What is a "citation style"?
You are probably already familiar with the elements of a typical article citation: author, article title, journal, publication year, volume, issue, pages. The order and formatting of these elements into a citation is the citation style.
Some scientific societies have defined their own particular citation style, and most science journals have a preferred citation style. Commonly used style guides are listed below. (Some links go to the library's print copy, some go to online resources.)
Citation styles are formats and rules established and modified by institutions and associations of scholars in various academic disciplines. Style guides contain comprehensive guidelines that cover most citation situations. Preferred citation styles vary across fields and disciplines.
APA (American Psychological Association) - prevalent in social sciences, e.g. Psychology, Education, Sociology
Chicago Manual of Style - use the Quick Guide for basic examples or see chapter 14 for examples of citations for a variety of sources
Turabian (simplified Chicago style) - used in humanities, social & natural sciences
MLA (Modern Language Association) - used in literature & other humanities
ACE (Council of Science Editors) - used in the sciences · print copy
ACS (American Chemical Society) · print copy · online
APA (American Psychological Association) - used in the sciences & social sciences
Council of Science Editors · print copy · online
Citing Government Publications · online
Citing Music Sources · Music Library Citation Styles page
The library recommends using Zotero as your citation manger. It is free, open source, and easy to learn. If you would like help setting up an account please reach out to liaison librarian.
