A Guide on Different Citation Styles and Their Use

What is a Citation Style?

A citation style is a set of rules and guidelines used to format references in academic writing. These rules dictate how to credit the sources you use in your work, ensuring that authors and creators are properly acknowledged for their contributions.

Citation styles guide the order of information, punctuation, and inclusion of details like publication dates or page numbers in references.

Citation styles serve several important purposes:

• Avoiding Plagiarism: A citation style helps you credit original authors, preventing plagiarism by clearly distinguishing your ideas from others' work.
• Providing Consistency: Using a uniform citation style ensures all references are consistent, making it easier for readers to follow and verify your sources.
• Supporting Credibility: Correct citations show that your work is well-researched and credible, strengthening the trustworthiness of your writing.

Different citation styles are preferred by various academic disciplines and publications.

Types Of Citation Styles

When it comes to citing sources in academic writing, different disciplines and publication formats prefer different citation styles. These styles can generally be categorized into three main types:

Parenthetical Citation Styles

Parenthetical citation styles are characterized by the use of in-text citations enclosed in parentheses.

These citations typically include the author's last name, the publication year, and sometimes the page number where the information can be found. This format allows readers to quickly locate the source within the text without interrupting the flow of the writing.

Note Citation Styles

Note citation styles involve placing citations in footnotes or endnotes rather than within the text.

These styles are often used in disciplines that require detailed source information, such as history, theology, and the arts. The notes can include full bibliographic details or just a brief citation, depending on the style.

Numerical Citation Styles

Numerical citation styles are characterized by the use of numbers to indicate citations in the text.

These numbers correspond to a numbered list of references at the end of the document. This method is often used in scientific and technical fields, where the focus is more on the content than the authorship or publication date.

Commonly Used Citation Styles

There are several different citation styles that you may need to use in your academic or professional writing. The most common ones are:

• American Psychological Association (APA) style
• Modern Language Association (MLA) style
• Chicago/Turabian style
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• American Sociological Association (ASA)
• Harvard Citation
• Oxford Style Citation
• AMA Style (American Medical Association)

Let’s discuss all of these citation styles one by one.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

American Psychological Association (APA) style is the most commonly used format for social science papers. APA citation style requires authors to include citations both within the text of their work as well as at the end of their document in a reference list.

Citations in APA format require authors' names, publication year, title of source, publisher information, and URL if available. For example, a book citation would look like this:

Last name, Initials. (Year). Title of chapter. In Editor initials. Last name (Ed. or Eds.), Book title (pp. page range). Publisher. DOI if available.

Writing a research paper in APA? Learn how to format research papers in APA style with our guide.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style

The Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style is most commonly used for humanities papers such as literature reviews and critical essays. Established originally in 1985, the citation style MLA has been adapted by many universities and institutions as the standard for formatting papers since then.

MLA follows similar in-text citation guidelines as APA, but it lists sources on the Works Cited page in order of publication date, from earliest to latest.

Citations must include authors' names, publication year, title of source, publisher information if necessary, and URL if available.

A book citation would look like this:

Author last name, First name. “Title of Chapter or Work.” Book Title, edited by Editor name, Publisher, Year, pp. Page range.

Need to format paper in MLA? View this guide on formatting research papers in MLA style!

Chicago/Turabian Style

The third most common citation style is Chicago style. This style uses footnotes and bibliographies instead of citations and reference pages like other styles do.

This citation style is mainly used for history papers; however it can also be used for many other types of works such as legal documents and business reports. This is a citation style with footnotes and doesn’t require a reference page at the end of the document like APA or MLA do.

Citations must include author’s name(s), publication year(s), title(s), publication information (if applicable), city of publication (if applicable), publisher’s name (if applicable), URL (if applicable).

A book citation using this style would look like this:

Author first name last name, Title of Book (Place of publication: publisher, year), page number(s).

Check out this in-depth guide on how to format research papers in Chicago style.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) citation style is most commonly used for engineering and computer science papers, as well as a number of other disciplines.

It is based on the American Psychological Association (APA) style and contains some similarities to the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. This citation system uses parenthetical in-text citations as well as a reference page at the end of the document.

Citations must include authors' names, publication year, title of source, publisher information, and URL if applicable. For example, a book citation would look like this:

Author(s) Initial(s). Surname(s), Title of the E-book, ed. City of Publisher, (U.S. State or Country if the City is not ‘well known’): Publisher, Year of Publication, pp.

American Sociological Association (ASA)

The American Sociological Association (ASA) citation style is most commonly used for sociology papers and other social sciences, such as political science and economics. ASA was created in 1937 to facilitate communication among sociological researchers, and since then it has become the dominant style for papers in the discipline.

It follows similar guidelines to APA regarding in-text citations and references, but it has a few key differences.

Citations must include authors' names, publication year, title of source, publisher information if necessary, and URL if available. An example of a book citation using ASA style would look like this:

Author's last name, First name. Year of publication. Title of book (italicized). Place of publication: publisher.

Harvard Citation

The Harvard Citation style is an author-date style of referencing. It is one of the most commonly used citation styles in academic writing and it has been adopted by numerous universities, scholarly societies, and publications.

This style uses parenthetical references within the body of the document to cite sources, as well as a reference list at the end. Citations must include author’s name, year of publication, title of source and URL if available.

An example of a book citation using Harvard style would look like this:

Book title. Series title, Volume number. Edition (if not first edition). Place of publication: Publisher.

Oxford Style Citation

The Oxford citation style is a form of author-date referencing, which is used primarily for scholarly and student research papers. This style uses parenthetical citations within the body of the document to cite sources, as well as a reference list at the end. Citations must include author’s name, year of publication, title of source, publisher information and URL if available.

A book citation using Oxford style would look like this:

Author, Title of Book in Italics: Subtitle in Italics, edition number, Place of Publication, Publisher, year, page number.

AMA Style (American Medical Association)

The American Medical Association (AMA) citation style is a form of author-date referencing, most commonly used for medical and scientific papers. It is based on the American Psychological Association (APA) style, but there are some key differences between the two.

This citation system uses parenthetical in-text citations as well as a reference page at the end of the document.

Citations must include authors' names, publication year, title of source, publisher information if necessary and URL if applicable. An example of a book citation using AMA style would look like this:

Author(s). Book Title. Edition number (if it is the second edition or above). Publisher's name; copyright year.

Which Citation Style Should You Use?

Choosing the right citation style for your paper is important. For instance, a common debate is APA vs MLA.

However, different academic disciplines have established preferred citation styles that are widely accepted within the field. Here’s a breakdown of some common disciplines and their associated citation styles:

Understanding different citation styles is crucial for correctly formatting your citations according to your professor's or editor's requirements.

Now that you know the basics of different citation styles, you can confidently apply them to your academic work. Knowing APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard, or IEEE helps you cite sources correctly and enhance your writing’s reliability.

If you’re still unsure or need extra help, our college paper writer is here for you. We can assist with formatting your citations and making sure your work meets the required standards. Feel free to reach out for professional support to make your writing process easier.