Digital information is becoming increasingly popular. In some cases, the information is available solely in digital format. Scientific articles are published "ahead of print", or exclusively digitally, and textbooks are also being published in a digital format. Citing such information can be challenging.
This FAQ outlines some of the recommended formats for citing various information found on VIN in scientific manuscripts, and provides examples. These are based on the 4 most common recommendation sources: Modern Language Association (MLA), Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), Council of Biology Editors (CBE), and American Psychological Association (APA). These are only guidelines. Authors should refer to journal guidelines for specific citation formatting, if available.
Citing an electronic source - the basics
Citing a VIN textbook or textbook chapter
Citing a VIN electronic proceedings
Citing a VIN Rounds or VIN FAQ
Citing a VIN Message-Board Discussion
Citing a VIN Formulary
Citing a VIN image
Citing a Blog
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Citing An Electronic Source - the basics
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There are some basic templates that MLA, CMS, CBE, and APA adhere to when citing web-based resources in journal articles. They all require similar fields. Below are the basic templates for each of the 4 common styles. Specific examples will be provided in each subsection. For VIN resources, it is generally useful to include "subscription required" after the URL, if the resource is limited to VIN members.
MLA Format
Name of the author, editor, compiler, or translator (if available and relevant), alphabetized by last name and followed by any appropriate abbreviations, such as ed.
Title of a poem, short story, article, or other short work within a scholarly project, database, or periodical, in quotation marks.
Title of a book, in italics or underlined.
Name of the editor, compiler, or translator of a book (if applicable and if not cited earlier), preceded by any appropriate abbreviation, such as ed.
Publication information for any print version.
Title of the scholarly project, database, periodical, or professional or personal site (in italics or underlined), or, for a professional or personal site with no title, a description such as Home Page.
Name of the editor of a scholarly project or database (if known).
Version number (if not part of the title) or, for a journal, the volume, issue, or other identifying number.
Date of electronic publication or posting or latest update, whichever is most recent (if known).
Name of any institution or organization sponsoring or associated with the website.
Date you accessed the source.
URL (in angle brackets).
CMS Format
Author's name.
Title of document, in quotation marks.
Title of complete work (if relevant), in italics or underlined.
Date of publication or last revision.
URL, in angle brackets.
Date of access, in parentheses.
CBE Format
Author's name (if known).
Date of publication or last revision.
Title of document.
Title of complete work (if relevant).
URL, in angle brackets.
Date of access.
APA Format
Author's name (if available).
Date of publication or update or date of retrieval, in parentheses.
Title or description of document.
Title of complete work (if relevant), in italics or underlined.
Other relevant information (volume number, page numbers, etc.).
Retrieval date statement.
URL.
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Citing A VIN Textbook Or Textbook Chapter
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This formatting would apply to books and Associate chapters on VIN.
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MLA Format:
Author LastName Init. "Chapter Title". Book Title. Eds LastName Init. Date of publication or last update. Hosting site. Access Date. <URL>
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VIN Example:
Kittleson MD. "Thromboembolic Diseases". Small Animal Cardiovascular Medicine. Eds. Kittleson MD & Kienle RD. April 2006. Veterinary Information Network. 23 May 2006. <https://www.vin.com/Members/Proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=SACARDIO&PID=11430&O=VIN> (subscription required)
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CMS Format:
Author FirstName LastName, "Chapter Title," in Book Title Date of publication or last update, <URL>(Access Date)
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VIN Example:
Mark Kittleson, "Thromboembolic Diseases," in Small Animal Cardiovascular Medicine April 2006, <https://www.vin.com/Members/Proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=SACARDIO&PID=11430&O=VIN> (23 May 2006)
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CBE Format:
Author LastName Init. Publication Date. Chapter Title. Editor LastName: Book Title. <URL>. Accessed Access Date (Year Month Day).
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VIN Example
Kittleson MD. 2006 April. Thromboembolic Diseases. Kittleson & Kienle: Small Animal Cardiovascular Medicine. <https://www.vin.com/Members/Proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=SACARDIO&PID=11430&O=VIN> Accessed 2006 May 23.
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APA Format:
Author LastName Init. (Publication Date). Chapter Title. Book Title. Retrieval Date Statement, URL
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VIN Example
Kittleson MD. (2006, April). Thromboembolic Diseases. Small Animal Cardiovascular Medicine. Retrieved May 23, 3006, from https://www.vin.com/Members/Proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=SACARDIO&PID=11430&O=VIN
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Citing A VIN Electronic Proceedings
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MLA Format:
Author LastName Init. "Chapter Title". Proceedings Title. Date of publication or last update. Hosting site. Access Date. <URL>
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VIN Example
Wolf AM. "Gingivitis/Stomatis in the cat". 15th ECVIM-CA Congress, 2005. September 2005. Veterinary Information Network. 23 May 2006. <https://www.vin.com/Members/Proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=ecvim2005&PID=pr10368&O=VIN> (subscription required)
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CMS Format:
Author FirstName LastName, "Chapter Title," Proceedings Title, Date of publication or last update, <URL>(Access Date)
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VIN Example
Alice M Wolf, "Gingivitis/Stomatis in the cat," 15th ECVIM-CA Congress, September 2005, <https://www.vin.com/Members/Proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=ecvim2005&PID=pr10368&O=VIN> (23 May 2006)
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CBE Format:
Author LastName Init. Publication Date. Chapter Title. Proceedings Title.<URL> Accessed Access Date.
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VIN Example
Wolf AM. 2005 September. Gingivitis/Stomatitis in the Cat. 15th ECVIM-CA Congress. <https://www.vin.com/Members/Proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=ecvim2005&PID=pr10368&O=VIN> Accessed 2006 May 23.
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APA Format:
Author LastName Init. (Publication Date). Chapter Title. Proceedings Title. Retrieval Statement, URL
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VIN Example
Wolf AM. (2005, September). Gingivitis/Stomatitis in the Cat. 15th ECVIM-CA Congress. Retrieved May 23, 2006, from https://www.vin.com/Members/Proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=ecvim2005&PID=pr10368&O=VIN
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Citing A VIN Rounds Or VIN FAQ
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MLA Format:
Author LastName Init. "Rounds Title". Series Title. Date of publication or last update. Hosting site. Access Date. <URL>
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VIN Example
Lyons L. "Feline Polycystic Kidney Disease". VIN Rounds. 9 April 2006. Veterinary Information Network. 23 May 2006. < https://www.vin.com/Members/SearchDB/rounds/lc060409.htm> (subscription required)
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CMS Format:
Author FirstName LastName, "Rounds Title," Series Title, Date of publication or last update, <URL>(Access Date)
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VIN Example
Lynn Lyons, "Feline Polycystic Kidney Disease," VIN Rounds, 9 April 2006, <https://www.vin.com/Members/SearchDB/rounds/lc060409.htm>(23 May 2006)
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CBE Format:
Author LastName Init. Publication Date. Rounds Title. Series Title. <URL>. Access Date.
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VIN Example
Lyons L. 2006 April 9. Feline Polycystic Kidney Disease. VIN Rounds. <https://www.vin.com/Members/SearchDB/rounds/lc060409.htm>. Accessed 2006 May 23.
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APA Format:
Author LastName Init. (Publication Date). Rounds Title. Series Title. Retrieval Statement URL
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VIN Example
Lyons L. (2006, April 9). Feline Polycystic Kidney Disease. VIN Rounds. Retrieved May 23, 2006, from https://www.vin.com/Members/SearchDB/rounds/lc060409.htm
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Citing A VIN Message Board Discussion
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MLA Format:
Author LastName Init. "Posting Title". Online Posting. Date of posting. Name of forum. Access Date. <URL>
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VIN Example
Old G. "6 month old Shetland sheepdog". Online Posting. 22 May 2006. Vet-to-Vet:Cardiology-Pulmonology. Veterinary Information Network. 23 May 2006. < https://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&Id=4*115*397246 > (subscription required)
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CMS Format:
Author FirstName LastName, "Discussion Title," Date of posting, <URL>(Access Date)
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VIN Example
Gary Old, "6 month old Shetland sheepdog," 22 May 2006, <https://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&Id=4*115*397246> (23 May 2006)
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CBE Format:
Author LastName Init. Posting Date. Posting Title. <URL>. Access Date.
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VIN Example
Old G. 2006 May 22. 6 month old Shetland sheepdog. <https://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&Id=4*115*397246> Accessed 2006 May 23.
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APA Format:
Author LastName Init. (Posting Date). Posting Title. Posting Statement URL
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VIN Example
Old G. (2006, May 22). 6 month old Shetland sheepdog. Message posted to https://www.vin.com/Members/BoardsMain/Boards.plx?Read=2&Id=4*115*397246
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MLA Format:
"Drug Name". Book Title. Hosting site. Access Date. <URL>
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VIN Example
"Amoxicillin". VIN Veterinary Drug Handbook, 2021. Veterinary Information Network. Accessed 23 October 2021. <https://www.vin.com/doc/?id=7404899&pid=13468> (subscription required)
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CMS Format: n/a
CBE Format: n/a
APA Format: n/a
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MLA Format:
Author LastName Init. "Image Title". Hosting site. Access Date. <URL>
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VIN Example
Little SE. "Angular Limb Deformity". Veterinary Information Network. 23 May 2006. <https://www.vin.com/Members/ImageDB/IM15000/IMC12203.jpg> (subscription required)
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CMS Format:
Author FirstName LastName, "Image Title," <URL>(Access Date)
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VIN Example
Susan E Little, "Angular Limb Deformity," <https://www.vin.com/Members/ImageDB/IM15000/IMC12203.jpg> (23 May 2006)
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CBE Format:
Author LastName Init. Image Title or Description. <URL>. Access date.
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VIN Example
Little SE. Angular Limb Deformity. <https://www.vin.com/Members/ImageDB/IM15000/IMC12203.jpg> Accessed 2006 May 23.
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APA Format: n/a
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There are few specific rules for citing Blogs. The general format, recommended by the National Libraries of Medicine is to use the format described below. More information can be found at the NLM site.
Author LastName Init. Title [Type of Medium]. Place of Publication: Publisher. Date of publication - [date of citation]. URL.
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Example
Bernstein M. Bioethics Discussion [Internet]. Los Angeles: Maurice Bernstein. 2004 Jul - [cited 2007 May 16]. Available from <http://bioethicsdiscussion.blogspot.com/>.
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[Top]
Rounds and Other resources
1. Bedford/St. Martin's Guide to online sources
2. National Libraries of Medicine Book for Citing Medicine
[Top]
This FAQ was also reviewed by Nicky Mastin and Becky Lundgren for the VIN community
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Date Created: 05/23/06
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Date Last Updated: 07/06/17
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