How to Choose a Citation Style
Citation styles are different, so you need to know how to cite your sources properly in an academic paper to avoid plagiarism. The difficulty of proper use of any citation style lies in different sets of rules and their application. You should always consult your academic supervisor and reliable online handbooks on styles to avoid mistakes. There, you will see concise explanations and examples.
You may already know about such popular citation styles as MLA, APA, or Chicago, but there are many others that are used specifically in certain fields of study. We have compiled the descriptions of the main citation styles here for your convenience.
Basic Differences in Citation Styles
The rules of citation styles refer to in-text citations, reference lists, and even paper formatting. The differences may be minor, so it is important to understand properly where and how to use them.
In-text Citations
You use it in two ways - quoting and paraphrasing. However, you need to add the citation to the text as well to avoid plagiarism. You can cite the sources in the text in three different ways:
- Using parentheses. You copy the word-by-word text from your source and embed it in the parentheses. Then, you indicate the author’s name, a publication date, or a page number where the quote is taken from.
- Notes. You reference the quote in footnotes or endnotes.
- Numbering sources (numeric citation). The sources in the reference list at the end of the paper have numbers. You use these numbers in the text to refer to the source.
Entries to Reference Lists
Reference lists are usually placed at the end of the paper. They contain all the sources you cited in your paper or even those you used during your research. The style of the entries here should correspond exactly to the style of in-text citations.
The titles of these reference lists are different according to the style. For example, APA uses Reference Page, MLA has Works Cited, and Chicago A prefers Bibliography.
The differences can also be seen in the information order and entry formatting. The format can depend on the type of source - a book, a journal article, or a website. If you want to save time and avoid mistakes in your reference list, it is recommended to use online citation generators.
Formats
Formatting is not mandatory for all citation styles, but it is important for some of them. In this case, you need to have a thorough look at the style guidelines for the cover page, spacing, margins, font sizes, and headings. The differences in formatting can also concern the ways of writing abbreviations or numbers. If there are no guidelines, opt for the clearest and most consistent format which is applicable to your field of study.
Although these rules are considered quite important by some academic institutions, they may be flexible and are not as important to observe as the rules of citation. It is always useful to check whether your citation style has established formatting rules.
Which Citation Style to Use for Your Paper?
To start with, you need to look through the requirements of your academic institution or, if you are going to publish an article in the journal, check its submission guidelines.
Journal Submissions
Remember that academic journals will always require a specific citation style from you. Some journals even have a citation style of their own. You can use some online software, such as Zotero or EndNote, to be on the safe side. These programs just select the journal you need from the list and apply the corresponding citation style of this journal to your writing. They make all the changes automatically, so you do not need to bother about whether your citation style is right or wrong.
Student Papers
You have two options here following the rules and regulations of your academic institution - you should either follow the citation style, which is accepted in your university and is mandatory, or choose individually which style you would like to use. The latter option requires your knowledge of the specific styles which are appropriate for your field of study. For example, if your paper is going to be on humanities, you are likely to opt for MLA. If your paper is on science, you can use both APA and Chicago B.
If you do not know what style to choose, it is better to talk about it with your instructor. It is important that, when you have chosen the style, you should follow its instructions throughout the entire paper.
Basic Types of Citation Styles
We are not going to cover here all the possible citation styles which you can encounter in your academic life, but just some of them which are the most widely used in academic institutions.
MLA
This style was developed by the Modern Language Association, and we already have the 8th edition of it. It is mostly used in humanities, namely in literature studies. You make parenthetical citations here by indicating the author and page number.
- ✔️ in-text citation - (Johnes and Peters 45);
- ✔️ Works Cited entry - Johnes, Andrew and Brian Peters. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Beak Carry Press, 2012
APA
This style, developed by the American Psychological Association, was initially used in psychology and social sciences. Nowadays, many other subjects use it as well. It has an author-date system of citation which may slightly differ according to the editions.
- ✔️ in-text citation - (Johnes & Peters, 2012, p. 45)
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes, A., & Peters, B. (2012). The anthology of Scottish literature: The 19th century. Beak Carry Press.
Chicago
This citation style, published in the Chicago Manual of Style, has two variations - Chicago A and Chicago B. In Chicago A, you use footnotes or endnotes for citing. It is mostly used in history and humanities. In Chicago B, the common parenthetical author-date in-text citation is applied. The style is used in sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
- ✔️ in-text citation - The book talks about … 1
- ✔️ footnote - 1 Andrew Johnes and Brian Peters, The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century (Berkeley: Beak Carry Press, 2012).
- ✔️ Bibliography entry - Johnes, Andrew and Brian Peters. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press, 2012.
- ✔️ in-text citation - (Johnes and Peters 2012, 45);
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes, Andrew and Brian Peters. 2012. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press.
Turabian
Turabian is not a separate citation style but a modification of Chicago. It also has two options - a note system and an author-date way of citing. The first option is used in humanities, and the second is usually applied to social sciences.
- 1. Note the citation
- ✔️ in-text citation - The book talks about … 1
- ✔️ footnote - 1 Andrew Johnes and Brian Peters, The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century (Berkeley: Beak Carry Press, 2012), 45.
- ✔️ subsequent footnote - 1 Johnes and Peters, The Anthology of Scottish Literature, 45.
- ✔️ Bibliography entry - Johnes, Andrew and Brian Peters. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press, 2012.
- 2. Author-date citation
- ✔️ in-text citation - (Johnes and Peters 2012, 45);
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes, Andrew and Brian Peters. 2012. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press.
Harvard
This citation style does not have strict regulations. That is why many academic institutions develop their own rules on its basis. The style is mostly used in economics, and it means the application of an author-date system which is common for other citation styles.
- ✔️ in-text citation - (Johnes and Peters, 2012, p. 45);
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes, A. and Peters, B. (2012) The anthology of Scottish literature: The 19th century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press.
Vancouver
This style is mostly used in medical subjects. It was formulated by the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors). The style implies the numeric system. The source is marked by the number in the text, and the complete information about the source can be seen in the reference list.
- ✔️ in-text citation - The book talks about … (1)
- ✔️ Bibliography entry - Johnes A, Peters B. The anthology of Scottish literature: The 19th century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press: 2012.
OSCOLA
This citation style is mostly used in law school for legal academic papers. It utilizes a note system while the full information about the source is included in footnotes and a reference list.
- ✔️ in-text citation - The book talks about … 1
- ✔️ footnote - 1 Andrew Johnes and Brian Peters, The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century (Beak Carry Press, 2012).
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes A and Peters B, The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century (Beak Carry Press, 2012)
IEEE
This citation style is mostly used in engineering, IT, and other technical studies. It was developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The style has specific guidelines for the types of sources used in technological studies only. All other sources are mostly cited in accordance with Chicago. The basis of citation is a numeric system.
- ✔️ in-text citation - The book talks about … (1).
- ✔️ Bibliography entry - A. Johnes and B. Peters, The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley, USA: Beak Carry Press, 2012.
AMA
This style is used in medical papers and based on the numeric system. The numbering is quite specific, with a page number in brackets.
- ✔️ in-text citation - The book talks about … 1 (p45)
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes A, Peters B. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley, USA: Beak Carry Press; 2012.
ACS
This citation style was developed by the American Chemical Society, and it is used mostly in Chemistry papers. It has three options for in-text citation, and the choice of one of them is relevant to the journal the paper is going to be published.
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✔️
in-text citation variations:
- footnote: The book talks about … 1
- numeric: The book talks about … (1)
- author-date: (Johnes and Peters, 2012)
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes A, Peters B. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century; Beak Carry Press: Berkeley, 2012.
NLM
The system was developed by the National Library of Medicine. It uses the numeric approach and is applied to medical papers mostly.
- ✔️ in-text citation - The book talks about … [1].
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes A, Peters B. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press; 2012.
AAA
This citation style has been developed by the American Anthropological Association and is mostly used in social studies. The style is based on Chicago, and it uses an author-date system which is well-known for its use in other styles.
- ✔️ in-text citation - (Johnes and Peters 2012, 45).
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes, Andrew, and Brian Peters 2012 The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press.
APSA
The style is created for the needs of the American Political Science Review, so it is mostly used in the field of political science featuring specific instructions for the documents issued by the US government. The style uses a common author-date system for the in-text citation.
- ✔️ in-text citation - (Johnes and Peters 2012).
- ✔️ Reference List entry - Johnes, Andrew, and Brian Peters. 2012. The Anthology of Scottish Literature: The 19th Century. Berkeley: Beak Carry Press.
Final Thoughts
This compilation of academic citation styles does not include many options and variations. By using it, though, you will be able to choose the style which is the most appropriate for your paper if you are given the choice.
Be attentive to your academic assignment. It can contain strict requirements on the citation style you need to follow. If there are no requirements, it is always better to ask your professor or scientific supervisor.