There are many different styles for formatting references/citations in your academic work. Some professors prefer a particular style while others don’t have a preference but insist that you use one style consistently and properly. Some help with the rules and guidance for these styles are provided below.
Keep in mind that online tools and resources may offer citation help, but they are not always correct/up-todate nor cover every situation. The style manuals are considered the authorities for citation and formatting rules. Paper copies of the manuals for these styles can be found in print in the library’s Reference Collection
- Understanding plagiarism & self-test– University of Indiana
Plagiarism tutorial – SFU - Wikipedia disclaimer – reasons to not quote it in a paper
Citation generators are online tools that create your citations for you (you just need to enter the information). Check the results against your style guide to make sure your citations are correctly formatted:
Citation Machine (MLA, APA, Chicago) – another free citation generator
BibMe – MLA, APA, Chicago- KnightCite – Calvin College citation generator (works with MLA, APA, and Chicago styles)
NoodleTools (MLA and APA) – Try the free version, NoodleBib Express
Microsoft Word citation generator (under the References tab)
APA 7th edition QuickGuide – University of Alberta, Augustana Campus
Covers reference list and in-text citations for the most common types of resources.
APA Style – Purdue OWL
Sample APA paper included.
Citing Business Sources: UBC guide; BCIT guide
Learning APA Style (American Psychological Association)
Includes free tutorials, FAQ and more.
For more details, consult the following books in the Library:
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed.
REF BF 76.7 P83 2020
Making sense : a student’s guide to research and writing : social sciences, 5th ed.
H 62 N67 2012
MLA 8th ed QuickGuide – University of Alberta, Augstana Campus
MLA 8th edition – OWL at Purdue
For more details, consult the following books in the Library:
- MLA Handbook, 8th ed.
REF LB 2369 M52 2016
Turabian Style – Fairbank Memorial Library
For more details, consult the following books in the Library:
- A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 9th ed.
LB 2369 T929 M294 2018
Chicago Style – University of Alberta, Augustana Campus
Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. – Purdue OWL
For more details, consult the following books in the Library:
- The Chicago Manual of Style
REF LB 2369 C55 2017
