Citation Help  

Scholarly citation is the method by which researchers give credit for other people's ideas in their papers.

It is one of the most important skills to have as a scholar because it:

1. helps you as a writer to avoid plagiarism, and
2. helps your reader to see exactly where you got your information.

Citation styles are different sets of rules used to make citations. They generally cover:

1. how to reference or quote something within your paper, and
2. how to build a bibliography, or list of works cited, at the end of your paper.

Popular citation styles include APA, MLA, Chicago, and AMA. Different scholarly disciplines have their own preferred style. Your instructor will usually specify which style you should use in your paper.

Manuals for the major citations styles are on reserve at the Circulation Desk.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  BF76.7 .P83 2010

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers  LB2369 .G53 2009

A Manual for Writers of term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian)  LB2369 .T8 2007

The Chicago Manual of Style  Z253 .U69 2010

American Medical Association Manual of Style : A Guide for Authors and Editors  R119 .A533 2009

Here are a few computer options for plugging in your information and generating citations. Be sure to check them, because sometimes they make mistakes!