The Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (2024)

Skip to Main Content

EnglishFrançais

The Learning Portal - College Libraries Ontario

  1. Portal Home
  2. Citation Styles

The Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (1)A citation style is a set of rules that specifies the format and content of a citation. Each style outlines a set of rules for authors to follow.Adherence to the rules is required to make a correct citation. Most academic disciplines have a preferred style, but the style you should use is usuallyspecified by theinstructor or noted in the assignment guidelines.

Tips

  • Check with your InstructorThe Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (2)Your instructor will almost always tellyou the citation style you should use. Ask your instructor or check your assignment instructions to confirmthe required citation style.
  • Don't get mixed up!The Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (3)Don't use more than one citation stylein a single assignment. Always remain consistent with the style that you are using. The only exception to this rule is if your instructor would like you to practice a local variantof the style.
  • Choose a Trusted Style GuideThe Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (4)Every citation style is based on a set of rules outlined in a published manual. Many colleges have created online versions of these guides. Getting familiar with these guides will increase your efficiency when citing your sources.

Which Style Should You Use?

  • APA
  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • Legal
  • The Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (5)Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association

    ISBN: 9781433832161

    Publication Date: 2019-10-01

    The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields.

APA is oftenused in the following disciplines:

  • The Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (6)MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America

    ISBN: 9781603293518

    Publication Date: 2021-04-22

    Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA’s unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements—facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date—that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today.

MLA is oftenused in the following disciplines:

  • English
  • Literature
  • Communications

Chicago is oftenused in the following disciplines:

  • History
  • Philosophy
  • Anthropology
  • The Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (8)Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation by McGill Law Journal

    ISBN: 9780779899531

    Publication Date: 2023-05-26

    Written for all law students and legal academics, “the McGill Guide” is the official standard for citation in Canada and is considered authoritative in many other Commonwealth jurisdictions. The Guide's straightforward and comprehensive approach has established it as an important tool for legal research and writing. Now in its 10th edition, the Guide provides a straightforward, uniform approach to citation of government documents, case law, legislation, periodicals, monographs and other secondary materials across all jurisdictions.

Canadian Uniform Legal Citationis oftenused in the following discipline:

  • Law and Legal studies

Citation Terminology

All major citation styles are comprised of a briefin-text citation, as well as a detailed listof cited sources at the end of the document; however, the method varies by citation style.

Terminology Comparison

The chart below outlines the terminology used by each citation style. Remember to consult the citation style guide to check for any exceptions.

Citation StyleIn-Text CitationList of Citations
APAParenthetical CitationReferences
MLAParentheticalCitationWorks Cited
ChicagoFootnotesBibliography
LegalFootnotesBibliography

Purdue OWL provides the following sample papers, formatted according to various styles:

Brief In-Text Citation Styles

Parenthetical citations require you to place the necessary citation components into parentheses. For example: (Freud, 1930).

Footnotes require the use of numeric footnotes, which direct readers to the footer of the document. The footer contains the necessary citation components. For example, Schama3.

Detailed Source List Styles

Reference Lists, Works Cited pages, and Bibliographies are all alphabetical lists of the sources used within a paper.

| Site Map | Contact Us

Note: This material is meant as a general guide, if your professor's instructions differ from the information we've provided, always follow your professor's instructions. Also note, icons on this site are used through a Noun Project Pro license. Please be sure to provide proper attribution if you reuse them.

  • Last Updated: May 5, 2024 8:35 PM
  • URL: https://tlp-lpa.ca/research
  • Print Page

Report a problem.

The Learning Portal: Citation & Research: Citation Styles (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Golda Nolan II

Last Updated:

Views: 5544

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (78 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Golda Nolan II

Birthday: 1998-05-14

Address: Suite 369 9754 Roberts Pines, West Benitaburgh, NM 69180-7958

Phone: +522993866487

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Worldbuilding, Shopping, Quilting, Cooking, Homebrewing, Leather crafting, Pet

Introduction: My name is Golda Nolan II, I am a thoughtful, clever, cute, jolly, brave, powerful, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.