Style Guides

It is important to cite the sources that you consult as you do your research. The most common style guides used on the IU South Bend campus are MLA (Modern Language Association) and APA (American Psychological Association). 

These manuals (and others like them) will tell you specifically what components must appear in a citation and in what order each must appear. Punctuation and spacing are also part of correctly citing a source. Again, each style manual prescribes the details.

The components of a citation will vary depending on the type of source that is being cited. For example, citations for books will always include the publisher. The publisher is not important information for citing a journal article, but the volume and page numbers are.

A good checklist for details to note:

• title (of book, article, website, etc.)
• author
• volume, issue and page numbers
• date
• the call number or location
• URL ("web address")

This guide lists print and web sources that provide assistance in citing sources. 

The APA Style tab focuses on APA (American Psychological Association) style. 

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.  7th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. READY REF BF76.7 .P83 2020

The MLA Style tab focuses on MLA (Modern Language Association) style.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 9th ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America. READY REF LB2369 .M52 2021

The Chicago Style tab focuses on Chicago style.

The Chicago Manual of Style.  17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. READY REF Z253 .V69 2017

The Other common styles tab lists a variety of other style guides.

The Online bibliographic management tools tab focuses on tools that can help you manage the research process, keep track of sources, and cite them properly.

For help with citing sources, students should visit the Writers' Room, part of the Academic Centers for Excellence.