The information obtained from the PDF (Portable Document Format) file can be quoted and added to your writing. PDF files can contain any text or media (not animation) stored in them. Cartoons, Japanese or Haiku poetry, government documents, and old books in various volumes can be saved as PDF files. For academic writings, chances are you will read or use journal articles or electronic books (e-books) saved in PDF form. Therefore, this article will show you how to cite and format a journal article or e-book as a PDF file in the three main citation styles-MLA, APA, and the Chicago Manual of Style. However, sometimes (and usually) you don't have to show or explain that the citations you add to your writing are taken from the PDF file.
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Method 1 of 4: Preparing to Cite PDF Files
Step 1. First collect information related to your writing
Whether it's a bibliography or an in-text citation, you need to know basic information about the creation or writing of the original information you want to cite.
- Journal article: You will need to note the name of the author, the title of the article, the name of the scientific journal, the volume number, the issue number, the date of publication, the page number (on the physical copy), and the website address of the journal article.
- E-books: You need to know the name of the author of the book, the title of the book, the publisher, the location of publication, the year of publication, the date of access, and the site where the e-book was published. Sometimes, physical book publishers pass or give the publishing rights of e-books to other publishers. In this case, you will also need to list the publisher for the e-book. In short, you need to know the publisher for the book, either physically or electronically.
Step 2. Choose the citation style you want to use
The most common citation styles used in academic or professional writing are the MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style (sometimes referred to as “Turabian” after the editor who proposed the citation style). Choose a citation style that suits your field of work, or as required by your office or agency.
- If you're in literature, the arts, or the humanities, use the MLA citation style.
- If you study psychology, education, linguistics, or another social science, use the APA style of citation. Journalism and communications also use the same citation style.
- Use the Chicago Manual of Style citation style if you study history, political science, information science, or journalism and communications. The publishing and editing fields also typically use this citation style.
- In some cases, book publishers (or journal publishers) require the use of certain citation styles which, in fact, are not commonly used in certain fields. Publishers may also ask you to use a style or citation guide created or designed by the publisher itself. Therefore, use whatever citation style is appropriate for your writing.
Step 3. Enter the source of the citation after you have included the information cited
To avoid plagiarism, you need to include citation information in your writing. The purpose of including citation information is to let the reader know that the information in your article was taken from another author. In addition, it also shows that you understand and have read a lot of existing literature and are interested in developing writings or research from the work or research of others.
The placement and type of citation in the text will depend on the citation style used. In this article, there are examples for each of the most frequently used major citation styles
Step 4. Adjust the format of your bibliography or bibliography appropriately
Learn how to properly format a bibliography or bibliography page. You will need to follow different directions, depending on the citation style you are using. However, in general, you need to arrange the sources used alphabetically.
The placement of the title, the way the title is formatted, and the spacing between each entered source differs depending on the citation style used (whether you use MLA, APA, or the Chicago Manual of Style)
Method 2 of 4: Cite By MLA Cite Style
Step 1. Find out the name of the source author
To complete an MLA-style citation, you will need to state the author's name of the PDF file used and the page number containing the relevant information (if applicable). If the author's name is mentioned in the explanation, you only need to include the page number in parentheses, after the explanation or citation is written. For example: According to Spiers, the cost of university education is considered too high (48). If not, state the author's name and page number in parentheses, at the end of a sentence or quote. For example: Some argue that the cost of university education is too high (Spiers 48).
- If the source of the citation is written by two authors, state the last names of the two authors in parentheses (separated by the word 'and' or ' and '), followed by the page number. For example: As humans develop, so do dogs (Draper and Simpson 68).
- If there are more than two authors, use a comma to separate the last name of each author, followed by the page number. For example: Embroidery should actually be seen as a form of 'pure art' (Kozinsky, King, and Chappell 56).
- If the name of the author of the article or the source is unknown, include the name of the institution that published the PDF file. For example: Dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago (Smithsonian 21).
- If the name of the institution that published the source is not stated, you can state the title of the text or source. For example: According to experts, energy drinks should not be consumed too much (“Effect of caffeine consumption” 102).
- In MLA-style in-text citations, you don't need to mention that the source is a PDF file.
- In sentences, the citation information (in brackets) must be placed before the period or closing of the sentence. This applies to all, whether citations include the author's name, the name of the institution, or those that do not.
Step 2. Find the page number that contains the required information
Some e-books and PDF files come with a fixed page number that won't change, regardless of how the file or book appears on your screen or device. If the document used is equipped with a fixed page number, include the page number containing the required information. If you don't have a page number, you can't add it yourself. Instead, you can include a chapter or subchapter number.
- For example, to cite a PDF file that is divided into chapters, but doesn't have page numbers, you can include the chapter or sub-chapter number of the information. For example: According to Blankenship, caffeine intake should be limited to 200 milligrams per day (chapter 2).
- If the PDF or e-book file is not divided into separate chapters or sections, cite the source as the whole file and do not include page numbers. For example: Blankenship's research on caffeine consumption, “Too Jittery, Joe?” suggests that caffeine intake should be limited to 200 milligrams per day.
Step 3. Embed the PDF file of your eBook in the bibliography using the MLA citation style
Based on the MLA citation style guide, you will need to indicate or describe the type of electronic file (in this case, an e-book or journal article) being accessed, such as “PDF File” or “Kindle File”.
- The basic format for sources listed in the MLA citation style bibliography is as follows: Author's last name, Author's first name. Book title. Location of publication: Publisher, Year of publication. Publisher of electronic books, Year of publication of electronic books. File type.
- For example: Smith, John. The Fantastic Novels. London: Great Publishing House, 2010. Google Books, 2011. PDF file. December 1, 2012
- If the e-book used is not a PDF file, state the file type of the book. For example: Smith, John. The Fantastic Novels. London: Great Publishing House, 2010. Kindle File.
Step 4. Embed PDF files of your journal articles in the bibliography using the MLA citation style
On the bibliography or bibliography page, list journal articles accessed from databases on the internet by indicating publication information, as well as information that needs to be included for printed articles. This information is followed by the name of the database containing the article and its medium (eg a website), and the date the file was accessed.
- The basic format for citing journal articles in PDF form is: Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of the article". Journal Title Volume number. Issue number (Publish date): page number. Database name. Medium. Access date.
- For example: Doe, Jane. “Interesting Citation Articles.” Journal of Citation Information 4.7 (2006): 82-5. Academic Access Premier. Website. November 20, 2012.
Step 5. Find out if the journal articles you are using are from journals that are only published on the internet
Currently, some academic journals are only available on the internet, and do not have page numbers in their PDF files. If the PDF file you're using is from a journal that's only published on the internet and doesn't have page numbers, follow the basic example when you want to include it on the bibliography page. However, add “no page” to the page number column or section.
For example: Doe, Jane. “Interesting Citation Articles.” Online Journal of Citation Information 4.7. (2006): n.pag. Website. November 20, 2012
Method 3 of 4: Cite By WHAT Citation Style
Step 1. Include in-text references or citations in the correct APA citation style
Write the author's name (last name or organization name) and year of publication in brackets and separated by commas. If you are quoting directly from the original text, add a 'p.' and a space or space before the page number (if the sentence you are writing is a direct quote from the source text). If the author is already mentioned in the quoted sentence, include the year of publication (in parentheses) after the name. Don't forget to include the page number (in brackets) at the end of the sentence if the sentence is a direct quote. Put the citation information before the closing or period at the end of the sentence. If there are two or three authors listed in parentheses, use “&” (not the word “and”). Also, in in-text citations you don't need to indicate that the source is a PDF file.
- An example of a basic citation in a text using the APA style is: Higher education experts state that “education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world” (Mandela, 1996, p. 35).
- If the file you are using doesn't have page numbers but you want to use direct quotations, include a paragraph number. For example: Higher education experts state that “education is the most powerful weapon with which to change the world” (Mandela, 1996, para. 18).
- You can also include a short opening title enclosed in quotation marks. For example: Higher education experts state that “education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world” (Mandela, 1996, “A short opinion on education”).
Step 2. Include PDF files of your e-books in your bibliography or bibliography using the correct APA citation format
In the APA citation style, you need to describe the file type used in square brackets, such as [Dataset] or [PowerPoint Slideshow]. You will also need to include a patent eBook format (eg Kindle file) if you are using an eBook in that format.
- The basic format is: Author's last name, Author's initials. (Year of publication). Book title [PDF document]. Available at (address of the site that provides the source files)
- For example: Smith, J. (2011). 'The fantastic novel [PDF file]. Available at
- For files with patented formats, include the electronic version (e-reader) of the book in square brackets. For example: Smith, J. (2011). The fantastic novel [Kindle DX file]. Taken from
Step 3. List your PDF journal article files in the bibliography using the correct APA citation format
In the APA citation style, title capitalization is not used when you write the journal article title. This means that only the first letter of the title needs to be capitalized. Also, don't enclose the title of the journal article in quotation marks.
- The basic format is as follows: Author's last name, Author's initials. (Year of publication). Article title [PDF file]. Journal title, volume number (output number), page number. Taken from (address of the site containing the PDF file)
- For example: Doe, J. (2006). Interesting citation article [PDF file]. Online Journal of Citation Information, 4(3), 82-5. Taken from
- Note that the volume number must be italicized. However, the output number (in brackets) is not italicized.
- If the journal article used contains a doi number, include that number at the end of the citation information.
Method 4 of 4: Cite according to the Chicago Manual of Style Citation Standards
Step 1. Use the Chicago Manual of Style footnote
Add a small number at the end of the sentence containing the quote. This number is known as the footnote number. In a word-editing program such as MS Word, you can add it by clicking "Insert", then "Insert Footnote". After that, at the bottom of the page, add the citation information next to the appropriate number.
- For e-books, use the following format: Author name (first name, then last name), Book title (Publishing location: Publisher, Year of publication), page number, Site address.
- A basic example is this: In the past, great scholars such as H. G. Wells argued that "human history will be increasingly filled with competition between educational developments and disasters." [insert footnote number]. At the bottom of the page, immediately next to the appropriate number, write: H. G. Wells, The Outline of History (London: MacMillan, 1921), 1100,
- For journal articles in PDF files, you do not need to include the file type in the footnotes. Therefore, you only need to format it as follows: Author name (first name, then last name), “Article title”, Journal title Volume number, Issue number (Publish date): Page number.
- For example: In her article, "The Rites of Violence," Natalie Zemon Davis argues that religious individuals who commit riots or violence consider their actions to be "a form of purification or self-purification." [insert footnote number]. At the bottom of the page, next to the appropriate note number, write the following citation information: Natalie Zemon Davis, "The Rites of Violence: Religious Riot in Sixteenth-Century France" Past & Present 59, no. 3 (1973): 51.
Step 2. List your PDF eBook sources in the bibliography using the Chicago Manual of Style citation style
The basic format is: Author's last name, Author's first name. Book title. Location of publication: Publisher, Year of publication. File type. Site address.
For example: Smith, John. The Fantastic Novels. London: Great Publishing House, 2010. PDF e-book
Step 3. List the sources of your PDF journal articles in the bibliography using the Chicago Manual of Style citation style
For journal articles, you do not need to mention the type of source file in the bibliography. Instead, you just need to include the doi number or the address of the site that contains the file.
- The basic format is: Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of the article." Journal title Volume number, Issue number (Publish date): page number. two:
- For example: Doe, Jane. "Interesting Citation Articles." Online Journal of Citation Information 4, no. 7 (2006): 82-5. doi: 12.345/abc123-456.
- If the file used is not accompanied by a doi number, use the following format: Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of the article." Journal title Volume number, Issue number (Publish date): page number. Access date. Site address.
- For example: Doe, Jane. "Interesting Citation Articles." Online Journal of Citation Information 4, no. 7 (2006): 82-5. Accessed on November 20, 2012 at
