A short guide to citing research in MLA, APA, and Chicago formats.
The three styles used by most academic disciplines are:
If there are other style guides you need to reference. Conduct a title or subject search in the ASU library catalog to determine if we have access to these additional style guides.
When you write a research paper, you will start by reading the research that others have done before you. In your paper you will mention (or "cite") the sources you have consulted. At the end of the paper, you will include a bibliography or works cited section, an alphabetical list of citations that contain all the information that readers and/or your instructor will need to locate these resources.
A citation describes a book, journal article, website, or other published item and gives credit to the originator of an idea. Appropriate use of citations prevents instances of plagiarism. In addition, a citation enables the reader of the work to retrieve the item you have referenced. Citations should reflect all of the information a person would need to locate a particular source (e.g. author's name, title of work, publication title, volume & issue number, web address, etc)
In-text citations consist of just enough information to correspond to a source's full citation in a Works Cited list. In-text citations often require a page number (or numbers) showing exactly where the relevant information was found in the original source material.
A bibliography is a list of citations for all of the relevant resources a person has consulted during his or her research.
A works cited list presents citations for those sources referenced in a paper, presentation, or other composition.
The University Writing Center (UWC) offers free services to students, faculty, and staff of Appalachian State University.
Room 204 (2nd floor) Belk Library & Information Commons
To make an appointment, go to TutorTrac
Call or text at
(828) 476-8644
Zotero and EndNote are citation management software that allow you to collect, organize, and reuse sources that you find in your research.
