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