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.
Citation Generators
Use a citation machine to quickly cite a source you are using.
- ZoteroBibQuickly generate a citation and then convert it to MLA, APA, CMS, etc.
Citation Managers
Organize all your research in one place and quickly generate your bibliography. Not sure which to choose? Take a look at the Citation Managers guide to help you decide.
- ZoteroA free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources, PDFs, images, and audio and video files. See the UCLA Library's Zotero Research Guide or WI+RE's Get Started with Zotero tutorial for additional information.
- EndNote BasicThis is a free web-based citation manager that will help you collect and organize references and build your citations into a bibliography. Need to use proxy server to access off-campus. Access discontinues once you graduate.
A resource guide for using EndNote is available at: EndNote and EndNote Online - MendeleyA free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research. Used mostly in the sciences.