FAQ: What citation style should I use?

First, it's important that you use the citation style required by your assignment or professor (your syllabus or assignment guidelines/description should list the required citation style but if not, ask your professor).

If you are permitted to choose a citation style to use, it may be easiest to choose one of the most common citation styles. Below is a brief overview of the three most common citation styles (APA, MLA, and Chicago).

Common Citation Styles

APA

APA Style, currently in its 7th edition, is a citation protocol established by the American Psychological Association.  APA is most often used in the disciplines of the social sciences, nursing, and business. It includes:

• the format & structure of your paper
• how you cite other authors within the body of your paper
• how you compile a references page at the end of your paper

For more information about APA Style, check out the FAQ How do I cite sources in APA style?.

MLA

MLA Style, currently in its 9th edition, is a citation protocol established by the Modern Language Association.  MLA is most often used in the disciplines of the humanities, literature, foreign language and cultural studies. It includes:

• the format & page layout of your paper
• stylistic technicalities (e.g. abbreviations, footnotes, quotations)
• how you cite other authors within the body of your paper
• how you compile a references page at the end of your paper

For more information about MLA Style, check out the FAQ How do I cite sources in MLA style?.

Chicago

Chicago Style, currently in its 18th edition, is a citation protocol established by the University of Chicago.  Chicago Style is most often used in the disciplines of history and religion. It includes:

• instruction for manuscript preparation and publication
• guidelines for style, grammar and usage
• rules for documenting your sources in-text including the Notes-Bibliography System (NB) and the Author-Date System
• guidelines for a Bibliography at the end of your paper

For more information about Chicago Style, check out the FAQ How do I cite sources in Chicago style?.

Citation Styles & Fields of Study or Profession

You may also want to choose a citation style based on the field of study you are working in. Here is a brief list of some major disciplines and the citation styles most commonly associated with them:

Further Help

Campus Students

To access academic support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

Online Students

To access help with citation and more, visit Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

• The Complete Guide to Using Academic Support via Brightspace This link opens in a new window
• Accessing Writing STEM Help This link opens in a new window