Fire Science: Citing Sources

Print handouts with sample citations for the most common types of sources to have handy while you work on your paper.

This tool, developed by a Calvin College student, helps you format MLA, APA, or Chicago style citations.

Example of an APA citation of a NFPA code from the NFPA National Fire Codes Online database:

Reference list entry:

NFPA 1852: Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), 2019 Edition. In NFPA National Fire Codes Online. Retrieved from http://codesonline.nfpa.org

Parts of citation:

NFPA code number: Title of the code, year of the edition.  In NFPA National Fire Codes Online. Retrieved from http://codesonline.nfpa.org

In-Text citation within a sentence:

NFPA 1852 (2019)

In-Text citation at the end of a sentence:

(NFPA 1852, 2019).

APA Style Patents - APA Manual A7.07 Patents (p. 224)

TIP: The patent number is a unique identifying code given to every patent.  It can be easily located through a web browser search engine. The title of the patent is not necessary.  Note that the inventor(s) is identified in the “References” list entry but not in the text of your paper.

 Examples:

Reference list entry:

Pharaon, M. (1989). U.S. Patent No. 4,858,960. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Parts of citation:
Name of inventor(s). (Date of patent) Patent number. Official source from which the information can be retrieved.

In-Text citation within a sentence:

U.S. Patent No. 4,858,960 (1989)

Text citation at the end of a sentence:

(U.S. Patent No. 4,858,960, 1989)

Don't get caught plagiarizing... even by accident! The Vaughn Memorial Library of Acadia University has created this great interactive video: