Writing, Citing, and Documenting
There are many online tutorials and guides that focus on writing, citing and documenting sources. Here are some of our favorites. If you have a favorite, let us know.
- Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)Just about everything you need to know when writing papers. Includes information on research, writing, and documenting your sources. Also includes guides on writing resumes, cover letters, and other practical writing tips.
- Citing SourcesUCLA guide on citation and avoiding plagiarism.
UCLA Workshops and Tutoring
Workshops and tutoring services for UCLA students are offered all over campus. Attending a few workshops and taking advantage of free tutoring will help you make better use of your time and help boost your GPA.
Workshops
Tutoring
- AAP Peer LearningAcademic Advancement Program (AAP) offers tutoring to AAP students in many popular courses.
- UCLA Undergraduate Writing CenterGet help with your paper assignment through individualized consultations at any point in the writing process. Peer learning facilitators (PLFs) will work with you during any stage of the writing process. They will help you discover, explore, and expand your ideas and suggest different writing strategies.
- American Culture & Conversation ProgramThe Dashew International Center offers an 8-week American Culture & Conversation (AC&C) Program for international students and scholars.
UCLA Living
Here are a few resources to help you deal with day-to-day life and make the most of your registration fees and student privileges.
Health and Wellness
- Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness CenterLearn about student healthcare, nutrition, and workshops focusing on a variety of topics including dieting, meal planning, exercise, relaxation techniques, and dealing with stress, procrastination, conflict, and relationships.
- UCLA Counseling and Psychological ServicesUCLA Counseling and Psychological Services offers individual and group therapy, psychiatric services, and 24-hour phone counseling.
- UCLA Recreation CenterWhy pay for a gym membership when your Bruin Card will get you into the Wooden Center for free? Learn more about the Wooden Center, classes, workshops, and more UCLA recreational facilities on the UCLA Recreation web site. Some classes require a fee.
Other UCLA Resources
- UCLA Computer LabsThere are numerous computer labs on campus that provide UCLA students access to the latest computer equipment and software. Visit the UCLA Campus Computer Labs web site to see which labs you have access to (some labs are department/discipline specific) and the available equipment and software.
- Office of the Dean of StudentsProvides many resources to help students accomplish their goals and achieve academic success at UCLA.
- Office for Students with DisabilitiesLearn about the variety of services and resources available to students with disabilities.
- LibraryNeed your class readings or just want something interesting to read? Check out the library before you spend your cash. The library is also a great place to take a break from roommates, TVs, phones, and other distractions.
- Student Organizations, Leadership & EngagementLooking to join a student club or want to get more involved in the community? Here's the place to start.
UCLA Library Help
- Research HelpAsk a question in-person, by telephone, by email, or live online. The Ask a Librarian system will allow you to chat with a librarian online, 24/7. The librarian can answer quick questions, send you web pages, and guide you through searches. You don't even have to go to the library or pick up a telephone to ask a question. Try it!
Books to Know About
Writing
General Academic Success
Citation Styles
The moment you are asked to cite, take a look at your assignment to see if a specific citation style is indicated. This information must be known before you can properly cite your work. As with any citation system, using it correctly protects you from accusations of plagiarism. Common citation styles include MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style. Use the tabs above to learn more.
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is widely used in the humanities, especially in writing on language and literature. It provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages. If you are asked to use MLA format, you can access the online companion (style.mla.org) or consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (8th edition), which can be found in the UCLA Library catalog:
MLA Handbook (8th ed.) by Call Number: REF LB 3259 M52 2021ISBN: 9781603293518The Modern Language Association, the authority on research and writing, takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. Works are published today in a dizzying range of formats. A book, for example, may be read in print, online, or as an e-book--or perhaps listened to in an audio version. On the Web, modes of publication are regularly invented, combined, and modified. Previous editions of the MLA Handbook provided separate instructions for each format, and additional instructions were required for new formats. In this groundbreaking new edition of its best-selling handbook, the MLA recommends instead one universal set of guidelines, which writers can apply to any type of source. Shorter and redesigned for easy use, the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook guides writers through the principles behind evaluating sources for their research. It then shows them how to cite sources in their writing and create useful entries for the works-cited list. More than just a new edition, this is a new MLA style.
APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 7th edition of the APA Manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: The Official Guide to APA Style, 7th ed., 2020.ISBN: 9781433832154Click title above for details, call number, and library location(s)
In addition to providing guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, and APA style, this manual offers an authoritative reference and citation system. It also covers the treatment of numbers, statistical and mathematical data, tables, and figures.
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage, and documentation.
There are two main styles:
- The Notes-Bibliography System (NB), which is used by those in literature, history, and the arts.
- The Chicago NB system is most often used in history and is often used in the humanities and provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through footnote or endnote citation in their writing and through bibliography pages.
- As with any citation stystem using it correctly protects the writer from accusations of plagiarism. As mentioned earlier in this guide proper citation builds credibility to the paper by demonstrating accountability to source material.
- Sample Paper in Notes-Bibliography (from Purdue OWL)
- The Author-Date System, which is preferred in the sciences.
- In the Author-Date System each citation consists of two parts: the text citations, which provides brief identifying information within the text, and the reference list (list of sources used) which provides full bibliographic information.
- Descriptions for Style Guides (APA). Russell, T., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderland, L., & Brizee, A. (2010, August 1, 2010). General format. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/
- Sample Paper in Author-Date (from Purdue OWL)
- If you are asked to use the CMS, be sure to consult the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, which can be found online or in print via the UCLA Library catalog. The online resource provides a quick guide for both the notes-bibliography system and the author-date system.