Documentation and Citation Guide
As you prepare many writing assignments and class presentations, you will find that you are reading, evaluating and using the work of other individuals. Failure to give proper credit to the work of others is plagiarism. Acknowledging the work of others involves citing the sources that you used and formatting this information in a particular documentation style. A documentation style is a standard approach to the citation of sources that you have consulted, quoted or referenced in some way. The sites listed below provide both examples and guidance in using various documentation styles. Your teacher will recommend which documentation style to use.
APA – American Psychological Association
All of the sites listed below provide examples from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition). This publication is available in the Clarke bookstore and in the Clarke Library. The call number is Ref BF76.7 .P83. APA is commonly used in social sciences fields such as psychology.
- APAstyle.org Frequently asked questions about using APA style. This page is part of the official web site for the American Psychological Association.
- Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format The Purdue online writing lab offers detailed examples and even a PowerPoint presentation on APA style.
- APA Reference Style (Northern Michigan University). This guide gives a wide variety of examples including YouTube clips, government documents, and blogs.
MLA – Modern Language Association
All of the sites listed below provide examples from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th edition). This publication is available in the Clarke bookstore and in the Clarke Library. The call number is Ref LB2369 .G53 2003. MLA is often used in humanities classes (such as English lit.).
- MLA Documentation The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Includes comments on when MLA style is commonly used, examples of parenthetical citations, and works cited pages.
- Using Modern Language Association Format The Purdue online writing lab offers detailed examples and an extensive list of links to other MLA citation guides and templates.
Turabian/Chicago
This citation style is used in a variety of fields including history. You can find a print copy of the Chicago/Turabian manual in the reference section. Its call number is LB2369 .T8 2007.
- Citation Guide: Chicago/Turabian Style (Simon Fraser University). This site gives examples of Turabian citation for a variety of formats.
- Chicago Manual of Style Online: Quick Guide
AMA – American Medical Association
Students of medicine, health, and nursing typically use AMA. You can find a print copy of the AMA guide in the reference section. Its call number is REF R119 .A533 2007.
- AMA Citation Guide (St. Catherine University)
CSE-Council of Science Editors
Biological Sciences students typically use this citation style.
- CSE Name Year Citation Style Guide (McGill University Library). This pdf is used in Biology and gives citation examples and formats.
- CSE Citation Style Examples (Dakota State University). This site gives citation examples using CSE for most formats.
- American Institute of Physics (Monash University). Find citation examples for books, journals, and more.
- American Chemical Society (Williams College Libraries). Find citation examples and advice.