This document provides instructions for using PERRLA, a citation and bibliography generator. It explains how to launch PERRLA, start a new paper, enter document details, add citations, and create a references list. Key steps include selecting the appropriate reference type, filling out the reference wizard, and re-using existing references without re-entering their information. The document emphasizes saving work to an external flash drive due to computer deletion policies.

1. How To Use PERRLA
WARNING: ALWAYS SAVE YOUR WORK TO A FLASH DRIVE!
The computers are programed to delete anything saved on them.
Starting PERRLA for MLA or APA
 Begin by double-clicking the yellow pencil on your computer's desktop that says
Launch PERRLA.
 After PERRLA loads, you will be presented with the Welcome screen where you indicate if you
want to Start a New APA Paper, Start a New MLA Paper or Open an Existing PERRLA Paper.
Click the appropriate button to begin a new paper.
Writing the Paper
 Now you will see the Title screen. Start by typing the paper’s title in the first box. As you type,
the title and file name will be created. You can, of course, change them if you like.
 You will then need to add in your name and the school’s name. You can add other information if
you wish.
 Be sure to change the SAVE LOCATION to your flash drive!
 When you are done with this box, you simply click the Start Paper button. And... Voila! Your
paper is correctly formatted, your title page is filled-in, and you're ready to type your paper.
Creating a Citation
 When you are ready to add an in-text citation, go to the top of the screen and click on Add-Ins.
Click on Create Citation.
 The box that appears will eventually contain a list of all references being used in your paper, but
for now it will be empty. Click on the button located at the bottom-right of the box that is labeled
New.
 Select the type of reference you wish to enter by double-clicking on it. There are many reference
types to choose from. Try to be as specific as possible.
 For example, "Books, Reference Books and Book Chapters" is broken down to Books, Reference
Books, or Book Chapters. If you select Books, you will find additional options for type of book
and categories for books with no author, translated books, republished books, etc.
Updated 9/19/2012

2.  After selecting the appropriate reference type, the PERRLA Reference Wizard will appear. The
PERRLA Reference Wizard will walk you through creating a reference one step at a time. Note
that you are only prompted to enter the information that is required for the specific reference type
you chose.
 Helpful information will be displayed on-screen for each step, detailing the information that is
needed to properly format your reference and citation. Note that, using the Next and Back
buttons, you can navigate forward or backwards as you answer each question.
 The first thing the wizard prompts you for is the name of the author(s). When entering names of
authors, you'll be using the PERRLA "Name Maker." After entering the author(s) name and
clicking the OK button, the wizard updates the screen to show the proper formatting. Click the
Next button to continue.
 The wizard will continue to ask for information needed to create the citation. This can include:
Year of Publication, Title of Publication, Title of Article, Edition, Print or Online version, Place
of publication, Name of the publisher DOI, Volume number, Issue number, etc.
 After entering all needed information, the Next button becomes "grayed out" to indicate that
there are no more steps required for this reference. If you want to go back and change
information entered in a previous step, click the Back button. Otherwise, click the Finish button
to complete the reference.
Entering the Citation Location
 Once you finish creating the reference, PERRLA will prompt you for the citation location. Enter
the location (page number) of the quotation you are using. Click OK.
 The Citation Appears! The citation will be added to your paper at the point where the cursor is
located in your document.
 Your Reference | Works Cited page was also Created Automatically! The Reference section has
been added automatically as the last page of the document! Wasn't that easy?!
Re-Using an Existing Reference (from the current paper)
 You can re-use a reference you've previously cited in this paper by selecting it from the list of
active references when you click the Create Citation menu choice. Each time you choose Create
Citation from the menu, you will be shown all the active references for this paper.
 To cite this reference again in this paper, simply click on the reference to highlight it and then
click the Select button at the bottom of the form. You won't have to re-enter the reference
information; you'll only be prompted for the citation location (page number).
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