Why Cite?
Why Cite?
Consulting the ideas of others is at the heart of learning and scholarship. Citing them is a critical part of academic honesty. Regardless of the format and type of work, be it cartoons, artwork, prose, poetry, photography, statistical data, or Web site, give attribution to the creator/author and cite the source.
Learn how to Avoid Plagiarism (Le Moyne College Academic Integrity Tutorial)
Citation Styles
So... what is a citation style? When you reference an article, book, report, website, etc. in your paper, you need to do it clearly and completely enough that your reader (probably the professor or TA of your class) can find it in case they need to check your work or clarify a point. A citation style is just a set of rules about what information to include and how to format it for consistency.
How citation styles are formatted is actually quite arbitrary. There's not really one approach that's better than another, provided it satisfies the main criteria of providing enough information that your reader can find the document they are looking for. Different citation styles are used depending on the academic discipline involved. Also keep in mind that instructor requirements can differ; they might have their own favorite and expect you to use it. Carefully follow your instructor's directions and remember to be consistent.
It's picky, yes, but following the rules of a given citation style makes your references more consistent and readable.
The Library has put together a list of some resources for learning more about citation styles used in writing assignments on campus:
- ACS - American Chemical Society – used extensively in chemistry.
- AMA - American Medical Association – used in medicine.
- APA - American Psychological Association – used in psychology, education, nursing, occupational therapy, and the social sciences.
- ASA - American Sociological Association – used in sociology.
- Biology Style Guides - used in the life sciences.
- Chicago Manual of Style – used in history, business and some of the fine arts.
- CSE - Council of Science Editors – used in the sciences, especially the biological and life sciences.
- A Handbook For Historians – used with the Chicago style in history at Le Moyne.
- Legal Citation Style - The Bluebook – used in business law.
- MLA - Modern Language Association – used in the humanities disciplines of languages, literatures, and the arts.