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
This collection of books about writing is kept in the Main Library, Room 123, on the shelf facing the South Wing Reading Room.
Abbott, Andrew. 2014. Digital Paper: A Manual for Research and Writing with Library and Internet Materials. Chicago; London: The University of Chicago Press. Call Number: LB1047.3.A22 2014
American Psychological Association. 2010. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Call Number: Reference BF76.7 .P83 2010
Becker, Howard Saul. 2007. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Call Number: Reference H61.8 .B43 2007
Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 2008. The Craft of Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Call Number: Reference Q180.55.M4 B66 2008
Burchfield, R.W. 1996. The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Call Number: Reference PE1628 .F65 1998
Burroway, Janet, Elizabeth Stuckey-French, and Ned Stuckey-French. 2015. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft. Boston: Pearson. Call Number: PN355 .B79 2015
The Chicago Manual of Style 2010. 16th ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Call Number: Reference Z253 .U69 2010
Clark, Roy Peter. 2008. Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. New York; London: Little, Brown. Call Number: Reference PN145 .C63 2008
Coghill, Anne M. and Lorrin R. Garson. 2006. The ACS Style Guide: Effective Communication of Scientific Information. 3rd ed, Washington, D.C.: Oxford University Press. Call Number: QD8.5.A25 2006
Dillard, Annie. 1989. The Writing Life. New York: Harper & Row. Call Number: Reference PS3554.I398 Z478 1989
Fish, Stanley Eugene. 2011. How to Write a Sentence: And how to Read One. New York: Harper. Call Number: Reference PE1441 .F57 2011
Gibaldi, Joseph and Modern Language Association of America. 2003. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: Modern Language Association of America. Call Number: Reference LB2369 .G53 2009
------------------, ed. 2008. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. New York: Modern Language Association of America. Call Number: Reference PN147 .G444 2008
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. 2006. "They Say I Say": The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton. Call Number: Reference PE1431 .G73 2006
Harris, Joseph. 2006. Rewriting. Logan: Utah State University Press. Call Number: PE1404.H363 2006
Harvey, Michael. 2013. The Nuts & Bolts of College Writing. 2nd ed. Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Pub. Co. Call Number: Reference PE1408 .H3927 2013
Hayot, Eric. 2014. The Elements of Academic Style. New York: Columbia University Press. Call Number: PE1404.H3943 2014
King, Stephen. 2010. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. New York, NY: Scribner. Call Number: Reference PS3561.I483 Z475 2010
Kumar, Amitava. 2020. Every Day I Write the Book: Notes on Style. Durham: Duke University Press. Online.
Lamott, Anne. 1995. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books. Call Number: Reference PN147 .L315 1995
LaRocque, Paula. 2003. The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well. Oak Park, IL: Marion Street Press. Call Number: Reference PN4775 .L288 2003
Longknife, Ann and K.D. Sullivan. 2012. The Art of Styling Sentences. New York: Barron’s. Call Number: PE1441.L57 2012
Miller, Scott A. 2014. Writing in Psychology. New York: Routledge. Call Number: Reference BF76.7 .M55 2014
Prose, Francine. 2006. Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for those Who Want to Write Them. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Call Number: Reference PE1408 .P774 2006
Rosenblatt, Roger. 2011. Unless it Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing. New York: Harper Collins. Call Number: PN145.R565 2011
Scientific Style and Format: the CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers. 2014. Chicago: Council of Science Editors in cooperation with the University of Chicago Press. Call Number: Reference T11 .S386 2014
Strunk William, Jr., E.B. White, and Maira Kalman. 2005. The Elements of Style. New York: Penguin Books. Call Number: Reference PE1408 .S772 2005
Trimble, John R. 2011. Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing. Boston: Prentice Hall. Call Number: Reference PE1408 .T69 2011
Truss, Lynne. 2004. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: the Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. New York: Gotham Books. Call Number: Reference PE1450 .T75 2004
Turabian, Kate L., Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 2013. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Call Number: Reference LB2369 .T8 2013
Walker, Janice and Todd Taylor. 2006. The Columbia Guide to Online Style. New York: Columbia University Press. Call Number: Reference PN 171 .F56 W35 2006
Walsh, Bill. 2000. Lapsing Into a Comma: a Curmudgeon’s Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print—and How to Avoid Them. Chicago: Contemporary Books. Call Number: Reference PN 147 .W33 2000
Yagoda, Ben. 2013. How to Not Write Bad: The most Common Writing Problems and the Best Ways to Avoid Them. New York: Riverhead Books. Call Number: Reference PE1408 .Y34 2013
———. 2007. When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech for Better and/or Worse. New York: Broadway Books. Call Number: Reference PE1199 .H33 2007
Zinsser, William Knowlton. 2006. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. New York: HarperCollins. Call Number: Reference PE1429 .Z5 2006
For an in-depth discussion of why citation matters and how to avoid plagiarism, see the following guide:
Looking for assistance with finding and evaluating sources? Check out this guide from the Vassar Libraries. If you have any questions about finding, evaluating, or citing sources, Ask a Librarian!
