Citation Styles

There are a number of different citation styles that are used. Publishers / Journal editors usually specify a particular type of style. Similarly, professors usually tell a class what type of citation style to use.

There are several dominant citation styles:

• APA (American Psychological Association) is often used in the Social Sciences, such as Psychology, Political Science, Education
• MLA (Modern Language Association) is often used in the Humanities, such as Literature, Philosophy, Performing Arts
• Chicago Manual of Style / Turabian is also used in the Humanities, especially History, and the Social Sciences
• CBE (Council of Biology Editors) is often used in the Sciences, such as Biology, Physics, Chemistry
• Blue Book is the main form of legal citation used in Law

Ask your Professor what styles are acceptable before starting.

• Some departments have a recomended, or required, citation style. For example, the Turabian style will be used for almost all history papers.
• In some cases there may not be a department-wide style, however a professor will require all students to use one particular style for their papers.
• Professors may not care what style you use as long as you use a formal style throughout your paper.

Get help from the library

No matter what style you are using for your papers, the library has both online and print resources to help you out.

• Check the Databases & Subject Guides. Under your department's page, look at the "Citing Your Sources" section.
• Print materials are available mainly at the Reference Desk, but also in the Reference Collection. Check the Subject Guides, Muscat, or ask a library for specific titles.
• Online resources are also available and are sometimes more convinent since you can access them from outside of the library. Consult the Subject Guide or the Research Tips & Topics page for links.
• Tools such as the Citation Machine and RefWorks can help automate the process of writing citations.