Citation Style Guide

Getting started:  How to use this guide

This guide was created to assist with selecting and correctly using a citation style while writing a paper.  There are many different styles to choose from when working on a paper.  Many fields of study prefer one particular style. Always check with your instructor or syllabus when in doubt!

What is a citation and citation style?

• A citation is a way of giving credit to individuals for their creative and intellectual works that you used to support your research. A citation can also be used to locate particular sources and combat plagiarism. Typically, a citation can include the author's name, date, location of the publisher, journal title, or DOI (Digital Object Identifer).
• A citation style dictates the information necessary for a citation and how the information is ordered, as well as punctuation and other formatting.

How do I choose a citation style?

There are many different ways of citing resources from your research. The citation style sometimes depends on the academic discipline involved. For example:

• APA (American Psychological Association) is used by Education, Psychology, and Sciences
• MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used by the Humanities
• Chicago style is generally used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts
• Vancouver style is used by the Health Sciences
• CSE (Council of Science Editors) is used primarily by the sciences
• McGill is typically used in Law

When you quote or refer to another person's words or ideas in your writing, you must credit your source with a proper citation. Why is proper citation important?

• Citation gives due credit to the sources you have used to support your own work.
• Citation helps others access the helpful sources you have used.
• Citation allows you to maintain your own academic integrity by protecting yourself against charges of plagiarism. Plagiarism involves taking credit for words or ideas that are not your own.