Education Librarian
Citation Styles and Research Management
Why We Cite
Citation is an essential part of research. Not only does it give credit to the authors whose work informs your own, but it also allows other researchers to understand your research in the broader context of your topic, follow how you came to your own conclusions, and explore these works further on their own.
Citation + Format Styles
There are many citation styles that prescribe how to format both your citations and your research product. Below, we highlight three of the most common - APA, MLA, and Chicago.
In Education, we most often use APA Style, although different instructors and publishers may require a different style.
Research Management
We also share a few citation management softwares that can be used to create and organize your citations and build bibliographies. These tools go beyond citation to help you generally manage your research.
Citation and Format Styles
APA Style is a popular format choice for researchers and authors in the social sciences and education. The official resource guiding APA Style is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Often referred to simply as the Publication Manual or the APA Manual, this text covers both citation structure, including in-text and reference list citations, as well as style and grammar standards, such as how to write out numbers, punctuation, and paper headings.
The Publication Manual at the UCLA Library
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. The Publication Manual covers citation structure, standards, and samples. It also covers paper elements and format, including sample papers for both professional authors and student writers.
Call Number: BF76.7 .P83 2020ISBN: 9781433832154Date: 2020
Online APA Resources
APA Style
The official website for APA Style. Resources include various instructional aids (e.g. tutorials and webinars, handouts and guides, and sample papers), as well as detailed overviews of APA style and grammar guidelines. In addition, the APA Style Blog offers guidance on a variety of unique and specific circumstances surrounding the use of APA.
Purdue OWL APA Style
The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University. A very helpful APA Formatting and Style Guide breaks down how to create citations for a variety of source types and gives many examples. In 2019, Purdue OWL partnered with a for-profit company, Chegg. This means you will get ads. I recommend an ad blocker to enhance your experience while using Purdue OWL.
UCLA Writing Centers
The UCLA Undergraduate Writing Center and UCLA Graduate Writing Center offer a variety of services in support of your writing. There are many handouts and workshops available for your reference on their websites, and you can schedule online appointments with their writing consultants for support with synthesizing information, paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism, citation and format, and so much more.
MLA Style is a popular format choice for researchers and authors in the humanities. The official resource guiding MLA Style is the MLA Handbook by the Modern Language Association of America.
This text covers both citation structure, including in-text and reference list citations, as well as style and grammar standards, such as how to write out numbers, punctuation, and paper headings.
The MLA Handbook at the UCLA Library
MLA Handbook by
The ninth edition works as both a textbook and a reference guide. Focusing on source evaluation, it features a wealth of visual examples and updated advice on punctuation and grammar, footnotes and endnotes, annotated bibliographies, and paper formatting.
Call Number: LB2369 .M52 2021ISBN: 9781603293518Date: 2021-05-30
Online MLA Resources
MLA Style
The official website for MLA Style. Resources include the MLA Style Center with guidance on citing sources and writing and research. In addition, you can visit Ask the MLA to search frequently asked questions about unique and specific circumstances surrounding the use of MLA.
Purdue OWL MLA Style
The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University. A very helpful MLA Formatting and Style Guide breaks down how to create citations for a variety of source types and gives many examples. In 2019, Purdue OWL partnered with a for-profit company, Chegg. This means you will get ads. I recommend an ad blocker to enhance your experience while using Purdue OWL.
UCLA Writing Centers
The UCLA Undergraduate Writing Center and UCLA Graduate Writing Center offer a variety of services in support of your writing. There are many handouts and workshops available for your reference on their websites, and you can schedule online appointments with their writing consultants for support with synthesizing information, paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism, citation and format, and so much more.
Chicago Style is a popular format choice for researchers and authors in the areas of literature, history, and the arts. The official resource guiding Chicago Style is the The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) by The University of Chicago.
This text covers both citation structure, including in-text and reference list citations, as well as style and grammar standards, such as how to write out numbers, punctuation, and paper headings.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition by
This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords.
Call Number: Z253 .U69 2017ISBN: 9780226287058Date: 2017-09-05
Online Chicago Resources
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) Online
The official website for Chicago Style. Resources include a Citation Quick Guide, Q&A, and Video Tutorials. In addition, you can visit the CMOS Shop Talk Blog to learn more about unique and specific circumstances surrounding the use of Chicago Style.
Purdue OWL Chicago Style
The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University. A very helpful Chicago Formatting and Style Guide breaks down how to create citations for a variety of source types and gives many examples. In 2019, Purdue OWL partnered with a for-profit company, Chegg. This means you will get ads. I recommend an ad blocker to enhance your experience while using Purdue OWL.
UCLA Writing Centers
The UCLA Undergraduate Writing Center and UCLA Graduate Writing Center offer a variety of services in support of your writing. There are many handouts and workshops available for your reference on their websites, and you can schedule online appointments with their writing consultants for support with synthesizing information, paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism, citation and format, and so much more.
While APA, MLA, and Chicago are the most popular citation and format styles, there are several others that either build off of these three or are more specialized for a specific area of research. Exactly which style you will use depends on a variety of factors.
If you are working on a research product for a class, confirm with your instructor if they have a preferred style. Similarly, if you are submitting your research for publication, confirm which style your publisher requires you to use.
Occasionally, your instructor or publisher may prefer an older edition of a style or a modified version of a common style.
If you are allowed to choose, go with the style most commonly used in your disciplinary area (tip: which citation style do articles on your topic use?). Still not sure, connect with your librarian or the writing center!
Research Management
What exactly is research management, and why do we engage in it?
For me, research management is a process of identifying, collecting, organizing, processing, and sharing research. This can include data sets, articles, book chapters, websites, social media posts, images, and so much more. This is why research management is so important! It saves you time by collecting all of your research in one place and makes it easier to share citations and publications with others.
Zotero
Zotero is a citation or research management software that makes it easy yo save, organize, process, and share your research. It is one of my favorites because it is free, has a lot of built-in functionality, and is fairly user-friendly. It is a popular choice for researchers in the humanities and social sciences. I have personally used Zotero for years and recommend it to my colleagues and students.
In the video below, discover how to use Zotero for managing your research - from setting up the browser extension to adding items, writing notes and tags, and creating citations, Zotero is "your personal research assistant!"