📚 Citation Styles Guide

Personal reference for academic citation formats

Common Citation Styles

APA (American Psychological Association)

Used in: Psychology, Education, Social Sciences

Focus: Author-date system

Key features: Emphasizes recency of research

MLA (Modern Language Association)

Used in: Literature, Arts, Humanities

Focus: Author-page system

Key features: Emphasizes authorship

Chicago/Turabian

Used in: History, Literature, Arts

Focus: Notes-bibliography or author-date

Key features: Footnotes or endnotes

IEEE

Used in: Engineering, Computer Science

Focus: Numerical system

Key features: Numbered references

APA Style Examples

In-Text Citations

Single author: (Smith, 2023)

Multiple authors: (Smith & Johnson, 2023)

Direct quote: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Multiple works: (Smith, 2023; Johnson, 2022)

Reference List - Journal Article

Smith, J. D. (2023). Title of article. Journal Name, 45(3), 123-145. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx

Reference List - Book

Johnson, A. B. (2023). Title of book (2nd ed.). Publisher Name.

Reference List - Website

Author, A. (2023, January 15). Title of webpage. Website Name. https://www.example.com

MLA Style Examples

In-Text Citations

Single author: (Smith 45)

Multiple authors: (Smith and Johnson 45)

No author: ("Title of Article" 45)

Multiple works by same author: (Smith, "First Work" 45)

Works Cited - Journal Article

Smith, John D. "Title of Article." Journal Name, vol. 45, no. 3, 2023, pp. 123-145. DOI: 10.xxxx/xxxx.

Works Cited - Book

Johnson, Alice B. Title of Book. 2nd ed., Publisher Name, 2023.

Works Cited - Website

Author, Alice. "Title of Webpage." Website Name, 15 Jan. 2023, www.example.com.

Chicago Style Examples

Notes-Bibliography System

Footnote:

¹ John D. Smith, "Title of Article," Journal Name 45, no. 3 (2023): 123-145.

Bibliography - Journal Article

Smith, John D. "Title of Article." Journal Name 45, no. 3 (2023): 123-145.

Bibliography - Book

Johnson, Alice B. Title of Book. 2nd ed. City: Publisher Name, 2023.

Author-Date System

In-text: (Smith 2023, 45)

Reference list: Similar to APA format

IEEE Style Examples

In-Text Citations

Single reference: [1]

Multiple references: [1], [2], [3]

Range: [1]-[3]

With page: [1, p. 45]

Reference List - Journal Article

[1] J. D. Smith, "Title of article," Journal Name, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 123-145, Mar. 2023.

Reference List - Book

[2] A. B. Johnson, Title of Book, 2nd ed. City: Publisher, 2023.

Reference List - Website

[3] A. Author, "Title of webpage," Website Name, Jan. 15, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.example.com

Citation Management Tools

Zotero

Free, open-source reference manager

Features: Browser integration, PDF annotation, group collaboration

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Mendeley

Academic social network with reference management

Features: PDF reader, research networking, cloud sync

Visit Mendeley

EndNote

Professional reference management software

Features: Advanced search, institutional access, manuscript matching

Visit EndNote

Citation Generator

Quick citation formatting tool

Features: Multiple styles, instant formatting

Use Tool

Quick Tips for Citations

Best Practices

  • Always cite your sources immediately
  • Keep detailed notes while researching
  • Use citation management software
  • Double-check citation format requirements
  • Be consistent throughout your paper

Common Mistakes

  • Missing page numbers for direct quotes
  • Inconsistent formatting
  • Incorrect author names
  • Missing DOIs or URLs
  • Outdated citation information