How to Cite Secondary Sources

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 23, 2021 References

When working on a research presentation or paper, you may find a source you want to use that is quoted in another source. If at all possible, you should always try to track down the original source, rather than using the secondary source as a reference. However, if you're unable to access the original source, cite the secondary source. The specific format of your citation may differ, depending on whether you're using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago citation style.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
MLA

1
Start your "Works Cited" entry with the author of the source you used. When you're citing a secondary source, create an entry in your "Works Cited" for the source where you actually found the material. For most sources, the author or editor of the source is the first part of your citation. Type their last name first, then a comma followed by their first name.
- Author example: Gleick, James.
- Editor example: Shryock, Andrew, editor.
2
Provide the title of the secondary source. After the name of the author or editor, list the title of the book you read in italics. Use title-case, capitalizing nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs that appear in the title. Place a period at the end of the title. If your secondary source is something other than a book, follow the MLA guidelines to create a "Works Cited" entry for that type of source.
- Author example: Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science.
- Editor example: Shryock, Andrew, editor. Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend.
3
Close your citation with publication information. After the title of the book, type the name of the company that published the book, followed by a comma. Type the year the book was published, then place a period at the end of your citation.
- Author example: Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. Penguin, 1987.
- Editor example: Shryock, Andrew, editor. Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend. Indiana UP, 2010.
4
Acknowledge the original author in the body of your text. When writing your paper, provide the name of the original source as you discuss the information quoted in your secondary source. This makes it clear that the information didn't come from the author of the secondary source.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Example: "Qaradawi explains that genuine reform preserves community unity."
- You might also include any additional information about the original source that you find relevant or useful, such as the year the original source was published.
5
Include the abbreviation "qtd" in your parenthetical citation. Your parenthetical citation should still direct your readers to the entry in your "Works Cited." Use the last name of the author or editor of the source you used with the page number where the material appears. Starting with the introductory phrase "qtd. in" signals that it is secondary source material.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Example: "Qaradawi explains that genuine reform preserves community unity (qtd. in Shryock 121)."

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
APA

1
Start with the author of the secondary source. In your reference list, include a full citation to the secondary source that you actually read. The entry begins with the author's last name, followed by a comma. Then provide the author's first initial. Include the middle initial if it is provided.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Example: Bertram, S. A.
2
Add the year the secondary source was published. After the author's name, type the year of publication in parentheses. Take care to use the publication year for the secondary source, not the primary source cited or quoted there. Place a period after the closing parentheses.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Example: Bertram, S. A. (2009).
3
List the title of the secondary source in italics. After the year of publication, type the title of the secondary source. Use sentence-case, capitalizing only the first word and any proper nouns in the title. If there is a subtitle, type a colon, then add the subtitle after the colon. Capitalize the first word of the subtitle. Place a period at the end.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Example: Bertram, S. A. (2009) How we remember: Testing our capacity to remember.
4
Close your citation with publication information. After the title of the secondary source, type the location of the publisher (city and state for US publishers, city and country for all others), then a colon. After the colon type the name of the publishing company. Place a period at the end of your citation.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Example: Bertram, S. A. (2009) How we remember: Testing our capacity to remember. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
5
Use the words "as cited in" to signal a secondary source. APA requires parenthetical citations in-text that direct your reader to the appropriate entry in your reference list. For secondary sources, start the parenthetical citation with the phrase "as cited in" to indicate that you didn't read the original research. Then type the author of the book you read and the year it was published.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Example: (as cited in Bertram, 2009)
- If your text includes a direct quote of the original source, use a similar format with the page number at the end. For example: (as quoted in Bertram, 2009, p. 23)
6
Reference the primary source in your text. Typically it's smoother to include the primary author's name and the year of their study or publication in the body of your report or paper. Then you only need to mention the secondary source in your parenthetical citation.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Example: "Fong's 2003 study (as cited in Bertram, 2009) examined the memory capabilities of older adults returning to university studies."
7
Include the primary and secondary source if not mentioned in text. There may be occasions, particularly in subsequent mentions, when there is no good way to include the primary author's name in your text. When this happens, list them first in your parenthetical citation. Provide the appropriate signal phrase, then list the information for the secondary source.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Example: (Fong, 2003, as cited in Bertram, 2009)

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Chicago

1
Cite the original source first as quoted in the secondary source. If the only reason you're using the source is as a secondary source for another work, your bibliography should cite the original work. In your bibliographic citation, note that you accessed it through a secondary source, and provide information for that source.
- Example: Beauvoir, Simone de. The Second Sex. New York: Vintage, 1974. Quoted in Bradley, Jane, The Construction of Gender. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.
- The phrase "quoted in" signals to your reader that you used a secondary source. You can also use the phrase "cited by."
2
Provide a separate bibliographic entry for the secondary source. If you used the secondary source elsewhere in your work, it generally needs a separate entry in your bibliography. This is necessary if you used it in any way other than solely as a secondary source for the original material.
- Example: Bradley, Jane. The Construction of Gender. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.
3
Include entries for both sources if required. Some instructors or supervisors may expect an entry in your bibliography for the original source, in addition to the entry for the secondary source you actually read. This entry should note that the original source was accessed through a secondary source.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- First entry example: Beauvoir, Simone de. The Second Sex. New York: Vintage, 1974. Quoted in Bradley, Jane, The Construction of Gender. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.
- Second entry example: Bradley, Jane. The Construction of Gender. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.
- If you only used the Bradley book to quote Beauvoir, you may adjust your entry to reflect that: Bradley, Jane. The Construction of Gender. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997. Quoting Beauvoir, Simone de, The Second Sex. New York: Vintage, 1974.
4
List both the original and secondary source in your footnote. When you mention the original source in your text, Chicago style requires a footnote with a citation to the source. Since you used a secondary source to access the original material, both should be included in your footnote. List names in first name-last name format, and replace periods with commas. Place publication information in parentheses and include page numbers for both the original and the secondary source.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Example: Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex (New York: Vintage, 1974), 38, quoted in Jane Bradley, The Construction of Gender (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997), 217.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I cite a source that is cited in a source that is cited in a source on a thesis?

Tom De Backer

Top Answerer

As the article says, always track down the original source. If in a rare case that is not possible, then cite the secondary source. It never happens that tertiary sources must be cited; just do the work, track down the original source and use that. And if you really can't find or access it, then find a different source to cite.

Warnings

Most style guides discourage using secondary sources. If at all possible, try to get your hands on the original source material. Avoid using secondary sources unless the original source is not available.

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This article assumes that the secondary source you are citing is a book. If you are citing an article or other type of source, follow the formatting guidelines for that type of source.

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