Journal Articles Research
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Germaine Leahy
What is a Citation?
A "citation" identifies where a reader can locate a source being referenced by an author's work.
The source (book, journal article, government report, federal law, court decision, etc.) is provided in abbreviated format, following specific style guidelines.
Examples of citation style manuals include:
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 21st ed.
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The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed.- This link opens in a new window
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Provides updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords.
About Journal Article Citations
Law journal article citations can be confusing if you aren't familiar with citation formats and abbreviations.
Example: Law Journal Citation (Bluebook format):
Dawinder S. Sidhu, Madison in Post-9/11 Cyberspace: Applying Federalist No. 10 to the Online Battle for "Hearts and Minds," 13 J. Internet L. 3 (2010).
- Dawinder S. Sidhu = Article author
- Madison in Post-9/11 Cyberspace: Applying Federalist No. 10 to the Online Battle for "Hearts and Minds" = Article title
- 13 = Volume number of the journal
- J. Internet L. = Bluebook abbreviation for "Journal of Internet Law"
- 3 = First page of the article
- 2010 = Date of publication
Example: Journal article citation from LegalTrac database 
(not Bluebook format):
Nuclear power, risk, and retroactivity.
Emily Hammond. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law.
48.4 (Oct. 2015) p1059.
- Nuclear power, risk, and retroactivity = Article Title
- Emily Hammond = Article Author
- Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law = Journal
- 48 = Volume number of Journal
- 4 = Issue number of Journal
- (Oct. 2015) = Journal Issue Month & Year
- p1059 = First page of the Article
Deciphering Acronyms & Abbreviations
- Prince's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations: A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students
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Common Abbreviations:
- L. = Law
- L. Rev. = Law Review
- J. = Journal
- L.J. = Law Journal
- Law. = Lawyer
- Mag. = Magazine
- U. = University
Bluebook Rules
- Rule 16 (R16): Periodical Materials
- Rule 18 (R18): The Internet, Electronic Media, and Other Nonprint Resources
- Table 13 (T13): Periodicals
Off-Campus Access
Many online materials in the GW libraries' collections (journals, e-books, etc.) are accessible from off-campus:
- GW Law Library
- GW Gelman Library
- GW Himmelfarb Library
Related Guides
- Bluebook and Citation Resources
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(GW Law Library) - Introduction to Basic Legal Citation, by Peter W. Martin (online ed. 2020)
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(Legal Information Institute (LII), Cornell University Law School) - Citation Style Guides
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(GW Gelman Library)
