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 to which you would like to create a Permalink by clicking on the article title. After the document page loads, click on the icon for Permalink tool (it looks like a chain link) in the toolbar on the right-hand side of the page.
A box will open at the top of the document page containing a URL. Copy this link and paste it wherever you would like to share it.
NOTE: The permalink 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.
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.
For this class, you will be citing in Chicago Citation Style, more specifically the Chicago Author-Date style.
The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) is the most recent edition of Chicago Style. Within the Chicago style, there are two versions with slight differences - one that uses footnotes ("Notes and Bibliography") and one that uses in-text parenthetical references ("Author-Date").
Be sure to follow the guidelines for the Author-Date style.
The following online resource is a great place to locate examples of Chicago Style:
We also have a print copy of the style guide for Chicago available at the Bentley Library:
The Chicago Manual of Style by If you'd like to try a citation generator, try using ZoteroBib:
Reference Librarians can help with questions related to formatting references and in-text citations.
The Writing Center and ESOL Center can help with citations and writing:
EndNote is a citation management tool provided by the library where you can store the citations to resources you collect during your research.
EndNote Online is a browser-based, basic version of EndNote that allows users to store up to 50,000 references and 2GB of file attachment storage.
You can register for a free account using your Bentley email address using the following link:
To get the most out of EndNote, use the various plugins available:
Resources, Training, & Help
The Bentley Library also offers access to the full version of EndNote, EndNote 21. EndNote 21 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.