SJLibrary.org, a collaboration of San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library system.

Citing & Writing

• a citation gives basic descriptive information about an article, book or other document
• it should include enough information to allow anyone to track down the same source
• you can even cite telephone or personal conversations, speeches, etc.

 
Why Cite Sources?

• to avoid plagiarism
• to back up your argument or conclusions
• to allow other interested parties to track down the same sources

Know How to Read Citations

• misinterpreting a citation may keep you from finding an item you really need
• common citations are to whole books, chapters in books, or articles in periodicals

• show you how to cite your sources consistently
• show you how to include all the necessary information for different types of sources
• your teacher may recommend or require a specific one
• many standard style manuals are kept in King Library Reference

 
Style Manuals by Subject

• Research and Documentation Online by Diana Hacker includes sample papers using the "big four" of style manuals -- APA, MLA, Chicago and CBE.
• List of Style Manuals by discipline (Biology to Social Work) includes some less commonly-used style manuals.
• Melvin E. Page's "a brief citation guide for internet sources in history and the humanities" is a useful guide, although it hasn't been updated recently.
• Citing Government Documents (from Arizona State University)

Web Resources on Style Manuals -- by Title

General Sites Covering Multiple Style Manuals

• Guide to Citation Style Guides by Karla Tonella of the University of Iowa is nicely annotated and covers many different styles.
• Citation Style for Research Papers From Long Island University covers APA, Turabian, MLA, Chicago, AMA.
• On-line Resources for Documenting Electronic Sources from OWL "contains links to sources which will help students, teachers, and anybody doing research on the Internet to cite such sources using different styles."

AMA (American Medical Association)

• AMA Citation Style Clear, brief examples of how to cite basic types of sources (from Long Island University Library)

APA (American Psychological Association)

• APA Style.org gives the official word on the subject.
• APA Interactive Tutorial Teach yourself APA in some depth. Particularly good for learning how to cite electronic sources.
• APA Citation Style Clear, brief examples of how to cite basic types of sources (from Long Island University Library)
• APA Research Style Crib Sheet is a concise guide to using the style of the American Psychological Association in writing research papers. It is based on the current fifth edition of the APA Publication Manual. The latest version is at www.docstyles.com. The Crib Sheet is routinely updated; it is the product of many contributors. This version was revised in Fall 2006 by Dr. Abel Scribe PhD. Doc Scribe is not affiliated in any way with the APA – this style sheet is free! Freeware Copyright 2006 by Dr. Abel Scribe PhD.

Chicago Manual of Style

• Chicago Citation Style Clear, brief examples of how to cite basic types of sources (from Long Island University Library)
• Chicago Manual of Style FAQ, in which "the manuscript editors of the University of Chicago Press interpret the Manual’s recommendations and uncoil its intricacies. Questions and answers are grouped by keywords."
• Chicago Manual of Style for Internet sources.
• Chicago/Turabian Documentation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

MLA (Modern Language Association)

• MLA Citation Style Clear, brief examples of how to cite basic types of sources (from Long Island University Library)
• MLA Citing Source from Web How do I document sources from the Web in my works-cited list?
• Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format.

Turabian (based on Chicago, above)

• Turabian Citation Style Clear, brief examples of how to cite basic types of sources (from Long Island University Library)
• Turabian Citation Format and Style Guide from Bucknell University is a 12-page PDF file on using Turabian.
• Chicago/Turabian Documentation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Turabian: from "A Brief Citation Guide for Internet Sources in History and the Humanities" by Melvin E. Page

• OWL Handouts. Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) is one of the best resources on the Internet for writers.
  • Be sure to check out the Research and Documenting Sources section.
  • To see all their offerings, go to their main Home Page.
• Guide to Grammar and Writing by Professor Charles Darling of Capital Community Technical College (Hartford, CT) is an extensive web site explaining the mysteries of grammar. Click on the index to find explanations of a thesis statement or rules for abbreviations, capitalization, and many more topics
• American Heritage® Book of English Usage (1996) includes grammar, style, diction, word formation, gender, social groups and scientific forms.
• Elements of Style. This 1918 classic by William Strunk Jr. (later Strunk and White) is packed with useful information on writing.