How do I reference a part of a book such as a chapter… in the NLM style?
22/11/2023
References for parts of books can be more complicated than creating references for whole books. When you use the numbered NLM style, how to format a reference to part of a book, such as a chapter or a diagram, will depend on whether it is considered to be a part or a contribution.
What’s the difference between a part and a contribution?
A ‘part’ of a book is where the author of the whole book and the creator of the part such as a chapter or diagram are the same.
A ‘contribution’ to a book is where the author or editor of the book and the author of the chapter or diagram are different. For example, in an edited book there may be chapters written by different authors to the overall editor of the book. You will notice this if there are different author names listed on the content pages.
How do I reference a part of a book?
If the creator of the chapter or part (such as an illustration, figure, or diagram) is the same as the author of the book, create a reference for the whole book and provide the chapter or figure details after the date. Take a look at the examples below:
A chapter in an authored book
Stroud KA, Booth DJ. Engineering mathematics. 8th ed. London: Red Globe Press; 2020. Programme F4, Graphs; p. 123-155.
An illustration
Stroud KA, Booth DJ. Engineering mathematics. 8th ed. London: Red Globe Press; 2020. Cartesian axes; p. 126.
A chapter in an authored eBook
Laska PR. Bombs, IEDs, and explosives: identification, investigation, and disposal techniques [Internet]. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2015 Aug 12. Chapter 6, Explosives and bomb technology; [cited 2023 Nov 5]; p. 41-86. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1201/b18750
How do I reference a contribution to a book?
If you are referencing a chapter where there is an overall editor of the book and the chapters have been created by different authors, start the reference with the author of the chapter followed by the chapter title. Follow this with ‘In:’ and then provide the full details of the book and add the page numbers at the end. Take a look at the examples below:
A chapter in an edited book
Gonduin B. Chapter 6: structural analysis of propellant grains. In: Davenas A, editor. Solid rocket propulsion technology. Oxford: Pergamon Press; 1993. p. 215-302.
A chapter in an edited eBook
Babuk VA. Formulation factors and properties of condensed combustion products. In: De Luca LT, Shimada T, Sinditskii VP, Calabro M, editors. Chemical rocket propulsion [Internet]. Switzerland: Springer; 2016 [cited 2023 Nov 6]. p. 319-339. Available from: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-27748-6_13
What about a contribution that is an illustration?
If you wish to reference a diagram, illustration, or figure where the copyright statement is different to the author of a book or a chapter, this should be treated as secondary referencing which is covered on page 11 of the NLM numbered referencing guide
Please note: Cranfield supports two different referencing styles – APA7 (Author-Date) and NLM (Numbered). Please make sure you use the style preferred by your supervisor or lecturer. The advice above relates only to the NLM style. If you have any questions about referencing, please contact the Library
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