Citation Support

Different academic subjects have created specific style guidelines for citing sources, both throughout the text and on the final references page. The most common citation styles you will see used are MLA, APA and Chicago.

Which style should you use?

• First, check with your professor, the assignment and your syllabus to see if there is a preferred style.
• If your professor just asks that you choose any style as long as you do so consistently, choose the style that you're most comfortable using.
• If you're really unsure what style makes the most sense, ask a librarian or a learning consultant for help choosing the style that's most typically used for the discipline.

Yes, we cite sources to

• Avoid plagiarism
• Give credit to the source of an idea
• Lend credibility to our arguments

And, we also cite sources to

• Allow us, and others, to follow the trail back to a source
• Bring diverse voices together in dialogue
• Participate in a scholarly conversation, situating our own voice in that larger, ongoing academic discussion