When to Cite
Here are some sources of information on when to cite sources in your writing:
- Citing Sources (Using English for Academic Purposes): http://www.uefap.com/writing/citation/citing.htm
- Purdue OWL: Avoiding Plagiarism: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/03/
- Purdue OWL: Work Discussed in a Secondary Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/09/
- Warning: When You Must Cite (Yale College): http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/advice-students/using-sources/understanding-and-avoiding-plagiarism/warning-when-you-must-cite
How to Cite—Style Guidelines
There are several sets of rules for writing (e.g., <http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/browse-topics/citation-guides-and-style-manuals/scholarly-and-professional-style-manuals>), including the use of style guidelines which may vary by discipline or for journal, conference or other purposes. Some of the most commonly used style guidelines are:
- American Psychological Association (APA) Style: <http://www.apastyle.org/> (And the APA Style Blog is available at http://blog.apastyle.org/. Also see the following links for information on how to cite a source that you found in another source, from the APA Publication Manual: <http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/cite-another-source.aspx>. The APA Publicaiton Manual website is located here: <http://www.apastyle.org/manual/index.aspx>). For special cases, see below:
- Information on how to cite secondary (indirect) sources is available at <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/03/>.
- Information on how to cite various electronic sources (Web publications) is available at: <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/>.
- Information on how to cite Internet images (pictures, photos, etc.) in APA style may be found here: <http://www.ehow.com/how_8390839_cite-internet-images-apa-style.html>.
- Information on how to cite PDFs (portable document files, such as ebooks, online journal articles or other content in this format) may be found here: http://www.wikihow.com/Cite-a-PDF.
- How to Cite Something You Found on a Website in APA Style: how-to-cite-something-you-found-on-a-website-in-apa-style—table-1
- Chicago Manual of Style: <http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html>
- Citing Google Earth: <https://sites.google.com/a/tas.tw/mscitation/how/ge>
- Council of Science Editors Style: <http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1>. For special cases, see below:
- Indexing the Names of Authors from Spanish- and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Council of Science Editors): Indexing the Names of Authors from Spanish- and Portuguese-Speaking Countries
- Harvard System: <http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm>
- Modern Language Association Style: <http://www.mla.org/>
- Turabian Style: <http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html>
- Vancouver System: <http://www2.le.ac.uk/library/help/citing/vancouver-numbered-system/vancouver-numbered-system>
The American Psychological Association (APA) style consists of rules developed for use in the social and behavioral sciences. The Modern Language Association of America (MLA) employs a different style. Two other styles that are widely used in academic writing are nearly the same except for a few minor differences. These are Turabian (from Kate Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations) and The Chicago Manual of Style (abbreviated as CMOS, CMS or simply Chicago, and used for publishing in general). These are combined as “Chicago/Turabian” in NoodleTools. The Council of Science Editors (CSE) style (formerly the Council of Biology Editors [CBE] style) are used in scientific writing.
Electronic Assistance with Citations—Bibliographic Citation Generators
Several automatic bibliographic citation generators are available online, either for free or with some cost attached. NoodleTools offers a subscription-based service as well as a free version, called NoodleBib Express. Three styles are available: MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association) and Chicago/Turabian style. The SourceAid Citation Builder includes these styles as well as CSE/CBE (Council of Science Editors/Council of Biology Editors) style. BibMe is a free citation generator that includes a reference search function, autofill capabilities and downloadable results but requires creation of an account for full features such as including annotations. Additional helpful information on style guidelines is available from the California State University at Los Angeles, Landmark College (which includes how to cite images using APA style) and the Myrin Virtual Library (which includes how to cite poster sessions as does the following link: http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocAPAReferences_Conf.html). SourceAid includes a citation generator called Citation Builder that includes APA, CMS, CSE and MLA styles.
For an introduction to journal-style scientific writing, click here: <http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWgeneral.html>.
For guidelines for style in scientific writing, click here: <http://sportsci.org/jour/9901/wghstyle.html#numbers>.
For an example of a journal-specific guide to authors, click here to see what the journal Nature requires of authors who wish to submit papers on climate change.
Other useful resources such as bibliographic styles that may be downloaded and used with Microsoft Word may be obtained from BibWord at: <http://bibword.codeplex.com/>.
Here is a concise guide to citing materials using the Council of Science Editors (CSE) style: citecse.
