title of website hosting the LibGuide]. [date last updated or access date]. [URL].

UBC Library (University of British Columbia Library). n.d. “Finding and Using Materials in Rare Books and Special Collections.” The University of British Columbia Library (website). Last updated August 9, 2023. https://guides.library.ubc.ca/spcoll_finding.

An in-text citation includes the author's last name and the date in parentheses, using the format ([author's last name] [date]). Note that when there is no publication date, the in-text citation uses the format ([author's last name], n.d.) (changes to format in bold). Additionally, organizations with longer names may be abbreviated, in which case the reference must be alphabetized under that abbreviation in the reference list. Examples are below:

(UBC Library 2021)

(UBC Library 2022a)

(UBC Library, n.d.)

This part of the guide has drawn from the Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide's "Notes & Bibliography System: Websites" and "Author-Date System: Websites" pages, as well as the Chicago Manual of Style Online.