Which Citation Style Should You Use?

When citing the books, articles, and other materials collected for a research paper, you must organize the important information identifying the author, title, publisher and date of the work according to a specific style.

While some instructors are not particular about citation styles, others will require a specific style. Students should ask if uncertain about which style to use.

Please see the guide to commonly used styles for examples of the following:

• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Modern Language Association (MLA)
• Chicago Style
• Council of Science Editors (CSE) [formerly the Council of Biology Editors, CBE]

For examples of other styles:

• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• Columbia Style
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Harvard Style
• Turabian Style