Citing Sources

Correctly citing sources is an important part of the research process. Whenever you use someone else’s words or ideas – as a direct quotation of their words or by putting their ideas into your own words – you need to provide a proper citation. A citation gives credit to the original creator, provides a way to verify the information, and allows the reader to locate your source for further research if desired. Failure to properly cite sources is plagiarism.

Langenheim Memorial Library has the latest editions of major style manuals available for two-hour checkout at the circulation desk.  These include:

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. (APA)
• MLA Handbook, 9th ed. (MLA)
• The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. (Chicago)
• AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors, 11th ed. (AMA)
• A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 9th ed. (Turabian; a version of Chicago style) 
• Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences, 7th ed. (CSE)
• The ACS Style Guide, 3rd ed. (ACS)

Below are links to reputable websites to help you correctly cite information you have found.

APA Style

• American Psychological Association (APA): Reference Examples
• Purdue University OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th edition)
• Excelsior University OWL: APA Style

MLA Style

• Purdue University OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide (9th edition)
• Excelsior University OWL: MLA Style
  

Chicago Style

• Purdue University OWL: Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
  
• Excelsior University OWL: Chicago Style (18th edition)
  

AMA Style (American Medical Association)

• Purdue University OWL: AMA Style

CSE (Council of Science Editors) - formerly known as CBE Style

• CSE Quick Citation Guide: Penn State University Libraries

ACS (American Chemical Society)

• ACS Publications: ACS Style Quick Guide

Citation Management Software

• Zotero - Use Zotero to collect all research in a single, searchable interface. 
  
• ZoteroBib - For quick bibliographies, use this automatic citation formatter.