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The Sheridan Libraries

Citing Sources

Learn about frequently-used citation styles and citation tools.

How to Cite an e-book

E-books and e-articles need a few more pieces of information in their citations than print does. Please see the box below.

  • Remember that no citation tool is perfect -- you should always check your reference list to make sure that each citation has every piece that it needs to be complete and correct.

Citing eBooks

APA style requires you to add the type of e-device, where you retrieved the e-book, and the URL or doi.

Examples (more on Academic Writer --> Learn --> Sample References --> Book (includes ebooks)

  • Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success [Kindle DX version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
  • Shotton, M.A. (1989) Computer addiction? A study of computer dependency [DX Reader version]. Retrieved from http://www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/html/index.asp]
  • Brill, P. (2004). The winner’s way [Adobe Digital Editions version]. doi:10.1036/007142363X

Here is the MLA Handbook, 9th edition, online.

Book available only on the web or downloaded to an e-device.

  • Author or Editor’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book [put in quotes if part of a book]. Title of the Website. Editor of website [if given]. Publisher or sponsor of site [or N.p. if not available], Date of electronic publication [or N.d. if not available]. Medium [e.g., Web]. Day Month year of access.
  • Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Project Gutenberg. N.p. (because I don't know the publisher) N.d. (because I don't know the date of electronic publication) EPUB. (or Nook Color, or Digital File, if you don't know the format) Downloaded March 25, 2011.

Book that has been scanned and put on the web (e.g., from Google Books or from The Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online)

  • Powers, Robert. War Stories: A Sailor Remembers the Vietnam War. Historical Text Archive. Ed. Donald J. Mabry. N.p., 2006. Web. 25 Mar. 2011.
  • Child, L. Maria, ed. The Freedmen's Book. Boston, 1866. Google Book Search. Web. 15 May 2008. 

    [this example is in MLA Handbook of Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed., section 5.6.2, "A work cited on the web with print publication data"]