Citation Styles
The moment you are asked to cite, take a look at your assignment to see if a specific citation style is indicated. This information must be known before you can properly cite your work. As with any citation system, using it correctly protects you from accusations of plagiarism. Three common citation styles are below. Click on the tabs on the right to learn about four common citation styles: MLA, APA, Chicago Manual of Style, and AMA.
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is widely used in the humanities, especially in writing on language and literature. It provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages. If you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition), which can be found in the reference section of the library
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers by Call Number: REF LB2369.G53 2009ISBN: 9781603290241Publication Date: 2009-01-01Widely adopted by universities, colleges, and secondary schools, the MLA Handbook is the guide millions of writers have relied on for over half a century. The seventh edition, taken out of print by the MLA in spring 2016 upon publication of the eighth edition, provides the MLA's previous recommendations on documentation style for use in student writing. Please note that copies of the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook include a code for accessing an accompanying Web site. The Web site is no longer available.
APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by Call Number: REF BF76.7.P83 2010ISBN: 9781433805592In addition to providing guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, and APA style, this manual offers an authoritative reference and citation system. It also covers the treatment of numbers, statistical and mathematical data, tables, and figures.
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage, and documentation.
There are two main styles:
- The Notes-Bibliography System (NB), which is used by those in literature, history, and the arts.
- The Chicago NB system is most often used in history and is often used in the humanities and provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through footnote or endnote citation in their writing and through bibliography pages.
- As with any citation stystem using it correctly protects the writer from accusations of plagiarism. As mentioned earlier in this guide proper citation builds credibility to the paper by demonstrating accountability to source material.
- Sample Paper in Notes-Bibliography (from Purdue OWL)
- The Author-Date System, which is preferred in the sciences.
- In the Author-Date System each citation consists of two parts: the text citations, which provides brief identifying information within the text, and the reference list (list of sources used) which provides full bibliographic information.
- Descriptions for Style Guides (APA). Russell, T., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderland, L., & Brizee, A. (2010, August 1, 2010). General format. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/
- Sample Paper in Author-Date (from Purdue OWL)
- If you are asked to use the CMS, be sure to consult the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, which can be found in the reference section of the library, call number REF Z253.U69 2010
The Chicago Manual of Style by Call Number: REF Z253.U69 2010ISBN: 9780226104201Publication Date: 2010-08-01While digital technologies have revolutionized the publishing world in the twenty-first century, one thing still remains true: The Chicago Manual of Style is the authoritative, trusted source that writers, editors, and publishers turn to for guidance on style and process. For the sixteenth edition, every aspect of coverage has been reconsidered to reflect how publishing professionals work today. Though processes may change, the Manual continues to offer the clear, well-considered style and usage advice it has for more than a century. The sixteenth edition offers expanded information on producing electronic publications, including web-based content and e-books. An updated appendix on production and digital technology demystifies the process of electronic workflow and offers a primer on the use of XML markup, and a revised glossary includes a host of terms associated with electronic as well as print publishing. The Chicago system of documentation has been streamlined and adapted for a variety of online and digital sources. Figures and tables are updated throughout the book--including a return to the Manual's popular hyphenation table and new, comprehensive listings of Unicode numbers for special characters.
The reference style followed by JAMA and its related journals was developed from recommendations contained in the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (formerly known as the Vancouver style) and the National Library of Medicine's recommendations found in Citing Medicine:The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers.
AMA Manual of Style by Call Number: REF R119.A533 2007ISBN: 9780195176339Publication Date: 2007-03-15For decades indispensable, the AMA Manual of Style continues to provide editorial support to the medical and scientific publishing community. Since the 1998 publication of the 9th edition, however, the world of medical publishing has rapidly modernized, and the intersection of research andpublishing has become ever more complex. The 10th edition of the AMA Manual of Style, published in early 2007, brings this definitive manual into the 21st century with a broadened international perspective. In doing so, the 10th edition has expanded its electronic guidelines, with the understanding that authors now routinely submit articles through online systems and often cite Web-only content. Ethical and legal issues receive increased attention, with detailed guidelines on authorship, conflicts ofinterest, scientific misconduct, intellectual property, and the protection of individuals' rights in scientific research and publication. The new edition examines research ethics and editorial independence and features new material on indexing and searching as well as medical nomenclature.
Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue
The OWL at Purdue has a series of guides for formatting and citing papers using style guides.
Search "sample papers" in OWL to find written and correctly cited papers in MLA, APA, and CMS for your reference. OWL also defines, formats, and explains the significance of Annotated Bibliographies.