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Citation Style Guide: Home

Covers four of the most prominent style guides, including citation examples, that can be used for writing papers and completing assignments.

About Citation Styles

There are quite a few citation styles out there and they vary by the research discipline, sometimes even within the same discipline.

In general, you will use:

APA for Psychology, Education & Social Sciences

MLA for Literature, Arts & the Humanities

Chicago/Turabian for History, some Humanities & some Science Disciplines

This guide includes information on several of the most commonly used citation styles. If you are not sure which citation style to use for a course, ask your professor.

Citation Basics

For every paper or project you complete at SU, you will need to include a 'works cited' page or a bibliography (a list of resources that informed your thinking on the topic). 

Every source you use MUST be cited...books, articles, websites, graphics, charts, audio files, video clips, etc.

Every time you use someone else's words, or artwork, or even ideas, you MUST give them credit as the authors or creators (intellectual property owners).

Citing sources properly is the norm for all legitimate researchers.  When you cite your sources, it shows anyone who reads your work that you took the time to become informed about the topic, if provides related materials that others may use to become informed and it lends credibility and authority to your research paper or project!


If you do not cite your sources, you may be accused of plagiarism.  SU instructors employ the plagiarism detection software Turnitin, often requiring students to submit their own papers.

Recommended Guides

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