Because you'll be working with many sources, we recommend using tools to help you keep track of and organize everything you find. By using dedicated tools for your sources, you'll reduce the risk of forgetting where you found a quote or losing a source altogether.
Some people find it easier to create a document (Word Document or Google Doc) to compile citations to sources they are reviewing for consideration and start building a bibliography. You can use the citation generators that appear in many article databases (such as in EBSCO, ProQuest, etc.) to retrieve a citation to specific sources you are using to include in your bibliography. It is always important to double check any citation you get online for accuracy; capitalization errors, missing information, or other minor errors do sometimes occur.
Another option would be to use a citation management tool.
You may also be asked to provide links to records for books, articles, and other sources you find in library research tools. See directions below on how to locate permanent links in some of the search tools you might be using most frequently in this class:
All items included in the Bentley Library Search have their own unique record which includes a permalink (otherwise known as a permanent or static link). These are direct links to the item in the catalog, without any temporary information included in the URL, making them ideal candidates to use when sharing.
After locating the desired item in the Library Search Results, look for the Permalink tool. The location of the permalink option will vary depending on whether you are looking at the result list or the full record display.
Result List View
Full Display View
When your search results are returned you can select an article for which you would like to create a shareable link by clicking on the article title. After the document page loads, click on the icon for the Share tool (it looks like an arrow) in the toolbar at the top of the page.
A box will open giving you an option to create a link. Copy this link and paste it wherever you would like to share it.
NOTE: The Share link should work for both on- and off-campus use. Any Bentley student, faculty, or staff member will be able to access the article or other item by clicking on the link. However, if you want to make sure that it works when a user is off campus, you can add the proxy prefix (http://ezp.bentley.edu/login?url=) at the beginning of the link you created.
Locate the "Abstract/Details" information for the item.
When on the results list, you can find this under the item title and partial citation information near the full text/availability options:
If you clicked the title of the item to be brought to the item record/full text, use the options on the left side of the screen to locate the "Abstract/Details".
Locate the "Document URL" section on the Abstract/Details page. You can copy and paste this URL where needed.
NOTE: The document URL will already be configured for both on- and off-campus use. Any Bentley student, faculty, or staff member will be able to access the article or other item by clicking on the link. If off-campus, the user may be prompted to enter their Bentley email address and password first.
You will see a Stable URL for the article under the journal information on the left side of the screen.
To make sure this link will work for someone from Bentley from off-campus, you'll need to add the proxy prefix tag before the Stable URL: http://ezp.bentley.edu/login?url=
Please see examples below to see how links with the proxy attached should look:
JSTOR Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1847656
JSTOR Stable URL with proxy server prefix tag: http://ezp.bentley.edu/login?url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1847656
If you found a source in Project MUSE or used WorldCat, you can use the URL in your address bar as your permalink.
Visit our Static Linking guide for further information:
Citing the sources you find is a necessary part of the research process and can be intimidating depending on your familiarity with whichever citation style your professor requires. Some questions you may have might be:
How do I know which citation style to use?
The best way to know for sure is to ask your professor which citation style they would prefer you use on assignments if it is not stated in the syllabus or in the assignment description.
I need help citing. Where can I get help?
For specific help resources for each citation style, see the tab for the appropriate style you are using. We also have a research guide with a more comprehensive list of sources:
Reference Librarians can help with questions. The Writing Center can also help:
The authoritative source for APA style is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (currently in its 7th edition). APA is commonly used in the social sciences to cite sources.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by There are a number of online sources to help provide examples of how to cite sources in APA style that are especially helpful when citing uncommon sources:
If you're citing business sources, you'll definitely want to check out our research guide!
MLA style is currently in its 9th edition as of Summer 2021. A print edition of the style guide is available at the Bentley Library Reference Desk.
MLA Handbook, 9th Ed. by There are also a number of online resources to help with citing sources and formatting papers in MLA format:
The Chicago Manual of Style (18th ed.) is the most recent edition of Chicago Style. Within the Chicago style, there are two versions with slight differences - one that uses notes ("Notes and Bibliography") and one that uses in-text parenthetical references ("Author-Date"). Be sure to follow the guidelines for the particular in-text citation style you are using.
The Chicago Manual of Style [18th Edition] by Turabian
Turabian Style is primarily based on Chicago Manual of Style, though meant for class or unpublished academic work rather than published work. Here are some resources to assist if you are using Turabian:
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Ninth Edition by If you will be doing a lot of research and collecting a number of resources, you will need to keep track of the information you are finding. There are various tools that you can work with to manage the citations and other information you will be collecting.
EndNote is a citation management tool provided by the library where you can store the citations to resources you collect during your research. EndNote software must be downloaded to your computer. Contact the Reference Desk for details.
The EndNote Research Guide provides some basic guidance in using EndNote as well as links to various tutorials.
If you will be doing a lot of research and collecting a number of resources, you will need to keep track of the information you are finding. There are various tools that you can work with to manage the citations and other information you will be collecting.
Zotero is an open-source, free citation management tool that you can use to collect, organize, and cite your resources. Zotero software runs on your computer and browser plugins will enable you to save sources to your Zotero library with a click.
For more information about Zotero, see our research guide:
Note: The Bentley Library does not offer institutional access to Zotero/Zotero storage. If you are working on a large research project or require more cloud-based storage, consider using EndNote provided by the Bentley Library.
Don't want to download the software or just need a quick citation generator? Try ZoteroBib!