Before you start your research it is important to know how to read a citation. If you already know how to identify the type of material a citation is referring to, that is great! If not, it is important to learn because you cannot do research without knowing this.
Why?
Mostly because you will not know what you are looking for and where to find it! The three most important types of citations to know how to identify are citations for books, journal articles and chapters in books. See the examples below.
Although there are many different citation styles (MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian, etc.) and each of the styles are slightly different, if you know the basics you will always be able to determine what ithe citation is referring to no matter what style is used.
CITATION FOR A PRINT BOOK
Author. Book Title. Place of publication, Publisher, Date. Medium of publication.
Example:
Yvonne, Daniel. Caribbean and Atlantic Diaspora Dance: Igniting Citizenship. Urbana, Ill., Univeristy of of Illinois Press, 2011. Print.
CITATION FOR AN ELECTRONIC JOURNAL ARTICLE
Author. "Article Title." Journal Title volume.issue (year): page numbers. Medium of publication. Access date.
Example:
Prickett, Stacey. "Hip-Hop Dance Theatre in London: Legitimising an Art Form." Dance research 31. 2 (2013): 174-190. Web. 20 December 2013.
CITATION FOR A CHAPTER IN A PRINT BOOK
Author. "Section Title." Book/Anthology. Editor. Place of publication, Publisher, Pages(s). Print.
Example:
Burt, Ramsay. "Looking at the Male." The Male Dancer. New York, Routledge, 30 - 57. Print.
You can always refer to Citation Guides & Tools web page, the appropriate style manual for more information if you have any questions about a citation or a particular style.