Recurring Reference Question: I used a book last week to get information for my paper, but I forgot to note down what it was, so that I can cite it. What should I do?

Always be sure to capture all the information you need for your works cited (bibliography or list of references) while you are using the item!!!

For books, this typically means:

• Author(s) of the book.
• Title of the book.
• Publisher.
• Place of publication.
• Date of publication.
• In the event that the book was accessed online, then also note the name of the database/vendor which provided the material, such as eBrary or Cambridge Collections Online.

For articles, this typically means:

• Author(s)of the article.
• Title of the article.
• Title of the publication that the article appeared in.
• Volume number (if available).
• Issue number (if available).
• Date of publication.
• Page numbers.
• In the event that the article was accessed online, then also note the name of the database and the DOI (digital object identifier) of the article. The MLA style requires the name of the database, and the APA style requires the DOI.

The Sawyer Library has a variety of guides to help with this process: Citation Styles, Tools & Techniques

The Library also subscribes to tools which will help you create your works cited lists: RefWorks and Noodle Tools. Note that there is a guide specifically for the use of RefWorks.

Unfortunately, for those of us who really do forget to take down any information about which sources were used (probably everyone does this once during their lifetime...), then there are few options left except to reconstruct the original search, and review the results list.