Citing Sources
Different disciplines use different styles for documenting the resources you use in your project. Documentation gives credit to the authors whose ideas and work have contributed to your finished product. It also allows others to locate the works you used. For instance, many of the social sciences use the American Psychological Association Publication Manual (APA) rules for formatting, citing within the text, abbreviations, and creating a bibliography of sources called “References”. The Modern Language Association Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (MLA) is often used in the humanities. It differs from APA in many ways, including the bibliography which is called “Works Cited”. There are other style guides, including The Chicago Manual of Style and guides specific for journalists, scientists, and musicians.
Be sure that you understand your instructor’s citation requirements and refer to the most recent citation guide purchased for your class for complete citation details. The following links will help you give proper credit and avoid plagiarism.
MLA
Documenting Sources in MLA – Diana Hacker, 2009 Update
MLA Style Guide – Northern Michigan University
Citing PTC Databases and E-books (PDF)
Citing Web Sites and Web Pages (PDF)
APA
Research & Documentation Online – Diana Hacker
Citing PTC Databases and E-books (PDF)
Citing Web Sites and Web Pages (PDF)
Chicago
Documenting Sources – Diana Hacker
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses and Dissertations - Kate L. Turabian
Associated Press
Guide to AP Style – Sweeney
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