This tutorial is an introduction to citing sources, including citation information, formatting citations, and citation styles. Citations are a way to acknowledge when you use someone else’s words or ideas. Using someone else’s words or ideas without including a citation is a form of plagiarism, and can be considered academic misconduct.

Citation Information

While each citation style is a little bit different—from how the author’s name is represented, to where the date of publication appears—most citations will include the following information:

• Author(s)
• Title
• Journal name (if an article) or book title (if a chapter in an edited book)
• Volume and issue number (if a journal article) or edition (if a book in a series)
• Date of publication
• URL, permalink, or DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

Some citation styles will require additional information, such as the date you accessed the material, or the name of the publisher, so it’s a good idea to gather as much information as you can, just in case.

Formatting Sources

With so many citation styles, it can be challenging to remember what goes where (including all those commas and periods). To help you, the Libraries provide support for several citation managers that can make creating citations and reference lists, and switching from one style to another, much easier. Check out these resources to get started:

• Explore citation managers supported by the Libraries
• Not sure which one to choose? Check out the citation manager comparison chart
• Consult The Writer’s Handbook from UW-Madison’s Writing Center
• The Writing Center also offers documentation for many of the citation styles listed above

Want to learn more about citing sources? Check out the Introduction to Plagiarism tutorial.

Citation Styles

There are many different citation styles! Each discipline tends to use one or two citation styles, though it can vary. The most popular citation styles are:

American Psychological Association (APA)

• Purdue OWL APA Style Guide
• Used in the social sciences, including Psychology, Business, and Education

Modern Language Association (MLA)

• Purdue OWL MLA Style Guide
• Used in the humanities, including English Literature, Film, and Linguistics

Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago)

• Purdue OWL Chicago Style Guide
• Used in a variety of disciplines, including Art, Economics, and History

There are also citation styles that are designed for specific disciplines, such as:

Council of Science Editors (CSE)

• CSE Style Quick Guide
• Used in Biology

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

• Purdue OWL IEEE Style Guide
• Used in Engineering

AP Style

• Associated Press Stylebook (AP)
• Used in Journalism

For more resources, check out the UW-Madison Writing Center’s Writer’s Handbook. These are just general guidelines, and some disciplines and courses will choose different styles from those listed above. If you’re not sure which citation style to choose, ask your instructor.