Citing Your Sources
Before beginning your research, ask your instructor what style you should use for documenting your sources. Then, as you take notes, you can begin citing your sources on note cards, paper, or in a computer file according to the required style. When you prepare your bibliography, you will have all the information you need!
Guides Written by Library Staff
APA (American Psychological Association)
- Print Sources (PDF)
- Electronic Sources (Library guide not available at this time.) See the APA Style Guide to Electronic References available at the Library.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
- Print Sources (PDF)
- Electronic Sources (PDF)
Chicago Manual of Style (PDF)
CBE (Council of Biological Editors) (PDF)
Other Online Guides
While there are many online guides for citing electronic information, only the books or Web sites from APA, MLA, and other professional organizations can be considered authoritative. Check the library catalog for style guides in book form published by professional organizations.
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APA -- The APA web site recommends formats for citing electronic references.
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MLA -- The Frequently Asked Questions web site answers common citation questions about MLA format.
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Chicago Manual of Style -- Examples of Chicago-style documentation.
Discipline-specific Styles
- ACS (American Chemical Society)
- AMA (American Medical Association) -- From the University of Washington Health Sciences Libraries
- ASA (American Sociological Association) -- From California State University, Los Angeles
- CBE (Council of Biological Editors) -- From Colorado State University
- SAA (Society for American Archaeology) -- For examples of references, see Section 3.9, References Cited of the SAA Editorial Policy, Information for Authors, & Style Guide
Citing Government Publications
- DocsCite (Arizona State Universitiy Libraries) - A guide to citing government publications in APA or MLA format.
General Guides to Help with Citing Sources
- Writing@CSU: Writing Guide -- Using Sources
- Duke University Libraries -- Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper
- Purdue University, Online Writing Lab -- Resources for Documenting Sources
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Writing Center -- Citing References in Your Paper
Updated September 2007
Send Comments to Nancy Gauss, ngauss@western.edu
