Citation Style Guides
What is a citation?
A "citation" is the way you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information necessary to find that source again, including:
- information about the author
- the title of the work
- the name and location of the company that published your copy of the source
- the date your copy was published
- the page numbers of the material you are borrowing
It is very important to cite all sources used for a paper or project. Remember that if the information or idea was not originally yours, cite it.
It is extremely important to cite your sources whenever:
- you use quotes
- you paraphrase or summarize
- you use an idea that someone else has already expressed
- you make specific reference to the work of another
- someone else's work has been critical in developing your own ideas
There are various citation styles that can be used. However, your instructor may require the use a a specific style for the course. The three most commonly used citations styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian. Each style is often used by a specific academic discipline. However, which style used will often be determined by your instructor while you are a student.
- APA (American Psychological Association) is often used by Education, Psychology, and Science disciplines.
- MLA (Modern Language Association) style is often used by the Humanities discipline.
- Chicago/Turabian style is often used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts disciplines.
Citation Style Guides
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
"The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields. Known for its authoritative, easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process-from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition is an indispensable resource for students and professionals to achieve excellence in writing and make a impact with their work."
MLA Handbook
"The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook is a textbook and reference guide that offers student writers and writing instructors guidance on creating works-cited-list entries in MLA style using the template of core elements. It features advice on punctuation, grammar, inclusive language, formatting research papers, and in-text citations. Includes an appendix of sample works-cited-list entries, illustrations, and an index"-- Provided by publisher
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition
Provides information on manuscript preparation, punctuation, spelling, quotations, captions, tables, abbreviations, references, bibliographies, notes, and indexes, with sections on journals and electronic media.
Cite Right
In his bestselling guide, Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academic Success, veteran teacher Charles Lipson brought welcome clarity to the principles of academic honesty as well as to the often murky issues surrounding plagiarism in the digital age. Thousands of students have turned to Lipson for no-nonsense advice on how to cite sources properly - and avoid plagiarism - when writing their research papers. With his latest book, Cite Right, Lipson once again provides much-needed counsel in a concise and affordable handbook for students and researchers. Building on Doing Honest Work in College, Lipson's new book offers a wealth of information on an even greater range of citation styles and details the intricacies of many additional kinds of sources. Lipson's introductory essay, "Why Cite," explains the reasons it is so important to use citations (and to present them accurately) in research writing. In subsequent chapters, Lipson explains the main citation styles students and researchers are likely to encounter in their academic work: Chicago; MLA; APA; CSE (biological sciences); AMA (medical sciences); ACS (chemistry, mathematics, and computer science); physics, astrophysics, and astronomy; Bluebook and ALWD (law); and AAA (anthropology and ethnography). His discussions of these styles are presented simply and clearly with examples drawn from a wide range of source types crossing all disciplines, from the arts and humanities to science, law, and medicine.