When doing research and writing for your college courses, you will be expected to cite your sources. For more information, visit our Citing Sources Guide.
A citation is a reference to an outside source. In other words, in your paper, you are acknowledging that you found this information somewhere else (you did not create or discover it yourself).
It gives credit to the person whose idea you are referencing.
It leads readers to your sources.
It helps you avoid plagiarism.
It helps you support your own work.
When you find information in another source, someone else has put time and effort into creating, researching, publishing, etc. that material. Not giving that person credit when you borrow their ideas or words is called plagiarism, which is a very serious academic infraction.
The guidelines you use to format your citation - the citation style - will depend on several factors, including your field of study and your professor's preferences.
You will most commonly use one of the styles listed below. However, you should always check with your professor first.
When in doubt, visit the official citation manual to check your formatting.
MLA Style refers to the standards published by the Modern Language Association. This style is most commonly used in humanities disciplines such English, modern languages, and cultural studies.
A sample journal article MLA citation (8th edition) might look like:
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Chicago Style refers to standards published by the University of Chicago Press. This style is most commonly used in disciplines such as history, literature, and the arts. It is unique in that it offers two sub-styles:
You may also see the term Turabian Style, which refers to a simplified version of Chicago.
A sample journal article Chicago style citation (17th edition, bibliography) might look like:
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APA Style refers to the standards published by the American Psychological Association. This style is most commonly used in disciplines such as psychology, sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and criminology.
A sample journal article APA citation (7th edition) might look like:
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