Welcome to the FDU Libraries' Citation Support Guide! This page contains information on what citations are, different citation styles, links to helpful books and resources, and more! Please use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate this guide.
The Libraries offer workshops on citations throughout the semester. Please view our events calendar for more information.
Note: While citation machines and managers are helpful tools, it is always best to check your citations using the official style manual to ensure a citation has been formatted correctly.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by
A WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER - The newest official release of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition includes four different formats -- spiral-bound and tabbed, paperback, hardcover, and ebook, all of which are full-color. It is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields. Known for its authoritative, easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process--from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition is an indispensable resource for students and professionals to achieve excellence in writing and make an impact with their work. The seventh edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect best practices in scholarly writing and publishing. All formats are in full color, with a new tabbed spiral version Improved ease of navigation, with many additional numbered sections to help users quickly locate answers to their questions Resources for students on writing and formatting annotated bibliographies, response papers, and other paper types as well as guidelines on citing course materials Dedicated chapter for new users of APA Style covering paper elements and format, including sample papers for both professional authors and student writers New chapter on journal article reporting standards that includes updates to reporting standards for quantitative research and the first-ever qualitative and mixed methods reporting standards in APA Style New chapter on bias-free language guidelines for writing about people with respect and inclusivity in areas including age, disability, gender, participation in research, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality More than 100 new reference examples covering periodicals, books, audiovisual media, social media, webpages and websites, and legal resources More than 40 new sample tables and figures Expanded guidance on ethical writing and publishing practices, including how to ensure the appropriate level of citation, avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism, and navigate the publication process Guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options
MLA Handbook by
Relied on by generations of writers, the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association and is the only official, authorized book on MLA style. The new, ninth edition builds on the MLA's unique approach to documenting sources using a template of core elements?facts, common to most sources, like author, title, and publication date?that allows writers to cite any type of work, from books, e-books, and journal articles in databases to song lyrics, online images, social media posts, dissertations, and more. With this focus on source evaluation as the cornerstone of citation, MLA style promotes the skills of information and digital literacy so crucial today. The many new and updated chapters make this edition the comprehensive, go-to resource for writers of research papers, and anyone citing sources, from business writers, technical writers, and freelance writers and editors to student writers and the teachers and librarians working with them. Intended for a variety of classroom contexts?middle school, high school, and college courses in composition, communication, literature, language arts, film, media studies, digital humanities, and related fields?the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook offers ?New chapters on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, numbers, italics, abbreviations, and principles of inclusive language ?Guidelines on setting up research papers in MLA format with updated advice on headings, lists, and title pages for group project ?Revised, comprehensive, step-by-step instructions for creating a list of works cited in MLA format that are easier to learn and use than ever before ?A new appendix with hundreds of example works-cited-list entries by publication format, including websites, YouTube videos, interviews, and more ?Detailed examples of how to find publication information for a variety of sources ?Newly revised explanations of in-text citations, including comprehensive advice on how to cite multiple authors of a single work ?Detailed guidance on footnotes and endnotes ?Instructions on quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, and avoiding plagiarism ?A sample essay in MLA format ?Annotated bibliography examples ?Numbered sections throughout for quick navigation ?Advanced tips for professional writers and scholars
The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition by
Technologies may change, but the need for clear and accurate communication never goes out of style. That is why for more than one hundred years The Chicago Manual of Style has remained the definitive guide for anyone who works with words. In the seven years since the previous edition debuted, we have seen an extraordinary evolution in the way we create and share knowledge. This seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style has been prepared with an eye toward how we find, create, and cite information that readers are as likely to access from their pockets as from a bookshelf. It offers updated guidelines on electronic workflows and publication formats, tools for PDF annotation and citation management, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords. It recognizes the needs of those who are self-publishing or following open access or Creative Commons publishing models. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources--including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content--and also offer updated guidelines on such issues as DOIs, time stamps, and e-book locators. Other improvements are independent of technological change. The chapter on grammar and usage includes an expanded glossary of problematic words and phrases and a new section on syntax as well as updated guidance on gender-neutral pronouns and bias-free language. Key sections on punctuation and basic citation style have been reorganized and clarified. To facilitate navigation, headings and paragraph titles have been revised and clarified throughout. And the bibliography has been updated and expanded to include the latest and best resources available. This edition continues to reflect expert insights gathered from Chicago's own staff and from an advisory board of publishing experts from across the profession. It also includes suggestions inspired by emails, calls, and even tweets from readers. No matter how much the means of communication change, The Chicago Manual of Style remains the ultimate resource for those who care about getting the details right.
A Writer's Reference by
Engage more. Achieve more. A Writer's Reference helps you engage in and meet the challenges of your writing course. Clear How-to boxes help you complete common writing assignments like argument and analysis. Guidance about paraphrasing and fact-checking sources help you become a more responsible writer and reader. And Notes-to-self help you reflect on your progress and plan your revision. If your instructor has assigned Achieve, you have new ways to engage with course material and with your instructor and peers. Revision planning tools and individualized study plans help you become a better writer, and a built-in e-book puts your problem and your solution side by side.
Note: Students have many questions about citing sources, and FDU librarians are happy to provide guidance. We can assist by helping you to determine the type of source to be cited, providing a guide to the citation style, and indicating the most relevant section/example. Because citations are often graded, we cannot create or format the citation for you, nor can we correct a list of citations. Please contact the Academic Support Center or the Metro Writing Studio for help creating and formatting citations.
Citations provide credit to the author, editor, and/or publisher who created a source. It is vital to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism, which means intentionally or inadvertently taking credit for someone else's work. Citing sources also allows readers to consult your resources and retrieve the same information.
Please watch the following video from NC State University Libraries on Citations:
Video: Citations: A (Very) Brief Introduction by NC State University Libraries via YouTube
Citations are very important to use to provide credit when words and ideas are used from an outside source, such as a scholarly article, newspaper, textbook, social media post, books, and more. Always use a citation when summarizing, quoting, and paraphrasing someone else's ideas:
When in doubt, it is best to use a citation rather than risk plagiarizing someone else's ideas.
When talking about citations, you may see that different professors require different styles or formats to be used. The main styles you will see in college are MLA style, APA style, and Chicago style. Each of these styles has a different set of requirements, not only for citations, but also how your entire paper looks.
Benefits to using a standard format or style:
Before selecting a citation style for your paper, check with your professor or review your assignment to see what is required.
To get started with creating citations, a bibliography, or works cited page:
