Writing a bibliography can be a challenging task. With the numerous choices of media available today, knowing the proper formats for each style (whether MLA or APA) can take more than just a good memory or a "how-to" for citing sources. Thankfully, citations machines were created to help. They are free and available anywhere you can access the internet.

How they Work: When you first access a citation machine, you will have a list of media to select from: book, online journal, etc. After selecting the proper media type, you will see a small form asking for information: author's name, pub. date, etc--whatever information is needed for APA and MLA citations. When you've completed filling in the information, you will submit it and a moment later the proper APA and MLA version will appear ready for you to copy and paste into your document--proper punctuation and all.

For individuals who prefer doing it themselves, but need a quick reference, most citation machines offer instructional pages--much like you find in reference materials on citing sources. It is always a good idea to check who has created the machine, and who is supplying the information. It is also a good idea to verify some of the citations to make sure the machine is working properly. You can also check with the librarians for the citation machines they recommend.

Links to Citation Machines are available in Bookmarks on the Campus Page of Campus Cruiser (you do not need to login). They are located in the Annotated Links, which contain other helpful links as well.