Citation Styles
Rules for citing sources and citation formats can get complicated. A number of style guides have been developed that provide consistency in how information is cited. Some of the most common styles are APA, Chicago, and MLA. Citation styles are often associated with certain professional groups and disciplines. For instance, APA, American Psychological Association, is often used in the sciences while MLA, Modern Language Association, is popular in the literature and humanities area. Some professors don’t care which citation style you use as long as you are consistent but some tell you specifically which one to use.
The box below will link you to resources for some of the most popular citation styles. For all the rules and exceptions, look at the official manual published by the style’s sponsor. Rules for citation styles change over time, particularly recently with the Internet, so it is important to use the latest edition. Any library will have some, if not all, of these style guides.
