Guidelines for Bibliographies

What is a bibliography?
A bibliography is an ALPHABETICAL list of all the sources you have consulted for an essay or
research paper. Bibliographies follow formal rules about how to list information about your sources,
and different “styles” have different rules. While you are at New Trier, you should use the MLA
(Modern Language Association) STYLE for bibliographies. For instructions on how to write proper
bibliographic entries, consult the New Trier Style Manual on the library homepage or A Pocket Style
Manual, which is available in the bookstore.

Why do I need a bibliography?

Anytime you write a paper in which you use outside information, it is extremely important that
you give proper credit to the sources you consulted. A bibliography shows the reader where you
obtained your information and therefore, where your reader can go to find the source of your
information. If you obtained information from a source but do not credit that source in your
bibliography, you are in violation of the academic integrity policy, a serious offense that can follow you
throughout your academic and professional life.

What do I need to know about how to do a proper bibliography?

✔ Always underline or italicize titles of books or major publications (reference books, magazines,
newspapers, websites)
✔ Titles of articles or chapters within a book or publication should be in quotes.
✔ Always alphabetize your sources by the first word in the entry. (This is usually the author’s
last name.)
✔ Never number bibliographic entries!
✔ Bibliographies should always be typed and single-spaced, with a line between each entry.
✔ End each bibliographic entry with a period.
✔ If you use online sources which can be accessed by any internet user, you must also include the
URL address and the date you accessed the information online.
✔ If you use online sources from a subscription database, you must include the name of that
database (underlined) with the date you accessed the information online.
✔ The first line of an entry is always flush against the margin, and every line after that in the
entry is indented. Like this:

See how this line is flush against the margin? Watch what happens to the next few lines.
Whoa!! Did you see that? The next line is indented! What if there is another line?
See? That gets indented, too! Welcome to the exciting world of bibliographies!

The following page shows you what a sample bibliography page would look like.
 Bibliography

Burns, Montgomery. Safety at Nuclear Power Plants. Springfield: Fox Publishing, 2001.

Dillard, Sydney and Carol Ashcroft, eds. Portrait of America: Collection of Historical Essays. New
York: Norton, 1996.

Hobbes, Thomas. “Why Absolutism is the Best Form of Government.” The Encyclopedia of European
Political Philosophy. Ed. John Locke. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. 390-96.

“Imperialism in Southeast Asia.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 4 Feb. 2002.

Krieger, Elliot. “50 Years Later, ‘Grapes of Wrath’ Remains a Vintage Work.” Seattle Times 16 Apr.
1989:L8. Proquest. 4 Feb 2003.

“The Labors of Hercules.” Perseus Project. Tufts University. 4 Feb. 2002.

<http://www.perseus.tufts.edu?Herakles/>.

Rostow, W.W. “The Case for the Vietnam War.” 1999. American Journey Online. 4 Feb. 2003.

Website Title. 2001. Organization Name. 4 Feb. 2003 <http://www.mzly.com>.