How to Write a Bibliography

A Bibliography, or Works Cited, is an essential component of any middle and high school research paper. Here are some guidelines to review with your homeschooler for properly citing resources. First, here are three facts to teach your child about a bibliography:

1. A bibliography should be listed alphabetically.

2. The second line of an entry should be indented. Also, skip a line after each entry.

3. A bibliography must be on a separate page, preferably the last page of a paper. Again, it needs to have it's own page.

Next, here are a variety of resource materials and how they should be cited:

Citing a book-

Author’s last name, first name. Title of book. Place of publication:

Publisher, copyright year.


Citing an encyclopedia article with an author-

Article author’s last name, first name. "Title of article." Name of
encyclopedia. Copyright year. Volume number, page(s).


Citing an encyclopedia article with no author-

"Title of article." Name of encyclopedia. Copyright year. Volume number, page


Citing either a magazine or newspaper article-

Article author’s last name, first name. "Title or headline of article." Name of magazine or newspaper. Date of magazine or newspaper, page(s).


Citing a CD ROM-

"Article title." CD-ROM title. CD-ROM. Copyright date.


Citing an internet resource-

Author’s last name, first name. "Title of item." [Online] Available
http://address/filename, date of document or download.


Citing a personal interview-

Name of person interviewed (last name first). Kind of interview. Date.


Finally, encourage your homeschooler, especially in upper middle and high school, to practice writing a bibliography for each research paper he or she writes. The later high school years will bring about the topic of footnotes, so be sure to emphasize accuracy when your child records their sources. Citing works, or creating a bibliography is a great time to teach/review proper writing etiquette. Discuss the importance of making sure that your child is not copying another person's work word for word, and being certain the content your child writes is surely their own. Offer an opportunity for your homeschooler to access various types of research materials and practice writing these in a formal bibliography. Visit a library, do internet research or watch a dvd. The more information, the better. Just be sure to cite it all!