Citing
Your Sources: Print & Electronic
Style Guides
A very important part of the research
process is proper documentation of
the sources you have used in the formulation
of your paper. You must cite any work
that has contributed to the ideas you
present, even if you do not use direct
quotations from that source. For more
information on why it is important
to document your sources, see our page
on Keeping
it Honest: Avoiding Plagiarism.
This guide offers you a starting point
in creating a bibliography using either
the MLA, APA, or Chicago format. For more detailed
information about creating a bibliography,
and to find out how to document quotations
and paraphrases in the body of your
paper, use one of the style manuals
available in the library listed in this page.
Every resource, whether it be a book,
a journal article, or web site must be evaluated
to determine its quality and its relevance to
your research topic.
Tips for Evaluating Sources
Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals
Evaluating Information on the Web
RefWorks
RefWorks is a web-based bibliographic management tool. With RefWorks you can create a list of citations; format in-text citations, footnotes and endnotes; organize your citations in a variety of ways; and format bibliographies automatically. You can import records directly into RefWorksfrom selected databases, including Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, and others.
To use Refworks, you will need to create an account, please not that this initial registration needs to be done from a computer on the Southwestern network.
When you are off campus, you can still have access to many of the library's electronic resources by using the mySouthwestern portal, including RefWorks.
For more information on RefWorks, see the Library's About RefWorks page.
Style Manuals in Print
Below is a list of titles for some
of the print style manuals that are
available in our library. Other style
manuals that cover citations for specific
disciplines of study are also available.
The most recent editions of all of
these manuals will be in the reference
collection and will not circulate.
Older editions may be available for check out, but
be aware they may not be up-to-date.
The Library recommends that you use a style manual with RefWorks. Do not assume that Refworks will always be completely accurate.
Humanities
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers. 7th edition.
(Reference and Reserve 808.027 M698.2009)
Chicago Manual of Style.
15th edition.
(Reference and Main 808.02 C432m 2003)
Humanities (On The Web)
Citing Sources (Duke University) Includes instructions and examples for five major sytles (MLA, Turabian, APA, Chicago, and CSE). Includes sections on Citing Soruces Within Your Paper and Assembling a List of Works Cited.
Chicago Style (University of Wisconsin) Quick Guide
MLA Format (Purdue University) Format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
Social Sciences
Chicago Manual of Style.
15th edition.
(Reference and Main 808.02 C432m 2003)
Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association. 6th
edition.
(Reference and Reserve 808.066 P96 2010)
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). 7th Edition
(Reference and Main 808.02 C432m 2003)
Style Manual for Political Science.
Revised.
(Reference 808.0663 Am35s 2001)
Social Sciences (On The Web)
Citing Sources (Duke University) Includes instructions for five major styles (MLA, Turabian, APA, Chicago, and CSE). Includes sections on Citing Sources Within Your Paper and Assembling a List of Works Cited.
American Psychological Association (APA) Style (Purdue University) Format for APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page.
Sciences
Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association. 6th
edition.
(Reference and Reserve 808.066 P96 2010)
ACS Style Guide: Effective Communication of Scientific Information
(808.0665 Ac78)
A Student Handbook for Writing
in Biology.
(808.0665 K749s)
Sciences (On The Web)
Citing Sources (Duke University) Includes instructions for five major styles (MLA, Turabian, APA, Chicago, and CSE). Includes sections on Citing Sources Within Your Paper and Assembling a List of Works Cited.
Government Document Citation Guides
DocsCite (Arizona State University) A citation generator for government documents from the Arizona State University Libraries. Formats citations in APA (5th edition) and MLA (6th edition) style.
Uncle Sam (University of Memphis) Based on Chicago. Extensive sample citations.
Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources
(Reference 808.02 C421c)
Citation
Software
In addition to the above sites, there are some software packages that will help you create and manage your bibliographies and references. Although these products are not free, they may make it easier for you to cite your sources accurately and keep track of the resources you have consulted. There are too many options for us to list all of them here, but these are some of the best-known products:
Instructify: Top 5 citation applications
Top 5 citation application according to the "Instructify" blog.
|
CiteIt!
From Sidebar Software (primarily legal
citations) |
EasyBib
(Web-based) This source formats and alphabetizes bibliographies for 37 types of sources in MLA, APA, or Chicago/Turabian style. Users can save a bibliography online or import to Word. It includes a feature to upload journal article citations from databases. There is limited help. A free one week trial is available.
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EndNote
From Thomson Reuters (software based)
Like RefWorks, a software tool for publishing and managing bibliographies. |
KnightCite Citation Service
From Heckman Library, Calvin College
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Landmarks Citation Machine
Supports MLA, APA, Turabian, and Chicago Styles.
|
NoodleBib Express
(Web-based) Free version supports citation creation in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles.
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Zotero
Firefox-based application from George Mason University. Has a great following by academic users.
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